The Warrior's Pet (Cadi Warriors Book 1)

by Stephanie West

  The despair that had nearly overwhelmed Giselle in the last few days gave way to anger as she reclaimed her determination. Except Giselle didn't know what form of defiance she could show that wouldn't be met with swift and cruel reprisal. Among these violent aliens passive resistance as a form of protest wasn't an option. The men had no respect for their own people's lives let alone her freedom and happiness.

  "How can I wage war against seasoned warriors?" Giselle wondered as she looked around at her captors.

  The Art of War by Sun Tzu popped into her mind. Giselle recalled the words of the ancient general she'd written a term paper about. She was clearly out numbered and outmatched here.There was no way she could wage a physical battle to gain her freedom, but she could use her wiles to engineer an escape.

  As much as she now treasured the safety of her gilded prison, Giselle knew that the only way she could ever be free of these men lay in convincing them she wasn't a flight risk if allowed to remain unbound. Giselle thought about the problem and came to a distasteful conclusion. In order to escape she would have to convince Vigdis that she liked being here. She was going to have to play her part to a tee and not vomit in the process.

  Giselle stood up and walked to the cage door. She was still too frightened of the consequences to speak so instead she stared at Vigdis willing him to look at her. Eventually he felt her stare and turned his eyes her way. Very pointedly Giselle looked at the lock then back at the awful man then back again at the door. All the while she did a little dance like a kid that had to go pee.

  "Madhava come let my pet out and go take her for a walk before she makes a mess." Vigdis demanded as his food was served.

  Madhava walked begrudgingly over, unlocked the cage and pulled Giselle out. She would have fallen to the ground from the height but he didn't have to handle her so roughly. Despite the less than stellar assistance Giselle still did what her momma taught her.

  "Thank you." Giselle murmured automatically before catching herself. She looked suddenly up at Madhava wondering what punishment would come.

  Madhava looked surprised that she'd spoken, perhaps forgetting she was capable, unlike the Toufik. Surely he remembered the Jurou Biljana had implanted her with their language. More likely he hadn't bothered to dwell on it. Madhava's eyes narrowed and Giselle cowered, watching his large hands for the blow that thankfully never came.

  "Move." Madhava grunted as he pushed her forward.

  Giselle wandered towards the bushes and squatted behind the flowering branches for a bit of privacy. As she squatted Giselle wondered how she could ingratiate herself to these harsh men without getting herself killed. Giselle followed Madhava back to the circle of men now boisterously carrying on around the fire while they ate.

  Giselle sat listening to the terrible aliens discuss in gruesome detail the way they killed the men and then burnt the villagers. She attempted to keep her head bowed to not attract attention but she couldn't help look at each man as he spoke taking note of which one's spoke harshly of the dead and those who kept silent. She had no doubt that all of these men were ruthless murderers but perhaps there was one or two that might be swayed to help her.

  A bug with a ton of segmented legs and pincers skittered her way along the ground. Giselle was never afraid of bugs at home but here she had no clue what was dangerous or innocuous. An idea flitted into her mind.

  War is deceit. Men everywhere are proud. They revel in the thought that they are the big bad protector regardless of how that feeling is generated. If she can reinforce the idea, she is weak and needs their protection it would go a long way towards her goal. The other bit of strategy that Giselle recalled would take more effort and needed to be done subtly. She had to somehow attempt to divide the men.

  Giselle squealed, jumped up and ran to Madhava's side hiding behind his large back pointing in horror at the offending insect.

  The peel of laughter that erupted from the men as she wagged her finger in horror at the insect and cowered behind Madhava was at least better than a slap to the face. Vigdis' eyes narrowed as he looked from his lieutenant to the scurrying bug. Giselle saw the flash of jealousy and had to repress a smile by tucking her face into Madhava's hair. Even if she wasn't playing a part, did Vigdis really think he'd garnered the affection of any creature with how he behaved.

  A moment later the bug was waved in her face spitted on the end of a knife. Like a good frightened little girl Giselle cringed. Vigdis pulled the bug from the tip of his blade and chucked it into the fire. Vigdis tugged Giselle away from Madhava with a smug look, like a child snatching back a prized toy. He yanked her onto his lap and shoved a piece of meat at Giselle's mouth. Giselle felt a bit like a jostled rag doll but inwardly she smiled at how her little game had worked better than she could hope.

  The meal concluded, and the men got rowdier throwing back mug after mug of some kind of alcoholic drink. A cup with the bitter brew was pressed to her lips several times and try as she might Giselle drank more than she desired making her head spin. Thankfully much of it also spilled down her chest so Vigdis didn't notice when she let most of the noxious spirits dribble from her mouth.

  Vigdis got louder and louder boasting a cruder or crueler tale, never wanting to be bested by his warriors. His hands roamed freely over Giselle's nude body. He was particularly enthralled with her breasts. Giselle cursed the fact she was more endowed than the women of Cadi. She shuddered as she felt the bulge beneath Vigdis' kilt. Perhaps her ploy had backfired. Vigdis suddenly shoved her off his lap, and she stumbled more than a bit tipsy.

  "Dance!" He demanded with a slight slur.

  Giselle knew she had to obey, but she didn't dare do anything to arouse him further. She nearly giggled as the idea came to her inebriated mind. Giselle proceeded to do the most unattractive and abhorred dance she knew, The Chicken Dance.

  3 Waging War

  Kagan quo Rordan

  Kagan and his Anzac guard moved slowly over the rise towards the column of smoke. It was getting late in the day but he wanted to see what sent such a large ominous black mass billowing into the sky.

  As the men proceeded cautiously over the small rise the decimated village came into view. Many of the buildings were still being consumed by flames the stone walls collapsing in on themselves.

  Kagan looked at the picket line along the main road through the town with mounting anger. Six bodies were run through dangling from the erected pikes. Dagaa moved to a house and kicked in the door. As the smoke that poured out cleared he could see the huddled bodies of a family. The sight of the charred remains of a female clutching two smaller bodies in a desperate attempt to shelter them turned his stomach.

  Kagan turned away, his fists clenched, nails biting into his palms. These people may have been citizens of Scelus Cadi but what was done here was abhorrent. Kagan walked the street but everywhere he turned he was greeted by carnage. This was the work of Vigdis quo Carnager.

  "Kagan," Dagaa approached. "The warriors on the pikes though dressed like Scelus Cadi aren't. Their warrior's ink says otherwise."

  Kagan rubbed his bicep where coal black markings extended from his chest and back. The intricate lines delineated his heritage, major battles and any other important event that had transpired in his life. It was the story of who he was as a warrior, as Kagan quo Rordan, true and rightful Daimio of Cadi.

  "What were our people doing in Scelus Cadi territory?" Kagan questioned out loud.

  "Probably the auction, same as we, though it was a foolish risk with such small numbers." Dagaa shook his head as he looked at the bodies.

  Kagan agreed. His men were in disguise and highly trained, yet he wished he'd brought more warriors. The sad fate of this village was becoming more clear.

  From the corner of his eye Kagan noticed movement behind the wrecked out husk of a shed. One of the other warriors circled around then emerged with a soot covered little scrap of a boy. The child struggled in the much larger warrior's grasp, his tail lashing wildly. He was a
fierce little whip despite barely coming to Kagan's waist.

  "I know who you are!" The youth said fiercely.

  "Do you? Exactly who is that?" Kagan asked as he indicated for the soldier to put the boy down. The warrior gripped the child's tail as parents would often do to keep their young from wandering.

  "I heard you! You're the enemy. The Vidya Cadi." The boy said accusingly struggling against the hold on his tail. "I am not a traitor!" He raged.

  "I never said you were." Kagan repressed a grin at the diminutive warrior's bravado. "But tell me little warrior, who did this to your people."

  The look on the child's face practically leveled Kagan. He watched as the boy's whole world turned in on itself, loss and betrayal dawning in eyes too young to suffer such lessons. Though the boy clearly knew his own countrymen had burned his village, Kagan was unwilling to dash the last of the child's pride. If the little warrior needed an enemy to blame, then Kagan would give him one.

  "Well little warrior you are now my prisoner." Kagan said but gave a quick wink to Dagaa.

  Kagan was no abuser of women and children nor even the simple folk attempting to scrape out a meager living regardless of what side they were on. His men knew he took the child because the small boy of maybe nine rotations would never survive in the ravaged town.

  "You serve me well and I will perhaps release you before entering Vidya Cadi territory." Kagan said since the boy looked suddenly terrified again. "Let's move out."

  From the looks of the carnage the enemy couldn't be more than a few hours ride ahead. Without motioning his troop understood the imperative to move quietly.

  As night descended, they saw the camp in the distance. Kagan's men turned back around and traveled further south to the next rise.

  "Dagaa you will take half the warriors, the Toufik and the loaded transports along this valley here." Kagan pointed out the route he brought up on his handheld. His lieutenant nodded. "I will take the other half and only the empty skids we brought to retrieve the new Toufik."

  Kagan was glad he'd upgraded the cargo transports and smaller rota. He would need them to move fast after the upcoming raid on Vigdis and his Scelus Cadi warriors. Kagan swung up onto his manx, Idris. The trusty beast was the swiftest of his pride and had taken a long time to tame. But once he had, the mount was unrivaled.

  The troops separated and Kagan continued on with his half of the men. As they got closer to the enemy encampment Kagan took the high ground. The terrain was ideal for observing the enemy below with enough cover to hide his raiding party. Kagan looked down upon the Scelus Cadi eating and raising cain, taking note of the number of warriors they would face along with the number of Toufik they could accommodate.

  "Blessed Kali, we don't even have to see those fools to know they're there." One of his warriors whispered.

  Kagan nodded in agreement. His warriors were better trained, even the manx knew not to growl when all others were quiet. As the Scelus Cadi warriors cavorted and drank to distraction Kagan wondered how this rebel ever bested him. It had to be sheer numbers and the resources that fate had placed in Scelus Cadi territory.

  Kagan and his warriors watched and waited. Though his mind was on the upcoming raid, Kagan couldn't help but search out the petite pale female. He almost missed sight of her tiny form obscured by the fire. Much of the enemy laughed as she stumbled in front of them, doing an awkward jig. But from what he could make from Vigdis' expression the bastard wasn't amused.

  Kagan almost growled when Vigdis lunged forward and roughly snatched up the female. She dangled from his grasp then was tossed unceremoniously into the gilded cage. The little female ceased to move lying curled up on the floor. Kagan worried the small creature had been grievously harmed. He would soon find out.

  Amazingly the Scelus Cadi drank till the bulk of them passed out on the ground. But even at that his warriors were outnumbered. Kagan waited till many of the other ill disciplined men nodded off before giving the signal to move in.

  "Take the transports and manx to that point there." He pointed out a flat spot that would make for a quick getaway. "Get into position and try not to rouse them as you collect the Toufik."

  "And the unconscious warriors?" One of his warriors asked.

  "Do what you must but I prefer we get the chattel and anything else then get out undetected." Kagan replied.

  As much as he wanted to slit Vigdis throat as he lay drunk, their party was outnumbered and too far from the borderlands. As it was, this was the most foolish thing Kagan had knowingly undertaken in several rotations. Kagan gave the signal and his warriors moved in with cunning stealth.

  Giselle

  Giselle moaned begging her head to stop spinning. Not even the pain from where Vigdis had dropped her on the cage floor in a huff detracted from the awful turmoil. Giselle prayed for sleep before she puked what little food her stomach contained. She couldn't afford that.

  There was a sound at the back of the cage. Giselle glanced over to see a positively massive warrior swathed in a dark cloak which covered him from head to foot. She had to squint to see him clearly. Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open as the giant man gripped two of the bars and pulled. It seemed to take little effort at all for him to splay the bars wide.

  Giselle was shocked and a bit too snockered to care when a large hand reached in and took hold of her, pulling her towards the opening. The male hefted her over his shoulder and started running into the dark night.

  "I'm being kidnapped...again!" Giselle almost giggled.

  Giselle debated screaming then dismissed the thought. Was her new captor really going to be any worse than Vigdis. She couldn't possibly see how. The biggest reason she refused to open her mouth though, was the fear of vomiting as she bounced against the man's broad shoulder. If anything would piss him off, puke down his back probably would, so she bit her lip.

  Giselle found herself lowered down from the impossible height next to one of the manx hiding somewhere in the dense brush. Her stomach roiled, she couldn't keep it together any longer.

  Kagan quo Rordan

  Kagan was almost giddy as he raced towards Idris, his striped mount, waiting in the brush. Everyone else had already loaded up the Toufik and started heading to intercept the others then beat feet back to Vidya Cadi.

  It had taken Kagan longer to work his way over to the little pet's cage since it sat in the midst of the guards. Kagan had to keep a watchful eye on Madhava, Vigdis' lieutenant. The warrior was no slouch. More than once Kagan had come up against the male in battle. He was probably the only reason Vigdis didn't crash and burn on the battlefield.

  The little pet was feather light. Her wide eyes stared at him in shock as he set her down by Idris. He thought for sure she was about to cry out when her mouth opened. But to his surprise she bent over and emptied her stomach on the ground, trembling the entire time.

  "That son of metcor gave her too much vinum." Kagan scowled. Too much brew could make something so small seriously ill.

  Kagan needed to get going fast, so he jumped onto Idris the moment she stopped retching. He pulled the little pet into his lap, gripped Idris' mane and took off as fast as his manx could carry them.

  He caught up with the others and they continued on to rendezvous with Dagaa's party. They would travel through the night and into the next day. If they made good time, maybe they could stop the following night.

  Giselle

  Everything was a blur. At some point Giselle roused as water was placed at her lips only to pass out again.

  Bright light from the sun made it impossible to sleep. Her head was still spinning but for once Giselle was warm. She didn't want to wake up then she realized something was very different. Her nude body was pressed against a muscular bare chest. She was afraid to open her eyes for fear that Vigdis would do something to her. Except the chest she felt was somehow different, broader harder.

  The fleeting memory of being abducted surfaced in Giselle's hung-over mind. Her eyes flew open to s
ee who her new abductor was. Giselle looked from the planes of the well-defined chest, absent of nipples, to the ripped abs her hands currently rested against. Giselle slowly pulled her fingers back. The man's chest was strapped with a pair of criss-crossing leather bandoliers holding two utilitarian blades each. The black ink tattoos on both of his pecs extended up and over his shoulders beneath the cloak. The tight swirling ebony lines formed an intricate design changing from one inch to the next.

  The warrior's chin had a bit of stubble, a few days beard, not much different from men of earth. It was jet black just like the male's shoulder length hair. Giselle noted his hair lacked the teeth woven into the braids at his temples. Just then the warrior looked down to see her staring at him.

  "So you have awoken pet." He spoke with a deep husky voice holding a hint of a smile.

  Giselle stared into his black eyes. They didn't look cruel. Giselle didn't know if she should reply or not so she blinked in acknowledgement. The male's jaw was firm, and his lips full as his smile spread. The long white canines made Giselle start. Their teeth still disconcerted her.

  "Easy little pet." The male pulled her closer and rubbed her bare back. The added warmth made her shiver. "Ah, you are cold." The male pulled more of his cloak around her.

  Giselle was enveloped by not just warmth but the scent of the man. He seemed to bathe more than the last men she'd had the displeasure of smelling. Vigdis must've had an aversion to soap and water that was clearly not shared by this male. Giselle didn't mind the natural earthy scent of the man. Between that and the warm hand moving over her back Giselle relaxed a fraction despite her uncertainty.

  "So pet do you need some water?"