Coming Together: Special Hurricane Relief Edition (29 page)

I
wrapped the cloak around us and we dozed before the fire for a while,
reaching out occasionally to replenish the fire, kissing, touching.
Eventually, the slave stirred. "Will Master excuse his slave for
a moment?"

"Why
should I?"

"Perhaps
a slave has drunk too much," she said.

I
laughed. "Outside, perhaps," I said. "Do not tarry,
slave."

She
looked out and smiled at me. "It rains yet, Master. I will be
swift." Her smile deepened. "I have another reason, too,
for I have felt Master's returning might against me. A slave begs to
be used yet again when she returns."

"So,
hurry, slave," I said. She squealed as my open hand stung her
bottom, running out, laughing. I was just putting another log on the
fire when I heard her scream, terror in her voice. I seized my sword
from where it lay with my belongings and rushed out, naked.

"Barus!"
I cried. There was no mistaking the tarnsman who had taken Pel from
the raiders' camp. The slave was struggling in his grip as I rushed
out.

"Aye,
Barus," he said, throwing the slave to one side. He gestured.
"She did not stay free long." He sneered. "Why, was
she hot?"

The
slave was on her hands and knees in the wet grass, a trickle of blood
at her mouth, her lip split where Barus had casually backhanded her
as he threw her to one side. Barus's sword was in his hand now and he
gestured to me to come to him.

"You
are armed. Fight me for her."

"How
did you find us."

"I
knew what time you left. I have informers in Rorus. I knew too that
you had the slave. I guessed you would land to try her out. Too, I
knew there were not many places with sufficient privacy. This was
only the third I checked."

"Why
have you come after us?" I said.

"You
cheated me out of much profit, warrior. Pel had not paid me, and the
slave will bring a good price, now that you have warmed her for men."
We were circling, cautious in the wet grass. Barus feinted and I
guarded, but he did not follow through. I needed to test him, so left
myself unguarded on my left as I, in my turn, feinted. That was
almost my undoing, as he was fast, but I blocked him again. He
grinned.

"Almost,"
he said.

I
smiled, reversing my circling, moving in the opposite direction,
trying to keep my back to the rain.

"It
will do you no good," he said. "You are naked, and I wear a
tarnsman's leather. I can bear a wound more easily than you can."

"I
am not wounded yet," I said.

He
smiled again. "Yet," he said, and moved in quickly to
attack me. Desperately, I defended myself, trying to keep the rain
behind me, too, but his attack was strong. I knew that, in equal
combat, I was probably his better, but this was no equal combat.

"You
are free," I said, conversationally.

Barus
frowned, puzzled for a moment, then his face cleared. "Ah, the
slave. I shall of course re-enslave her as soon as you fall." He
grinned. "You will not distract me that way."

"Perhaps,"
I said, feinting again. Perhaps I was overconfident, but his
counter-attack was savage. Perhaps it was that, perhaps it was my
lack of grip, barefoot in the wet grass, but I slipped and fell, my
sword flying from my hand. He was on me immediately, his foot on my
throat, his sword lifted to kill me.

He
paused for a moment. "Die," he said. He should not have
taken the time to say that, because his sword was still on the upward
stroke when the spear-point erupted from his chest. The Lady Melna,
formerly my unnamed slave, now free, although of only a woman's
strength, nevertheless, at full speed, running, her full, if slight,
weight behind it, had caused Barus's tarn spear to pass right through
him. He stared at me, blood rushing from his mouth, trying to speak,
and died on his feet. I scrambled to one side, the spear point just
missing me as he fell almost on top of me.

Behind
him, the Lady Melna, naked, white-faced, stared at me. I moved
towards her and held out my arms. Sobbing, she rushed into my
embrace.

"The
Lady Melna is brave," I said.

"Your
nameless slave."

"No,
the free woman, Lady Melna of Rorus, to whom the warrior Han Lero of
Ko-Ro-Ba owes his life, it is she who is brave. A slave may not touch
weapons, on peril of death."

She
stared at me, trembling. I bent to kiss her and suddenly we were
clutching at each other, our lips mashing together. Whether I pushed
her or whether she dragged me down we will never know, but in moments
I was hard and pushing into her as she pushed back at me, the rain
lashing down at us as we rutted in the wet grass, clutching at each
other, frenzied, urgent, pure lust for each other carrying us on, on,
to a shattering climax, I crying my triumph, she screaming her
fulfilment.

The
rain brought us back to reality, beating down on us, chilling our
fevered bodies. I eased my shrinking self from her, and lifted her in
my arms, carrying her back into the hut where the fire still burned,
warming us. I dried her with my cloak, and then myself, wrapping us
both in it and sitting before the fire with her in my arms. We sat in
silence, the thoughts of each of us turbulent, I think.

"Do
you no longer wish me slave, Han Lero," she said eventually, her
voice hesitant.

"I
freed you when I saw you reach for Barus's tarn spear," I said.
"A slave is not permitted weapons."

"What
is to be done with me, then?" she asked.

"Remember,
this morning, when you asked me to take you with me?"

"Aye,
I remember it well, for it was then I submitted myself slave,"
she whispered.

"Had
you waited but a moment, you would have heard me say wait, for only a
day or two, until I could obtain compartments suitable to share with
the free woman, Lady Melna, would she consent to be my Companion."
I hugged her, briefly.

"You
want me as Companion?" she said, her tone that of wonder.

"Aye,
Lady Melna of Rorus, if you will so consent."

"You
said you would not take a Companion."

"That
was before I knew I loved you."

"You
could love me as slave."

"Aye,
but were you slave you would not be treated as you deserve," I
said. "My own love you have, whether free or slave. I but think
of others. As my Companion, in my absence you would be treated with
respect and courtesy; as my slave, no."

There
was a long silence. She twisted around in my arms until she could
face me, looking into my eyes, solemn. "If I accept you as
Companion," she said, "there will be a condition."

"Condition?"
I frowned. "What condition."

"That
in the privacy of our compartment, the two of us alone, you treat me
only as a slave, the way you have this day."

"That
is your condition?" I said, smiling.

"Yes,
it is. Do you accept?" Her own smile was tentative, broadening
as she saw the agreement in my eyes. I kissed her gently.

"I
accept."

"Then
I, Lady Melna of Rorus, do hereby accept the warrior Han Lero,
Captain, of Ko-Ro-Ba, as my Companion." She smiled, looking out
at the rain. She turned to me, quizzical. "For the moment, this
hut is our lodging, yes?"

"It
is."

"Then
may the Lady Melna perform as your slave, Master?"

"Yes,
nameless slave."

It
was next morning before we left the hut. After the Lady Melna and I
had made love again, she performing as a heated and helpless slave,
and superbly, I had stripped the gear from Barus's tarn and freed the
beast. His cloak was thick, warm, and this I had given to Lady Melna.
For the moment, her only garment. She had others, in her quarters in
Lady Allina's holding, but for now we were bound for Ko-Ro-Ba, for
the ceremony of Companionship. Barus's belongings included a pouch,
with gold, which I added to my own. Too, there were notes of
rendezvous, which I suspected might be with the raiders who had
abducted Lady Allina and Lady Melna. Claudius Flavius would be glad
to see those, I thought.

In
the sunlight of a new day, I fastened the Lady Melna before me on the
saddle of the tarn. Astride the tarn, this time, secured only to stop
her falling and not as a slave, in Barus's cloak. As we flew we
would, on occasion, exchange kisses, and she, the Lady Melna, no
better than a heated slave, would invite my hand within the confines
of the cloak, her only garment, to caress her.

We
were a scant ahn short of arrival at Ko-Ro-Ba when I spotted a wagon
on the track beneath us, a single wagon drawn by two draft
tharlarion. I brought the tarn lower on an impulse, proving my belief
true, for it was the wagon of a slaver, showing the blue and yellow
colours on closer acquaintance, faded with the sun. I brought the
tarn down a half pasang ahead, lifting the Lady Melna to the ground,
hobbling the tarn. We waited until the wagon drew near. The slaver
was cautious, stopping a little distance away. I walked towards him,
drawing my sword. I stopped ten paces away, laying my sword on the
ground and stepping clear of it. He put down his crossbow and
beckoned me closer.

"Stay
with my sword," I said to the Lady Melna. I approached the
slaver.

"Tal,
Rarius," he said, looking beyond me at Lady Melna, wrapped in
the cloak. "You have a slave to sell?"

"No,"
I said, laughing. "Have you any garments befitting a free
woman?"

The
slaver, a cheerful looking fellow, cocked his head on one side. "You
are serious?"

I
nodded. "Aye."

He
laughed. "I am a slaver. What do I want with the garments of a
free woman?" I waited, a pleasant smile on my face. He shook his
head. "Tuka?" he called over his shoulder.

"Master?"
came a woman's voice.

"Bring
out that bundle of free women's clothes."

"Master?"

"You
heard me, Tuka. Must an order be repeated?"

"No,
Master," said the voice, but there was none of the fear in it
that I would expect from a disobedient slave. I suspected a long and
comfortable relationship between them. A blonde slave, short, curvy,
dropped lightly from the back of the wagon with a bundle of clothing
in her arms. She came to the front, saw me, and went easily to her
knees. "Master."

"Slave,"
I acknowledged.

"The
clothing of a free woman, Master."

"Thank
you." I beckoned to Lady Melna. She picked up my sword and came
towards me. The slaver and his little blonde exchanged glances. I
think they had thought I brought a slave, face-stripped as she was,
but no slave would dare to pick up a sword. I took the sword from her
and sheathed it. I gestured. "Clothing. Get what you need to
enter Ko-Ro-Ba. Behind the wagon," I suggested. "With your
permission, slaver?"

"Of
course, warrior. Lep Toll lives only to serve." He winked.

"Does
Mistress require assistance?" said Tuka.

"No,"
said Lady Melna, "but you may assist me anyway, thus satisfying
your curiosity as to whether or not I am free, face-stripped as I am,
and wearing only this cloak, whose former owner I slew."

The
slaver and his blond slave exchanged glances, then looked at me. I
nodded. "With his own tarn spear," I said gravely.

"With
Mistress's permission, I shall remain here," said Tuka, nervous.

Lady
Melna smiled and took the bundle of clothing. She was gone but a few
ehn, returning in a dusty green robe, which I think she chose because
of her hair, hooded, with a light veil. She wore, too, Barus's cloak.
The robe did not have the usual bulk, and I suspected her
undergarments to be few, if any. She had found, too, some light
slippers, so was no longer barefoot. She dropped the bundle of
clothing next to Tuka. "My thanks," she said.

"Mistress."

I
reached into my pouch and threw the slaver a silver tarsk. "My
thanks, warrior," he said, grinning.

Some
two ahn later I landed the tarn at my father's tarncot. Linus, the
keeper, grinned to see me. "Welcome home, Captain." He
bowed to Lady Melna, curious. "My lady."