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Slave Girl: Chapter 28
🕑 Added 2021-06-01 19:15:47 +0000 UTCWe rise before the family. Keeping our voices low we get ready and creep through their room and out of the building. The air is cool and damp, the world around us glowed with a sheen of dew. I rub my smooth cheek, my face still felt nice from the fresh shave, as I wait for Rosa to finish relieving herself. Her Violet head pops up from the bush she had squatted behind and she returns looking as ready as ever for the day ahead.
Curiosity gets the better of me. “Could you stand and pee if you wanted to?”
“Sure.” She shrugs.
“Huh.”
With a playful glint in her eye she says. “Is that a challenge?”
“Huh?”
“Think you can pee further than me do you? We’ll see about that big guy.”
“Pee?” I chuckle. “What?”
“Oh? Or do you think you can shoot further?” She shakes her head. “Bullying a poor innocent little Amazon girl like me, big meanie. I’ll put you in your place Master.”
I am grinning hard. The sun was out and Rosa had found her humor again. A good night’s rest safely cocooned in my embrace had worked wonders for her. Stepping closer to me she slips her arms around my waist and hugs me.
“I’m sorry how I acted last night. I’m trying really hard to brave. Sometimes…it’s difficult.”
I wrap my arms around her shoulders and hug her back. “You are doing great. I’m really proud of you Rosa.”
“Thank you.”
Before we part I lean down to kiss her head between her horns. “Hey, your horns are growing.”
“Told you it wouldn’t be long. They grow quick.” She reaches up and feels them. “I should get a proper file at some point.”
“We have one.”
“That one is for tools. Too coarse.”
“The sharpening stone?”
“Too fine.” She says. “I could let them grow I suppose. What do you think?”
“I’m…not sure.”
“I kept them short for cuteness reasons. But long ones look soooo elegant.” She says. “Papa’s were…majestic. They can really creep people out though.”
“Let them creep out. You should decide. I think…um…I think you’d be pretty either way.” I feel my cheeks blushing but ignore it. “I think…I think you’re very beautiful Rosa.”
“Aww.” She grins. “Thank you Quin.”
I try to keep eye contact but my old bashfulness gets the better of me causing me to glance up and down between her face and the ground. “I think…you’re the most…beautiful…woman…I’ve ever…seen.”
“Oh Master.” She says merrily. Taking my hand she kisses my palm and rubs her soft cheek into it. “You’ll make a Narcissus out of me talking like that.”
“I mean it.”
“I know.” Closing her eyes she whispers. “Don’t fall in love with me Master. I’m just a slave girl.”
“And my Lady.”
Her smile grows. “Yes. And your Lady.”
I wanted to say so much more but…a dumb farmer like me didn’t have the words. Not like the learned men and honey tongued poets Rosa was accustomed to. What could I say that could compare? Just then, as if timed specifically to spoil this moment, my stomach lets out a loud angry growl.
“Hungry boy.” Rosa pats my belly and she steps away.
“I’m starving.” I confess.
“I saw a few lemon trees over there.” She motions to in behind the old cottage.
“Yeah, this place used to be an orchard.” Our foraging had been fruitful the day before but I was craving something with substance. Some meat and fat to fill out the fruits, berries and herbs we’d collected would be wonderful. “Let’s grab a few then stop at the next stream. I’m in the mood for trout.”
“Yum! Me too!”
It only takes a couple of minutes to find a tree whose boughs hung heavy with ripe fruit. These were no small bitter lemons but a plump variety with thick rinds and pleasantly juicy sour-sweet flesh. We each eat one as our breakfast before gathering more to take with us. Using Rosa’s capelet we bundle about a dozen of them up and are soon back on the road.
Once we are on our way I ask. “Do you wish to talk some more? About…your family or anything.”
Rosa looks Eastward toward the rising sun and takes a deep breath. “Not now. It is too nice a day for dark thoughts.”
I nod. “Agreed. But I’m always here to listen.”
“I know Master.”
Rosa was still nervous, very much so, but she faced her fears like an adorable Hercules. If things got too bad I would slip my hand into hers and after a fortifying breath she would nod her thanks to me and persevere. Her vulnerability only made me adore and admire her more. She had a courage I could only dream of. My great fear, speaking with and getting intimate with women, I had only overcome because she took control and guided me. While I could support her with her fears it wasn’t the same. Knowing what I knew now I respected what an ordeal all of this was for her and realized how each step she took through this wilderness was a small act of bravery on her part.
In the very next vale we come to a bridge that crossed a deep narrow river. The forest here is old. The thick twisted trees were probably alive when Romulus and Remus were still suckling at the she-wolf’s teats. The thick canopy gives the area a dark otherworldly feel. Here and there green motes of light glided through among the foliage.
“Forest nymphs!” I whisper as we step off of the road beside the bridge. “I’ve never seem them before.”
“You haven’t?” Rosa steps closer to me, clutching her flute and lemon bundle close to her chest as if they might protect her.
“It’s okay. They’re as harmless as the others, just much more rare. Wow.”
Rosa’s eyes follows one of the motes as it lands on a fern frond not even ten feet away. “They’re so pretty. They can’t hurt us?”
“Not even if they wanted to as far as I know.” I say. “I’m not even sure they take much notice of us. They say an hour is like a day for them. Imagine how slow we must seem to them.”
“We would look to them like these old trees do to us.” Slowly Rosa turns to look around. The ancient forest was much different than the drier hills and mountains we’d been traveling through. “There’s magic here, isn’t there?”
“I think so.” I walk up and pat a nearby trunk. “Silvanus definitely cares for this place. If we searched I am sure we’d find a shrine close by.”
“I’ve…I’ve never seen any place like it. I almost…feel it. The cities have nothing like this.” Slowly her trepidation was turning to wonderment as she looked about the ancient woods. Along with the nymph motes were birds and bees, butterflies and bright flowers blooming the small clearings between the grand old trees. “This is incredible!”
“And this is just along the road. Imagine deeper in.” I reach across and take the fruit from Rosa. “Silvanus loves woodwind music.” I glance toward her flute. “If you play for him he may bless us.”
She looks at her instrument then back up. “Play for a god!?”
“What better offering is there?” I say. “Besides, as long I can hear your flute I will know you are safe while I’m down there fishing.” I kneel down to set our belongings down in a hidden nook out of sight from the road. Opening the pack I pull out my dagger and fishing equipment. “If I hear the music stop I’ll come running. Okay?”
I expected resistance to leaving her alone while I made the short but steep down to the river but the woodland beauty seemed to have captured her, making her forget her fears for the moment. She nods and walks to the dappled edge of the nearest clearing. There she pulls her slippers from her slender feet to feet the cool soft moss on her soles. She giggles and wiggles her toes. “I’ll be right here Master.”
“Good. I won’t be far away.”
I hear the sweet notes begin of yet another song I didn’t recognize. Her repertoire was impressive. Climbing down through the thick bushes I make my way to a landing of smooth stones along the bank of the river. Above me Rosa’s flute chimes through leaves and branches to fill the sylvan space with a serene music, the burbling of the water only accentuates it. I move along under the arch of the bridge to a shallows just on the other side. The lord of the forest, clearly pleased by Rosa’s playing, blesses me with a bountiful catch. Salmon no less! Enough to feed us for days
My net straining with the wriggling weight of my catch I make my way back under the bridge to the rocky landing. The melodic sound of my slave’s lovely flute growing as I went. I was just readying myself for the climb when the sound of something heavy hitting the ground followed a loud rustle of leaves grabs my attention from just across the river. Unfortunately Rosa hears it too. The music stops dead.
“Master!” She screams. “Something is here! A monster!”
“Stay there!” I call out, but I could hear her crashing through the foliage in a desperate rush to get to me. Behind me I hear whatever it was that startled her get closer as well, nearly upon me already! Rosa was running directly toward the very thing that frightened her. “Shit.” I mutter. I hadn’t the time to make the climb and get away before Rosa got here. I sling my catch behind me and pull my dagger then spin to face the potential danger. In a flash Rosa is just behind me holding up her flute in her trembling hands as if it were a sword.
She is panting hard, her eyes wide with terror. “I’ve angered him! He didn’t like my playing. My music brought it here! I’m sorry!”
“Rosa.” I say, my eyes scanning the opposite bank. The rustle gets closer, leaves and low branches sway. Whatever it was it was big! “Just keep calm. Stay behind me.”
“Oh gods have mercy on us!”
Through the bushes comes the head of a great stallion of purest white. His mane shone of silver. Deep dark mysterious eyes regard us as little more than a benign curiosity before he shakes his mighty head and lets out snuffing grunt. Stepping out further we see two massive wings folding up along his back. Dipping his head down low he drinks from the clear running water.
“A pegasus!” I gasp in awe.
A moment later a smaller one with a copper mane, a mare, steps out from behind to join her mate at his side. I lower my weapon and sheath it. Stallion and mare on one side, Rosa and I on the other, we stand transfixed and watch the mythical equines drink their fill. I put my arm around her shoulders and hold Rosa to my side.
“Quin! Look at them! I’ve never seen…they are so…I can’t believe…” Her hushed voice drifts off. The moment had left her speechless.
“Silvanus heard you.” I whisper. “And I don’t think you angered him at all.”
