Kwin

by Trudie Collins

  “Brend is feeling better, by the way,” he continued when Shona remained silent. “He thinks he will be able to make it out of bed later today, though he has promised to take it easy for a few days.”

  That explained everything. Had Fillen still been worried about his lover, he would not be apologising to Shona.

  “May I leave now?” she asked. “I was enjoying a pleasant morning.” She didn’t say that Fillen was spoiling it, but he got her meaning anyway.

  “Of course,” he said. “I apologise for disturbing you.” He remounted his horse then looked down at her. “You need to remember what you are. You are my servant. I own you. I regret having to force myself on you, but will do it again, if you make me. Next time, do as I say.”

  He didn’t wait for her to respond. As she watched him ride away, she was surprised to find that she was shaking.

  As her day had been ruined, she decided to quickly eat her lunch then return to the house. There was no sign of Fillen anywhere and she breathed a sigh of relief when she was told that he had gone out and was not expected back until late in the evening.

  She went to visit Brend, who seemed pleased to see her. He was still in his room, but had made it out of bed. Sitting in a chair, reading a book, he looked much better than the last time she had seen him.

  They talked for a while and Dani brought up tea and cakes as a mid-afternoon snack for them. Once they had finished eating, Brend voiced what had obviously been on his mind since Shona had first entered his room.

  “What happened?”

  Shona’s fingers gently touched her lip as she looked away. She couldn’t bring herself to look at Brend as she told him everything.

  She had been expecting sympathy or understanding, but received neither. When she looked at Brend once more, the look on his face shocked her.

  “You stupid bitch,” he snarled at her. “You are here for the master’s pleasure. If he tells you to do something, you do it. Next time you will have me to deal with. Now get out of my sight.”

  Shona ran to her room, tears flowing down her face.

  Chapter 16

  Gareth paced impatiently outside Ofar’s bedroom, waiting for permission to enter. He hated it when she ordered him to attend to her, then kept him waiting. He really hoped she didn’t want sex. It had become tedious and boring. And he still ached from a few nights ago when she had held another party and he had been ordered to ‘take care’ of all of her friends. It was later in the evening than she usually summoned him, so he had been hoping for a night off.

  Eventually she called out to him and he entered the room. For once, Ofar wasn’t lying naked on the bed; she was fully dressed. And she wasn’t alone. Her brother was sitting on a chair beside the bed, immaculately dressed, as always.

  Gareth had to suppress a sneer. To say he disliked the man was an understatement. He was a bully, plain and simple. He had no charm or grace and believed he could buy anyone and anything.

  “You called,” Gareth said. He wasn’t in the mood for being polite. Raina’s presence meant that whatever Ofar wanted, Gareth was going to find it unpleasant. As he was still pretending to not be bilingual, he spoke his own language. Ofar wouldn’t be able to understand him, but he didn’t care.

  She had her translator with her, who grimaced before telling her what Gareth had said. Gareth had been expecting the man to make his reply more polite, but he didn’t.

  Ofar pouted. She didn’t like it when he was sullen, which was why he assumed that attitude as much as possible. If he was going to have to do something he didn’t want to do, at least he could annoy her first.

  “My brother has a problem with a local merchant,” she said. “The horrid man seems to believe that he can refuse to serve him until he has paid his bill.” He understood what she said, but pretended he didn’t, waiting until the translator had finished speaking before replying.

  “That sounds reasonable,” Gareth said, earning himself a glare from Raina once his words had been translated.

  “Of course it’s not reasonable,” Ofar said, her voice rising into a high pitched shriek. “He is there to serve us.”

  ‘Actually he is there to make a living,’ Gareth thought to himself, but kept quiet. He was impatient to hear what Ofar expected him to do about it and arguing with her would just delay matters.

  “And what has that to do with me?” he asked.

  “We expect you to take care of it,” Raina said.

  Gareth raised an eyebrow. He was surprised the man had lowered himself enough to speak to him. He didn’t usually. If ever he had orders for Gareth, which thankfully was rare, he always got one of his own slaves to convey them. “How exactly?”

  “By doing what you do best.” He didn’t like the way Ofar was smiling. It meant something bad was about to happen.

  “Seducing his wife, you mean,” he suggested, hoping he was right, but knowing that he wasn’t. That smile meant Ofar wanted this merchant punished and being betrayed by his wife wasn’t going to be enough.

  “He has a daughter,” Raina said.

  Gareth remained silent. There had to be more to it than him getting the daughter into bed.

  Raina scowled at him, as though hoping he would have asked more. “I have been told that she is a pretty young thing, but doesn’t get involved with boys. She is saving herself for when she gets married. You are going to ruin that.”

  Still Gareth said nothing, refusing to give Raina the satisfaction of showing he was curious. He wasn’t being told the full story and both men knew it.

  “She’s thirteen, roughly.”

  Somehow Gareth managed to stop himself reacting until the translator had told him what Raina had said. “No. I do not seduce children.”

  His outburst seemed to delight Ofar. “Who said anything about seducing her? You are going to force her to sleep with you.”

  Gareth thought he had misheard. They couldn’t seriously expect him to attack anyone in that way, especially a child.

  “No,” he said again, this time more forcefully.

  “What makes you think you have a choice?”

  “You can’t make me do that.”

  “Oh I can make you do anything I want you to.” Ofar held up her arm and pointed to the controller she was wearing.

  Gareth didn’t wait for the translator to speak before growling. Even if he hadn’t understood her words, her meaning was clear. “No amount of pain will make me do what you are demanding. I would rather die.”

  “That can be arranged,” Ofar snapped. “Guards,” she called out loudly and two Wayvern guards arrived sooner than Gareth had been expecting. They must have stationed themselves outside the door the moment he had entered the room. Ofar had been expecting him to refuse and was prepared.

  Both men were tall and muscular. They took hold of Gareth’s arms, pinning them painfully behind his back.

  “Take him to the well,” Ofar ordered. “A night down there will change his attitude. If he survives, that is.”

  Gareth had no idea what the well was but he made no attempt to fight off the two guards as they dragged him from the room; it would have been a wasted effort. He could have taken on one, but not both at once, especially with his arms held behind his back.

  He was led out of the house and around the back, near the stables. They stopped in front of a hole. A large stone slab lay on the ground beside it. Gareth had been to the stables a few times and had noticed the slab before. Usually it covered up the hole. The fact that it had already been uncovered suggested that Ofar had predicted what his response was going to be.

  The guards released his arms, but he made no attempt to escape. What would be the point? They would catch him, beat him and throw him down the hole anyway. Unless he used his magic, but he wasn’t prepared to do that yet. Ofar would know if he did and he needed to be in a position to stop her using his shackles against him before he tried anything.

  “I suggest you take your boots off,” one of the guards said. He spoke in t
he Wayvern language so Gareth pretended not to understand him.

  The guard pointed to his boots then mimed untying them. Gareth did as instructed, though he was not sure why the guard had told him this. It had sounded like a friendly suggestion rather than an order.

  “I wish I didn’t have to do this, but I have to follow my orders,” the man said and shoved Gareth hard enough for him to topple backward, into the hole.

  For a moment, fear ran through him as he plummeted down. He pictured himself landing on solid ground. The fall might kill him, but he didn’t think he would be that lucky. He would probably break enough bones to cause him agony. It was going to be a slow and painful death.

  Then he remembered that Ofar had called it a well. Less than a heartbeat later he hit the water.

  Now he understood why the guard had told him to remove his boots. Their weight would have made it much more difficult to stay afloat. He looked up and saw the guard looking down at him. He nodded his thanks, hoping the man would understand the gesture.

  The guard returned his nod, then, with a pained look on his face, withdrew his head from view. A moment later, Gareth could see the stone slab being dragged back into place. Everything went dark and Gareth was alone and would remain so until Ofar decided to free him.

  He felt along the sides of the well, but they were smooth. There was nothing he could grip onto to pull himself out of the water. It was also cold, but not cold enough to do him any harm.

  He was going to spend the night wet, alone and in the dark. He didn’t really see the point. He had been just as uncomfortable many times before when on patrol, looking for Wayvern raiders.

  When he stopped moving, he began to sink and reality hit him hard. Unless he paddled around the well, keeping his head above the water, he was going to drown. And he was going to be there all night. Suddenly his fear returned. Did he have enough strength to keep awake and afloat all night? He had no idea, but he was about to find out.

  ————————————-∞————————————-

  Kwin was woken in the middle of the night by Gareth calling to him.

  “Kwin. I’m in trouble.”

  Kwin sat up. “What’s happened and how can I help?”

  “I’m not sure you can.”

  Gareth quickly summarised what had happened and the situation he now found himself in.

  “I’m getting tired. I’m not going to be able to keep moving for much longer.”

  “Hold on. I should be able to send some of my strength down our connection without it alerting your owner.”

  “Should?” Gareth asked.

  Kwin grimaced. “I can’t guarantee it won’t alert whoever has your controller.”

  Gareth was silent for a while. When his voice sounded in Kwin’s head once more it was full of determination. “Do it.”

  What Kwin was about to attempt would definitely register on his own controller, but he had to take the risk. He climbed out of bed, sat on one of the rugs and closed his eyes.

  He felt out for Gareth with his mind and slowly began to send him his energy.

  “It’s working,” Gareth told him.

  A few moments later, he heard his bedroom door opening and opened his eyes. Luka stood in the doorway, Canis by her side. Both had questioning looks on their faces. Kwin breathed a sigh of relief. Luka was curious, not angry. That might change, however, as he would not be able to break his concentration to answer any of her questions.

  “What are you doing?” Canis asked. Kwin gave him a pleading look, hoping the dog would understand that he wasn’t in a position to respond.

  Luka looked at him for a few moments, then turned around.

  “Keep an eye on him,” she said to Canis, who walked into the room and settled down on the rug next to Kwin, then she disappeared from sight.

  Kwin didn’t have time to wonder where she was going. He had to concentrate on continuing to send his strength to Gareth. He had to make sure the flow was steady enough to keep his friend alive, but not so fast that it would drain him too soon. If he collapsed before Gareth was released, he might still drown.

  Kwin glanced toward the window. It was still dark outside so he had no idea how long it would be until the morning.

  When Luka returned, she was carrying a steaming mug. From the aromas coming from it, Kwin guessed it was coffee.

  “Are you able to hear me?” she asked.

  Kwin nodded.

  “Gareth?”

  He nodded again.

  “Alright,” she said. “I have no idea what you are doing, but I’m guessing you need to stay awake. This will help.”

  She picked up the mug and blew on it. When she was satisfied that it was cool enough to not burn him, she held it to his lips and gently tipped it.

  The liquid was hot, but not unbearably so, and Kwin was grateful for it. Just the taste of it made him more alert. There was a faint aftertaste which he didn’t recognise. He looked at her, trying to ask her a question with his eyes.

  She must have understood him. “I added a little something to perk you up a bit. Its effects won’t be long lasting, but I hope they will help.”

  He nodded his thanks then closed his eyes once more.

  ————————————-∞————————————-

  Luka paced up and down. Kwin had been in the same position for hours. He hardly appeared to be breathing. And he had begun to shake. He was close to exhaustion.

  She couldn’t give him any more of the coffee; he had already imbibed more of the added chemical than was good for him and normal, unlaced, coffee would not do him any good at this point.

  She could allow him to take her strength, but could she take the risk? Would he be able to detect her magic or feel how strong she really was?

  On the other hand, could she let him die? She had no doubt that he would risk his own life for his friend and would continue to do whatever he was doing until he died, if he had to.

  “Damn it,” she said and sat down in front of him. She took hold of his hands and his eyes shot open. “Take what you need,” she said.

  Instantly, she felt him drawing her strength into him. After a while he stopped shaking and managed to smile at her. His eyes never left her as he continued to take her energy.

  Less than an hour later, he released her hands. “He’s been pulled from the well,” he managed to say before he toppled over.

  Somehow, Luka managed to drag him over to his bed and with Canis’s assistance, heave him onto it. She covered him over and kissed him on the forehead.

  “Sleep well,” she said as she caressed his cheek. Then she left the room, seeking out her own bed.

  Without being asked, Canis stayed with him. He jumped onto the bed, lay down next to him and closed his eyes. Soon he was snoring.

  Chapter 17

  Gareth didn’t have the strength to climb up the rope that was thrown down to him the next morning, so he tied it around his waist and the guards above had to pull him out.

  “Thanks,” he said as he collapsed onto the ground, though they showed no sign of understanding him. Leaving him there, they walked away, their task obviously complete.

  Gareth didn’t move. He tried, but his muscles wouldn’t obey him. Without Kwin’s help, he wouldn’t have survived the night. He was cold, but his body was too exhausted to even shake. He closed his eyes and let sleep take him.

  He had no idea how long he was on the ground before he was shaken awake. He opened his eyes and saw a young lady looking at him, her face full of concern. It was one of the other slaves.

  She smiled at him. “I thought you were dead.”

  “I nearly was,” he managed to say.

  “We will get you into the house,” she said.

  He had no idea who ‘we’ referred to and was too tired to ask. He felt strong arms pick him up and carry him toward the main building.

  He fell asleep again and was woken by the young lady undressing him. He tried to move
her hands away and tell her he could do it himself, but she easily overpowered him.

  Once he was naked, he was picked up once more and placed in a warm bath. He felt someone put a pillow under his head then begin to wash him down. Unable to keep his eyes open, he let them close.

  The water was cold by the time he awoke once more.

  “Awake at last,” a gruff voice said. “We thought it best to leave you for a while.”

  The man who was talking was tall and thin, with a scraggly beard. Gareth recognised him as one of the slaves belonging to Ofar, but couldn’t remember his name.

  The man picked him up and lay him on some towels, which had been placed on the floor. He was roughly rubbed down then carried to his bedroom. He was placed in the bed and covered over.

  “Try to get some sleep. I have no idea when Ofar will demand your presence again.”

  Gareth was asleep once more before the man had even finished speaking.

  ————————————-∞————————————-

  Sun was streaming through the closed curtains when Kwin awoke. He couldn’t remember ever feeling this worn out. He mentally called to Gareth, but received no reply. The link was still in place, so his friend was alive.

  He tried to roll over, only to find he was unable to do so. There was something on the bed and it took him a moment to realise it was Canis.

  He tried to wake the sleeping animal, but eventually gave up and got out of the bed the other side. As he slipped on some clothes, he thanked his lucky stars, once again, that not only did Luka have good dress sense, but that she had allowed him some say in what was made for him.

  His stomach grumbled, letting him know that he needed to replace the energy he had given to Gareth. He went to the kitchen, where Koal was in his usual place at the stove.

  “I hear you had a rough night,” he said. “Food will be ready shortly. There’s coffee in the pot, if you want some.”

  Kwin thanked him and helped himself to the reviving liquid.

  “Luka’s in the dining room,” Koal said before Kwin could ask. “Looking almost as bad as you. I would ask what you two were up to all night, but I really don’t want to know.”