Barbarian Tales 1: Mistress of the Sword - Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Punishment

Shailaja awoke to the smell of breakfast. The door to the cabin was open and from the light coming through it she judged that everyone had slept late. Remembering her circumstances, she made no effort to move but lay where she was watching what was going on. After a few heartbeats Dain saw that she was awake.

"Ah," he grinned, "the warrior awakes. I expect you are in need of a trip to the forest."

Indeed she was, her bladder full to bursting, but she gave no reply to the comment, instead speaking angrily of her situation. "You have waylaid and used a Warrior of Kaltara against her will. I demand to be released."

"Why would we even countenance the notion of releasing one such as you?" Dain laughed. "I've never had a woman that good. Even the third time you were still as strong and fresh as the first. It's going to be a long winter and you will help to while away the cold and darkness."

"That is certain, brother," Lahn agreed. "It was the will of Teloch that brought her to us. We would be foolish to ignore the bounty of the gods."

"You are fools and cowards to waylay an innocent traveller and to use her as you have done," Shailaja retorted. "This was not the will of the gods and you will be punished severely for what you have done."

"Perhaps," Dain sneered. "But not by you, warrior. I do not know the qualities of the other Kaltaran women that masquerade as warriors, but you are certainly at the bottom of the heap for all your size. Now you will come with me and we will see you to your needs."

Shailaja's anger at these slurs was boundless, but she suppressed it, realizing that it would serve little purpose to rage at her captors while in so helpless a condition.

Dain untied the strip of rawhide from around her neck and loosened the tether tying her legs. Taking her by the arm he pulled her from the bed.

Unexpected agony shot through her as she rose from the bed and took her first step. A startled gasp escaped her lips, bringing another laugh from Dain. "A bit sore are we? Well, you'll get used to it, warrior. It's going to be a part of your life for the entire winter."

He tugged her toward the door and she followed, ignoring the smirks on the faces of Sheb and Lahn and trying to ignore the burning in her loins.

He led her to a spot a few yards from the cabin where she could attend to her needs and then stepped away to let her do it. She was still nude and her nipples puckered in the cool mountain air, something that drew Dain's eyes like a lodestone draws iron, but he let her finish before making any comment.

"Like the sweetest of berries," he grinned, raising a hand to pinch her nipple. She flinched at the touch, her nipples as sore as her loins from the pinching and biting they had received the previous night.

"You will heal," Dain remarked. "We were a bit rough with you last night, but the breaking in of a woman needs to be vigorous to show her who is in control. Tonight we will be gentler to give you time to adapt."

There was little Shailaja could say to that. Clearly Dain and his brothers had little fear of her, for all of her size. And why should they? She had offered little opposition when they had taken her. Perhaps if she had screamed and cried at the top of her lungs they might have respected her more, but she doubted it. Women to men such as Dain and his brothers were things to be used for pleasure. They were certainly not the equal of men, and therefore not much to be feared, even if they did carry a sword.

Shailaja expected to be taken back to the cabin, but Dain turned her the other way. "This way," he ordered. "We have to get that stink off you."

She was marched uphill, Dain following. Her body protested at every step, but she had to admit that Dain was right. She did stink, and if there was any place she could go to wash off the filth of her ordeal she would go willingly.

They climbed a bit more and then just ahead Shailaja heard the sound of water. A few steps later she emerged into an opening in the forest where a small waterfall plunged into a deep pool. She knew that at this elevation the water would be chillingly cold, but it was nothing that she had not experienced in her homeland and without hesitation she stepped into the pool.

It was cold, but she ignored the discomfort and immersed herself in the pool up to her shoulders. It would have been a good deal better if her hands had been free and she said so. "Bathing like this is impossible. Will you at least free my arms so that I can clean myself properly?"

"Not a chance," Dain replied. "Those long legs of yours would carry you away from here like a deer if I let you loose. And I am looking forward to being between them again tonight."

Glowering in anger she did the best she could, moving over to the waterfall and letting the water cascade onto her. It was bitterly cold, but she forced herself to stand for as long as she was able, enjoying the feeling of being washed clean. Nothing, of course, could wash away the shame she had brought upon herself, but there was nothing she could do about that.

She stood awhile longer and then noticed something that gave her hope. On the bank, Dain was shifting from foot to foot, obviously impatient, but he could not reach her without entering the pool himself. As long as she stayed where she was she had a temporary respite from her captors. But she had noticed something else as well. Wet rawhide stretches, and her arms and legs were bound with it.

Straining her arms she could feel the thong binding her arms loosen. If she could stretch it enough she should be able to get it off. She strained harder and felt a definite give just as Dain moved closer to the edge of the pool.

"How much longer do you need? He shouted. "You're clean enough. Now get out of there before you freeze your shapely backside off."

Shailaja felt the rawhide thong slide down her arms. With a flick of her wrists she was free, but the waterfall concealed her condition. Quickly she bent and loosened the strip of leather that connected her knees. She stepped from the waterfall and splashed into the pool, keeping herself immersed in order to disguise the fact that she was no longer bound. If she could just get close enough to Dain she could overwhelm him before he gave the alarm.

Just at the moment, however, fortune turned against her once more. Sheb and Lahn appeared at the top of the trail, apparently having come to wonder where their brother and their captive were.

Even at those odds Shailaja would have chanced it, except for one thing. Sheb carried his bow and while she might be able to take them without weapons she would have little chance against an arrow. There seemed only one option left and she took it, turning and splashing across to the other side of the pool.

"By Teloch she's loose," Sheb yelled. "Dain, you fool, why did you let her out of the bindings?"

Shailaja surged across the pool and out, gambling that Sheb would not loose a shaft into her back. She scrambled up the steep bank, scrabbling on hands and knees, intending to reach the trees. Once there she would lose herself in the forest and worry later what she was going to do about surviving naked in the wild.

Something slammed into the back of her head. It did not knock her unconscious, but it dazed her and she slipped and fell to her knees, sliding back down the slope. For an instant, as she slipped partly back into the water, she thought that she had been struck by an arrow. She later learned, however, that Lahn had hurled his throwing stick; a weapon used for hunting rabbits and other small animals, and had made a perfect throw to the back of her head.

Splashing sounds alerted her to the fact that at least one of the brothers had jumped into the pool. She pushed herself to her knees, but was too dizzy to do more than that before someone surged out of the water behind her.

"Damned Kaltaran bitch." She heard Sheb's voice just before something struck her even harder on the back of her head and black spots danced before her eyes.

She wasn't knocked completely unconscious, but was so close to it that she offered not the least resistance as Sheb once again fixed rawhide thongs to her arms just above the elbows, this time pulling them so tight that her elbows were just a hand's breadth apart.

"On your feet," he ordered. He used her hair to pull her to her knees, the pain in her scalp helping her to shake off some of her confusion. Then he pushed her into the water, still holding her by the hair, and forced her across the pond to where his brothers waited. The shock of the cold water shook off the last of her condition and she stood on the far bank while the tether was once again applied just above her knees.

"You will have to be punished for that, warrior," Sheb growled. "If we are to allow you to serve us we must have distinct rules and running away is not one of them."

"But first some breakfast," Lahn said. "I don't like doling out punishment on an empty stomach."

"If you are trying to frighten me, you are wasting your time," Shailaja retorted. "I can hardly be punished worse than the shame you have already brought me."

"Shame she calls it," sneered Dain. "She certainly moved her backside right well last night. If that's shame then all of the whores I've ever had showed an equal amount of shame."

Once again Shailaja was afflicted by the curse of her colouring, a flush suffusing her cheeks and quickly descending to her breasts.

"Look, she blushes," Lahn jeered. "I'm surprised she has any pride left at all after the way she begged us to use her last night."

There was nothing Shailaja could say to that and so she held her tongue, saying not a word more as she was led back to the cabin. Once there she was fed, but in a manner most humiliating for a warrior. She was forced to her knees and required to eat from the tip of Sheb's knife, each piece of meat cut up for her as if she were a very small child. After that she had to wait while the three brothers collected their equipment and hers and got ready for the trail.

To make sure she got no more ideas about running away the tether was once again placed about her neck and tied to a tree, preventing her from moving anywhere at all. She stood there, her skin tingling in the cool mountain air and wondering what her punishment was to be.

Shailaja didn't really fear pain, what she feared was that she might cry out when whatever was to be done to her took place. The waiting made it worse, as Sheb surely knew it would, and then finally everything was in readiness and the three brothers returned for her.

She saw that Halvar had been saddled and stood with the mules, and she wondered if she was to be allowed to ride. If she was then a single command and Halvar would carry her far beyond the ability of the three brothers to catch her.

It seemed that she was soon to find out as the brothers returned to where she waited. "First the matter of punishment," Sheb said as he untied her from the tree.

Leaving one end of the leather thong tied about her neck he led her toward the front of the cabin as if she was one of his mules. If it was intended to add further to her shame it succeeded, but it was a small thing compared to what had already been done to her.

In front of the cabin was a hitching rail constructed of two posts set into the ground and joined by a crosspiece. He led her up to it until the rail was pressed against her belly. Then pulling on the leash, he bent her over the rail until she was looking at the ground, her long tangled hair cascading around her. With a few quick twists of the leather Sheb tied her in position so that she was bent over the hitching post; then he stepped back to admire his handiwork.

"A fitting pose for a warrior," he jeered, "bent over so that she can be more easily used."

Lahn and Dain were standing directly behind her and had a delightful view of her bottom and what lay between her legs. It was too much for them to ignore and they stepped forward placing their fingers at the gateway to Selene's Grotto.

Shailaja started at the unwelcome intrusion, giving a slight gasp as her petals were parted. Even worse than the shame of being placed in so humiliating a position, however, was her reaction to it. Within heartbeats she felt the familiar surge of warmth within her as her inner fires once more began to burn. Once again she had been easily aroused by the touch of a man, but it was soon to become very much worse.

Sheb's hands were drawn to her swaying breasts which were all too well presented due to the painful arch of her back. She grimaced as he pinched her nipples and squeezed her firm flesh.

"What is the matter, warrior," Sheb sneered, "is this not to your liking? You seemed to enjoy it well enough last night."

"It is not proper to demean a warrior so," Shailaja gasped. Once again her treacherous body had betrayed her by turning bright red and she squirmed unconsciously as Lahn and Dain continued to stroke her petals and caress her bottom.

"I expect you think this is your punishment, but it is not," Sheb smirked. "It is only the preparation for that event. If we are to keep you through the winter we cannot have you attempting to escape. You must be obedient at all times otherwise we will spend too much of our time watching you."

"Why do you not release me then?" Shailaja gasped. "You cannot watch me forever. I am more trouble to you than I am worth."

"I could never relinquish such a prize," Sheb replied. "The winter will be long and you will provide a valuable diversion for three men alone in the snows. What you need to learn is obedience. Forget this warrior nonsense. You are a woman and therefore created to serve men."

"If you think me not a warrior remove these bonds and we shall see," Shailaja rasped. The position of her binding was a difficult one as in addition to being humiliating, it made breathing difficult. Even raising her head to speak to Sheb was awkward and tiring, and the continual touching of her body by her captors had her badly aroused.

"Perhaps I will," Sheb said, "but not just yet. First you must learn to obey and the lesson starts now."

He strode away from her and out of sight, leaving her to wonder what her punishment might be, but reappeared a few heartbeats later. In his hand he held a willow switch from which he was carefully peeling the bark. "When a woman is rebellious she must be taught the consequences of her rebellion. In order for the lesson to be effective it must be painful but leave her able to do her duties."

"That will have no affect on a Warrior of Kaltara," Shailaja proclaimed. "Nothing you can do will be worse than the shame you have already inflicted."

"We will see," Sheb replied. "But I expect you will scream all the same." He stepped behind her to the chuckles of Lahn and Dain.

"I'd rather do something else with her backside than cane it," Lahn observed. "But we can always do that later."

"Much later," Sheb agreed. "We've already wasted enough time with her, but this must be done or she will continue to plague us."

There was a swish as the willow withe cut the air and a sharp sting as it struck her buttocks. For some tender maid of the southern realms the blow might have meant something, but if Sheb thought to make Shailaja cry out with so feeble an effort he was about to be sadly disappointed.

"Lahn laughed. "That was dismal, brother; she didn't even flinch."

"Perhaps Sheb used up too much of himself last night," Dain jeered.

"She'll do more than flinch before I finish with her," Sheb growled. The withe cut the air again and this time the sting was harder, but nothing to make a warrior cry out. The punishment was more shameful than painful and Shailaja vowed vengeance.

Angered by her complete lack of response Sheb struck again, this time hard enough that the willow wand broke. The fact that Shailaja did not show the slightest regard for what he was doing hardly improved his temper. "Bitch," he cried. "She will feel pain. I swear it."

There was movement behind her and the chuckles of Lahn and Dain. "Better cut a much thicker wand, brother," Dain advised. "For all her beauty she seems to have skin like leather."

A hand caressed her bottom, no doubt sampling the softness of her skin. "Doesn't feel like leather though," Lahn laughed.

"Stand back; she'll feel this one." The command told Shailaja that Sheb had returned although with what thickness of wand she had no idea. She learned a heartbeat later as the withe cracked across her naked buttocks. Sheb was right. She did feel that one, but she still made no sound in spite of the sharp pain. It was no light cane this time, but a much thicker willow rod. The blow stung painfully, resulting in a quick intake of breath, but no other sound passed her lips.

Her defiance brought an even harder blow. The pain was great, and it would have been much easier to have given Sheb what he wanted and cry out, but Shailaja would have rather died. Clenching her teeth she waited for the next blow. It came, and with it severe pain, but Sheb in his anger had struck so hard that his second switch was also broken.

Tossing away the broken willow he cursed. "Teloch take you, I will have your obedience."

There was movement behind her and Shailaja could only guess at what Sheb was doing, but it drew a response from Lahn. "Take care, brother. She will be of little use to us if she is beaten so badly that she is crippled."

"I will have her obedience," Sheb replied. "Without obedience a woman is worthless." Shailaja heard him step toward her and then there was a different sort of swish and the crack of leather as his belt struck her buttocks. Sheb's belt was an instrument of pain that would not break and he used it liberally, striking her again and again until the pain was so great she could barely hold back her screams.

How long Sheb would have continued to beat her, before he was satisfied Shailaja did not know. She did know that she was only a few blows short of screaming in pain. One blow across the buttocks is painful. A dozen is excruciating. The number Sheb gave her came close to achieving the obedience he sought.

It was Lahn who saved her, stepping forward to hold his brother's arm just as he was about to strike again. "Hold, brother," he said. "I sympathize with your goal, but she will be of very little use with her backside cut to ribbons."

Sheb stared at her quivering body. Shailaja was now not leaning over the rail of the hitching post, but on it, her trembling legs barely able to support her weight. She was panting, struggling for each breath, and sweat dripped from her body.

"You are right, she is as a stubborn as our mules, but there are other ways to punish her that will bring us more pleasure."

"Brother," Lahn remonstrated. "Should we not untie her and ready her for the march?"

"Thanks to the time wasted on the wench," Sheb replied, "the day is too far gone to make the next staging post. But there is still time enough for this."

Shailaja could not see what he was doing, but it took little imagination to determine what that might be. Her guess was confirmed heartbeats later when she felt him press against her bruised backside. The touch of his body was almost as painful as the blows he had been raining upon her and she gasped in pain.

"Well should you gasp," Sheb commented, misinterpreting the sound of pain. "A bit more of this and you will be tamed."

His member parted her petals. Unlike the first time when he had simply thrust into her, this time he teased her a little, probably in the hopes of that the juices of Selene's grotto would flow.

But there was nothing within her that would make that happen. The fires that had burned the first time that she had been used had been extinguished.

"You have used her too harshly," Lahn diagnosed. "No woman can be beaten like that and expected to respond as a woman should. It might be better to let her recover before using her again."

"I see no need," Sheb argued. "I am satisfied with giving myself pleasure. If she does not move well enough she must be beaten again."

"It is exactly because of the beating that she will not respond," Dain argued. "You have dampened her fires by punishing her too harshly. She must be allowed to rest and recover."

"She will recover when I am through with her," Sheb growled. Without further argument he thrust hard into his victim.

This action got him the result his beating had not. Shailaja cried out at the sudden pain as he took her deep, ignoring the fact that she was far from ready for him. But Sheb was not in the mood to pay any attention to her lack of readiness. He plunged deep within her, forcing her body to respond and then used her long and hard.

In spite of their former protestations, neither Lahn nor Dain saw fit to let their scruples stand in the way of their enjoyment. They both used her at length, leaving her too spent to even raise her head.

Although it was just after the high point of the sun it was judged that Shailaja now needed rest and she was carried to the cabin where she was once again placed on one of the beds. "We must find some kinder way of binding her," Lahn's voice proclaimed, "otherwise she will hardly be able to walk. See how her current binding arches her back and makes walking difficult."

"I see how it arches her back and presents her magnificent breasts for my scrutiny," Sheb countered. "But perhaps there is something that could be done. We have several days travel before us and we don't want her holding us up."

"In the meantime," Lahn replied, "I will remove that which binds her arms. The neck tether should be enough to keep her where she is."

There was nothing Shailaja could say to any of this, but she was most relieved when the rawhide binding her arms was removed. Too beaten to do more than lay where she was, there was no need of the tether Lahn tied to her neck, and she quickly drifted off into a deep and exhausted sleep.

---

She awoke briefly sometime in the night with hunger gnawing at her as well as the need to relieve herself. Her backside throbbed and the part of her body beyond her petals hurt just as badly. She had been harshly beaten and then well used and her body reflected the pain of that use and the beating. All around her the hunters snored loudly, but she found that the tether about her neck prevented movement of more than the width of a few fingers. Lahn had secured it somehow beyond the reach of her hands and she gave up trying to untie it after a few unsuccessful attempts and allowed herself to return to sleep.

She awoke again when the brothers stirred. It was still dark, the hunters rising early to prepare for the day. Lahn came to her immediately after lighting the fire. "I will take you outside to see to your needs," he explained. "But first there is a need to secure you properly."

He produced a leather strap that was probably intended for use when securing packs to the mules. Shailaja noticed in the flickering light of the fire that it had been modified somewhat and wondered exactly what he was going to do with it. Loosening the strap around her neck enough that she could sit up, he placed the strap around her just beneath her breasts and fastened it behind her back. At that moment she could have struck out at him but the gesture would have been one of useless defiance as she would have been at the mercy of the remaining brothers, so she remained passive and waited to see what he was about.

From her upright position she could see that Lahn or one of the other brothers had attached two smaller straps to either side of the strap that now encircled her. She knew at once what they were for and it was confirmed a heartbeat later when Lahn buckled first one and then the other of the straps to each of her arms just above the elbow.

She frowned in exasperation when she realized that this was the improved method of binding her that Lahn had suggested. It allowed her arms quite a bit of movement. By bowing her head she could probably even feed herself, but she could not reach the buckles on either side that held her arms, nor could she reach the main buckle in the middle of her back. It was a much more comfortable arrangement than the leather thongs she had been bound with, but it left her captive.

There was also one more strap to apply. Lahn untied the thong from her neck, but replaced it with a leather collar which he also buckled in place. From it hung a small length of chain of the sort she recognized as being used to hold a trap in place.

She viewed the entire arrangement with distaste, as it left her feeling even more like a captive than it had when she had merely been bound with the rawhide thongs. Lahn grinned at her expression. "You don't like this do you, girl?" Well you better get used to it. You will wear these straps until you learn proper obedience." He finished up by tying a leather thong between her ankles.

Shailaja scowled at him. She hated the way the brothers referred to her as "girl," as if she was no more than some helpless child who needed the strong supervision of her elders. She hated just as much their sarcastic use of the word "warrior," even though on reflection she had to admit that in her encounter with the brothers she had much more resembled a helpless girl than the warrior she claimed to be. Clearly they had little respect for her, or her supposed fighting abilities, even though they were not so foolish as to release her from the restraints they applied to her.

"There," Lahn smiled, seemingly quite satisfied, "that should be a little more comfortable. Now let's get you cleaned up."

Once again Shailaja was led into the forest, but this time Lahn kept hold of the chain making sure that she did not try to bolt. She was allowed to attend to her needs and then led to the same pool where she had made her abortive escape attempt. Every step she took was pure agony. Not only was she suffering from another round of heavy use from the brothers, but the savage beating Sheb had given her had left her very stiff and sore. However, she showed none of the pain she felt, following stoically behind her escort.

The bath in the cold water of the pool helped. As before, washing herself properly was impossible, but she did the best she could and then we returned to the cabin. There, breakfast was ready and after a quick meal, in which she was able to move her arms enough to feed herself, the tether connecting her ankles was removed and she was helped with her breeches and boots. To her concealed dismay her torso was left bare something that Dain could not help commenting upon.

"It would be a shame to hide these," he grinned, giving her left breast a squeeze and twisting her right nipple. "It will give us something to look at other than mountain scenery."

Shailaja made no comment concerning this indignity, simply adding it to the extensive list of wrongs to be avenged. By now the list was so impossibly long that she was having difficulty thinking up suitable punishments for the three hunters who had violated her and subjected her to brutal captivity.

Outside, the mules were laden and ready to go and Halvar was saddled. Sheb mounted Halvar, the traitorous animal accepting him without the slightest objection, while Lahn and Dain led the mules. The brothers had decided to share her mount, each having a day on Halvar's back. Shailaja was led behind Halvar like one of the mules, Sheb holding the lead.

It was intended to show Shailaja her place, but instead it filled her with rage. She was bowed, but not broken. Forced to submit, she walked behind Halvar, her eyes fixed ahead of her, waiting for her chance to escape.

But her chance did not come that day. They trekked until late afternoon. The fact that she was being taken back the way she had already come was of some concern. She did not think it likely that she had been pursued, but if she had then she was walking straight back into that pursuit. But there was nothing she could do about it until she managed to escape.

That night they once again stopped at a wayside cabin, one that Shailaja had ridden right past. Once again it was set slightly off the trail where only those who knew where it was could find it. Once inside supper was prepared and eaten and then the three brothers enjoyed her for dessert.

This time they used one of the bunks, and holding her down they used her until they were satisfied.

Already aching from the previous two sessions, their use was hardly pleasant. This time as on the previous day, she did not respond, the ability of her captors to arouse her seeming to have been lost. Needless to say, her lack of desire left the three men far from satisfied.

"Perhaps she has been overused," Dain theorized. "She is only a girl, after all."

"Only a girl," Sheb scoffed. "She's nine hands of red hair and muscle with a body like that goddess she worships. She's got breasts like Selene, and thighs that can break a man's back. I've seen whores half her size take on more men and ask for more."

"What do you think it is then?" Dain asked. "She showed womanly heat the first time we took her."

"We've got to knock this warrior nonsense out of her," Sheb answered. "From now on she will be treated as she should be treated until she realizes who her masters are."

Shailaja could not imagine how her treatment could become much worse, short of being beaten every day. And she knew not how Sheb planned to continue using her, but she soon found out.

"Get off the bed, girl," Sheb ordered. "From now on you sleep on the floor when we are not using you."

What he ordered was hardly much of a hardship to a trained warrior, and Shailaja complied without comment, moving to the floor at the side of the bed. Once there Sheb forced her onto her back and secured the chain about her throat so that she could not move from where he had put her.

Although it was cold, the vigorous manner in which she had been used, and the long walk behind Halvar had left her so tired that she quickly fell asleep, not waking until morning.

---

The next day matters proceeded as before. Shailaja was readied for the march, but not without some debate. Sheb had decided that it was only fitting she be forced to walk barefoot, but both Dain and Lahn thought that it would leave her too crippled to keep up, and so she was allowed to keep her boots. It was well that she was, as something occurred that day that turned events to her advantage.

The day proceeded as before with her trotting behind Halvar. On this day Lahn rode and Sheb walked, but the pace was brisk and she was forced to step in a lively manner to keep up. In spite of what had been done to her Shailaja's warrior conditioning allowed her to maintain a good pace, and it was soon Sheb and Dain who were puffing.

At their insistence the pace was slowed enough that both men could walk alongside her. The position gave them great pleasure as it enabled them to look upon the movement of her breasts as she walked.

Dain went a little further than that. By this time they were approaching the top of the pass and were once again among the snows. Scooping up a handful Dain applied it to Shailaja's breasts and then grinned in pleasure at the hardening of her nipples. She could do nothing to prevent this humiliation and both men greatly enjoyed the touching and pinching that followed; actions that turned her red with anger.

"Look how she colours," Sheb jeered. "Do you not find it surprising, brothers that she can still be so easily shamed after what has been done to her? You would think her still a blushing virgin instead of a woman who had been plundered so freely."

"Perhaps it is part of that pride you speak so freely of, brother," Lahn replied from Halvar's back. "I for one rather enjoy the continued humiliation she is brought."

"But it is that same pride that must be taken from her," Sheb countered. "Otherwise she will continue to disappoint us."

The talk continued in that vein for the next half turn of the glass, the brothers chatting mindlessly about how she should be properly disciplined and the merits of the various punishments with which they might teach her proper obedience. So absorbed were they in their debate that they failed to observe what any experienced hunter should have observed, and that was a sudden change in the weather.

It came very suddenly, but the signs of it were there before the winds struck had the three brothers paid more attention to their surroundings and less to their discussion of how Shailaja was to be disciplined.

The winds that suddenly blew up were common in the Mountains of Storms at any time of year, although they tended to be more frequent during the cold of winter. They were fierce beyond the power of any to withstand them; bringing blinding sheets of snow and temperatures that would freeze exposed skin within a few heartbeats.

Needless to say, Shailaja was not well prepared to survive in such a storm, but the panic the sudden arrival of the blizzard caused among her captors gave her the chance she needed.

With frantic speed the brothers rushed to prepare a hasty shelter. They were fully equipped to survive such a storm had they been alert enough to see it coming. Quickly they unloaded the mules and herded all of them, along with Halvar into the trees. Then they opened sheets of heavy canvas and lashed them to the trees, creating a windbreak. All of this was done with frantic haste as the snow whirled about them and the temperature dropped and the wind howled. Shailaja was left alone in the middle of the enclosure, none of the brothers conceiving of the fact that she might view this as a chance to escape. They had good reason to have confidence that she would not attempt to escape. She was restrained in the harness Lahn had made for her and was still naked to the waist. In spite of the fact that she was partly sheltered from the storm by being placed with the animals, she was already shivering from the cold and could not be expected to last long without shelter. But shelter was not foremost in her mind. For the first time since she had been captured she was not being closely watched, and desperate as the situation was, she took advantage of it.

Halvar, stood just paces away, towering over the mules. In two steps she was standing next to him. In one bound she was in his saddle and kicking him forward. With her arms secured to the harness, mounting the plenya was not as easy as it might have been, but any Kaltaran Warrior worth her salt could vault from the ground to the back of her mount without using arms or stirrup. And as for guiding her mount, she needed no reins as plenya are taught to respond to knee pressure and spoken command. In moments she had Halvar moving out of the makeshift camp and back the way they had come.

Shailaja doubted that any of the brothers even saw her go, so involved were they with attempting to create shelter, and with the thickness of the storm, she was probably out of their sight within ten yards.

Indeed, visibility was so poor that she gave Halvar his head and let him find his own way. Not being a particularly foolish beast, Halvar headed for shelter and he soon took her among the trees that lined the trail. She kept him going, pushing him farther into the trees in an effort to get as far away from her captors as possible. However, she could not go far, her bare skin already turning numb from the cold and she had no wish to escape merely to freeze to death.

She halted Halvar in what seemed to be a thick grove of trees and slid off his back. Gripping the reins as best she could she slipped beneath him, and pulled on the reins, at the same time commanding him to descend. Teeth chattering she let his massive bulk settle upon her.

It may have seemed foolhardy to risk injury by encouraging a beast that weighed more than a large horse to lie on top of her, but actually Shailaja was in very little danger. In the heavy snows and intense cold of the northern lands, plenya instinctively huddle on the ground as protection against the elements. As herd animals they protect their young by lying on top of them and using their thick belly fur to shelter them from the elements. So far as Halvar was concerned as he settled upon her Shailaja was a young member of the herd to which he was offering shelter.

Buried in Halvar's thick belly fur she waited out the storm; if perhaps not in comfort, then at least in warmth and safety. She did not expect any of the brothers to come after her, but tried to stay alert just in case. However, as good as her intentions were, they did not last for long. After but a short time she closed her eyes and fell into the natural process called sleep.

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She awoke to a warm and comfortable world; so comfortable that she would not have wanted to move had if her body had not been badly cramped due to the fact that she still could not move her arms.

Forcing her body to move, she burrowed her way toward the light and found herself emerging into a blinding world of white. She shivered at the sudden change in temperature, her bare nipples hardening in a manner that would have been most pleasing to the three hunters who had captured and used her. The snow was deep around her and if she was to survive without Halvar's help she would have to find proper clothing, but first she wanted out of the confines of the leather restraint Lahn had placed about her.

Halvar remained kneeling in the snow, which made it easy to access the packs that had been placed on his back. Even hampered by the fact that she could not move her hands more than the height of her shoulders she was able to fumble through the packs. She soon found the item she sought, a skinning knife.

It was perfect for what she had to do, and she cut through the leather strap just beneath her breasts. After that it was short work to get rid of the rest of her restraints, including the degrading leather collar about her neck. That critical task seen to, she then rummaged in the packs for some proper clothing. She found none of her own, but did find a heavy shirt that probably belonged to Lahn. She quickly pulled it on and then searched for anything else of use.

With delight she found Lahn's unstrung bow and a quiver of arrows. It was but the work of a moment to locate the string and put it into proper working order. She also found a leather jerkin that she pulled on over the shirt. Fortunately, Lahn was a big man and both fit close to her size. Thus outfitted, it was time to deal with the men who had abducted her.

Shailaja would have preferred to deal with them using her sword, but a single step revealed that she was still far from the peak of condition. Four days of continual use by her captors and the severe beating Sheb had given her had left her far from her best. She probably still could have taken them, but the bow would probably prove to be the better instrument for taking her revenge.

She knew that she was only a short distance from where the men and mules had been when the storm struck, so she moved quietly, leaving Halvar behind. In but a short time she found the trail. In spite of the intensity of the storm, it was not true winter. That event was still a moon or so off, and although it was cold, where the sun struck the snow it was already beginning to melt.

The snow helped her movement, deadening the sound of her footfalls, although she had to move carefully to prevent the telltale crunch known so well to northerners. The heavy stands of spruce and fir helped to hide her advance, and she was soon close enough to hear the sound of voices.

"I say she is long gone on that huge snow beast of hers," Lahn said. "It is a chance lost. Her company throughout the winter would have been most welcome."

"She is gone, alright," Sheb replied. "But not far I expect. No one could get far in that storm without facing certain death. She is close and we should seek her out."

"I am tired of this discussion," Dain protested. "You are both wrong. The girl was only half dressed when the storm struck. She would have frozen to death within a few heartbeats. I expect come spring we will find her bones, provided they have not been scattered by the beasts of the wild."

"Perhaps you are right," Lahn reluctantly agreed. "It is a great loss. I shall deeply miss sucking on those great breasts of hers."

"Agreed," Sheb sighed, "although I preferred the tightness between her petals and the strength of her thighs."

"And her buttocks," Dain added. "Never have I felt such power."

Although she was hidden, Shailaja blushed to hear herself spoken of is such a way. But her flush of shame was quickly replaced by that of anger. Those who spoke had robbed her of the right to choose who would take her, as well as heaping untold pain and humiliation upon her. She put an arrow to the bowstring and moved closer.

The brothers were standing by their loaded mules, apparently in the process of breaking camp. Like her they had apparently risen late due to the storm and were just now ready to set out. Without hesitation she drew back on the bowstring and stepped from the trees.

Dain saw her first and froze where he was, fear flickering over his face. She remained unmoving, her arrow trained in their centre, but not directed at any one of them. And then Sheb looked up.

He started, and then grinned. "I knew you were not dead, girl. Now put down the bow and you will not be punished too harshly for attempting to escape." He took two steps toward her before her arrow caught him in the thigh.

Shailaja was not one to play games. She wanted vengeance, but she was not the sort to taunt those who had offended her. The brothers had greatly earned punishment, but she was in no way interested in entering into an exchange of words with them.

Sheb's scream of pain startled the mules and sent the other two brothers sprinting away from her. A second arrow took down Dain, the barb catching him in the buttocks. She was not quick enough to catch Lahn, but he was weaponless and she did not care if he escaped. In spite of what the brothers had done to her she had no desire to see them dead; at least not by her hand. They might die or they might not, but they would suffer first.

"Don't kill me," Sheb begged. He was on the ground, one hand clutching the shaft of the arrow in his thigh. Shailaja saw that it had gone straight through, but that it was probably not a fatal wound. Ignoring him she proceeded to where Dain lay. He too looked up at her, shock over the pain of his wound reflected in his eyes.

"What are you going to do?" he gasped.

"Leave you," she replied coldly. And gave no further answer.

Ignoring the injured men she went to the mules and tethered them one to the other in a single line. She then called Halvar and when the huge plenya appeared from the forest, she placed him at the head of the line.

By now Sheb and Dain had determined what she was about. "You cannot leave us here," Sheb protested. "Without the mules and our gear we will die."

"You are woodsmen," Shailaja replied. "If you cannot survive you deserve to die." She removed an axe strapped to one of the mules and tossed it at his feet. "With this you can build what shelter and tools you need." She fumbled among the packs and removed one more item and tossed it toward Sheb. It was a small bundle that she knew contained the medical supplies. "If Lahn finds his courage and returns perhaps he can help you with this." Ignoring their protests and cries for mercy she mounted Halvar, and without a look back rode away, leaving them to their fate.

She felt not the slightest remorse. Indeed, by the standards of most peoples she was to encounter, her treatment of the men who had abused her was mild indeed. They would survive or they would perish, depending on their skills and their courage.

Winter in the Mountains of Storms would be harsh, requiring all of the skills the hunters possessed in order to survive; especially with the wounds that she had inflicted. But it was the least that they deserved. They would either live or perish through the own skills or lack of them. And every moment of what life remained to them would be filled with the knowledge that it was she who had left them so.

Continued in Chapter 8

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