Sharon Green: The Will of the Gods

Darkness was perhaps a hin from settling when the males found a clearing to their liking and called a halt to the travels of the fey. The disappearance of the five males I had slain had been noted, yet more with annoyance than with apprehension. The male Nobain shouted his males about, filled with great anger, yet was his anger relieved in large part when a nilno bolted through the clearing in great fright, only to be brought down by the shafts of two of the males. Their good fortune brought much laughter to them, but I saw in this an indication of Mida’s displeasure. The males would feed well despite my attempts to the contrary, retaining their strength and vigilance. Not soon would I find myself able to free my Midanna, and greatly did I chafe at the delay. The longer I kept from my task, the greater would grow the anger in Mida-yet I could not leave my present attempts.

When I returned to the clearing the males had chosen after seeing to my kan, the nilno had been skinned and set upon a large spit to roast. Two of the males in gray turned the spit, inattentively however. Silently I moved through the line of males guarding the camp, approached as near as I might, and then was able to see what held their attention. As the travels of the fey were done and the provender not yet ready, the males were amusing themselves with their captives.

The whimpers of the two Sigurri females and the town female reached me where I crouched at the edge of the clearing, no sound save struggle coming from the three Midanna. All six had been brought to the center of the clearing by gray-clad males, those in colored body cloths following sullenly after. The six captives struggled against the strength of the males who held them as they were brought before the male Nobain. He looked with great pleasure upon them, only turning as the male Gengan addressed him.

“Your word was given that no harm would come to our wenches,” said Gengan, the others of his males stiffly astand at his back. “Is this the manner in which your word is kept, Nobain?”

“Indeed do I seek to keep my word,” said Nobain, grinning. “These wenches must serve a large number of men this darkness, therefore must they be prepared for sustained eagerness. You who use them first will have no more eagerness than those who use them last.”

“Your words hold no meaning for us!” snapped Ramsarn, he who had held Ilvin before him. “If we are to use our wenches first, for what reason have they been brought before you? Are you so foolish as to think we shall perform here, for your edification and entertainment?”

“You need not tremble in fear at thought of lost privacy, man,” Nobain replied laughingly, despite Ramsarn’s anger. “I have had the wenches brought here so that they might be treated before your use of them. Such treatment will enhance the pleasure of your own use as well as ours, and as the wenches are yours, you men may do the honors.”

“We would know what-treatment you speak of,” said Gengan, eyeing the small leather sack which was then being given to Nobain. “There are few enough wenches about in these parts, that to harm these would he . . .”

“This sack contains a salve made from the bulb of the gimba plant,” said Nobain, as he held the leather sack high. “When once these wenches have had it spread within them, they will desire no more than the use of men. This desire will last for hind, and will allow each of us their eager use without their tears of attempted refusal. Would you prefer instead that they be taken till they wept?”

The three city females seemed to know naught of the gimba plant, for city females also knew naught of the sthuvad drug used by warriors. From the gimba plant was our sthuvad drug derived, that drug which made it possible to use a male captive over and over again without loss of strength. Never had I heard of a salve having been made from it, that might extend its use to females. My left hand closed about my sword hilt where I crouched; a gesture as useless as the anger which gripped me. One alone could do naught against so many, no more than remain in place and witness the degradation of sisters.

“My men will hold the wenches the while you men apply the salve,” said Nobain to those in colored body cloths, his grin remaining strong. “Once they are beneath the sway of the salve, you may take them for use.”

“You are generous to allow us the salving of our own wenches,” said Gengan, sardonically. “This generosity is unexpected. For what reason are you so eager to see us perform the task?”

“Why, man, merely for the reason that the wenches are yours,” replied Nobain, with feigned innocence. “What other reason might there be? Take the salve now and apply it, for we others would have our turns as soon as may be.”

“I think not,” said Gengan, his decision joined grimly by the others. “We know not what you are about, Nobain, and we refuse to be gulled.”

“I am merely about an attempt at having this salve applied,” said Nobain. “As it must be applied, who is to do it if you will not?”

“We care not!” spat Ramsarn, as the males nodded with him. “Should you find the doing so necessary, you may do it!”

“An excellent suggestion!” said Nobain at once, great laughter having taken him. “As I have your freely given permission, I shall do that very thing. See to their positioning, men. ”

The males in gray who held the captives gave voice to laughter of their own, the while they prepared the captives they held as they were commanded. Gengan and Ramsarn and the others, filled so greatly with fury that their skin paled, allowed themselves to be put to one side with no further words, knowing they had indeed been gulled. It had been in the mind of Nobain that they would not be permitted to touch their own captives, yet had he accomplished the doing without resort to sword threat. Their own suspicions had brought the males down, yet they saw the doing as other than their own. Now the male Nobain, had other things of greater interest to occupy his attention.

Each of the captives had been put to her knees, wrists bound tightly behind, head bent to the ground by the fist tight in her hair. The male Nobain took himself first to the town female, clearly amused as he indicated that her long covering was to be raised. Whimpering quickly became protests of shock, yet was the town female unable to keep herself from being bared. The large hand of the male who held her stroked her bottom, causing her to voice agitated cries, and then did her cries sharpen to fear. The male Nobain had also put a hand to her, first having put the fingers of that hand within the sack he held. With screams and weeping did she attempt to dislodge him from her body, over and again twisting herself about; he, with deep laughter, thrust yet farther into her, the hand of the other male aiding him to retain his place. Slowly did he stroke about in her and as slowly withdrew, and then did he turn from her and took about himself.

With purposeful steps did he approach the Summa, gazing from one bared bottom to the other, deeply amused that no sound came from the females. Struggle there was aplenty yet no sound, even as they were touched, first the darkhaired warrior, then the light. Their bodies each twisted about with the effort to rid themselves of him, yet were they no more successful than the town female. Each was filled well with the contents of the leather sack, and then were the Sigurri females approached.

The clearing still rang with the screams of the two Sigurri females as the male Nobain at last reached Ilvin. The heat in his gaze was clear even in the fading light of the fey, and with much relish did he stroke his hand all about her, causing her to move in fury where she had been knelt. Her movement and fury caused greater amusement in the male, and much was she touched before his hand again dipped into the leather sack.