Chapter 3

Fen woke up lying naked on the ground under a sky speckled with stars. The night was balmy and gentle as well as clear so for a while he just lay there, one hand on his chest over his heart, taking deep, relieved breaths, picking out once familiar stars and constellations. After feeling a little more composed he began to assess his situation. Nothing was broken it seemed, everything appeared to be in working order which was a blessing when he thought about it. His whole body ached and his jaw was now swollen and in particular his neck felt crushed and tender.

Andruil had put a collar on him and the collar was chained to one of the three oak trees that stood in her courtyard. He had been there before a few years ago and recognised the place, it was considerably larger and more ostentatious than his own. The collar was made of tough thick leather and chafed his neck somewhat, even though it was lined with fur, it was closed with an immense brass ring which in turn was affixed to the chain by a padlock. There was no way he could pry it apart with his fingers, and it was too close to his body for any form of magic to be effective. From its smell he could tell that it had been previously used for a large dog of some description. He wondered if she had any idea how he loathed collars of any kind but of course she did, she knew perfectly well why he hated them.

There was a brazier a few yards away but entirely out of reach, and by its light he examined meticulously both the collar and the chain, running his fingers around his neck, tugging at it to test its strength, feeling the links for any indentations, cracks or weak spots, it was while he was doing this that Andruil found him.

In the meantime she had bathed which at least afforded some relief to his nose. She squatted down on her haunches in front of him. Even though she had presumably rested, her appearance was no better than before, her eyes looked inflamed and sore as if she had been weeping. He saw her swipe at them a few times. She was wearing a simple white linen robe cinched at the waist with a heavily bejewelled aurum torq together with long trailing matching earrings and anklet. He refused to acknowledge her presence and continued examining the chain.

"Hello Fen." She cleared her throat, her voice sounded rough. "I really wouldn't bother if I were you, it used to belong to my bullmastiff Mayhem, and he never once got away… Unless I wanted him to. He died a few months ago, sometimes I really miss him…"

Just for show he gave the chain one last indignant tug. "Please excuse me if I shed no tears."

"Here's what I've been thinking… Because you took Ghilly away from me…"

He turned towards her. "Last time I checked Ghilly was a free citizen, so you might want to examine the logic underlying that statement…"

Well he knew hunters and predators tended to hate politics and any form of complex thinking about the nature of power unless it conferred an immediate advantage on them. Their approach was always simplistic because it was based on brute force, the one thing at which they excelled. Nevertheless, he was in a peevish mood and thought he might as well make the situation clear to her.

Andruil, of course, ignored him. "Anyway, as I was saying, because you took Ghilly away from me and you lied to me about it Fen, even you can't deny that… I have decided that as recompense you should serve me in my bedchamber for a year and a day…" She paused and smirked, "A year and a day. Isn't that the appropriate period in law?"

"Na in alas, Andruil."1 he found the idea extremely disturbing, he'd known a few who had been used as the sexual playthings of other members of his class and most of them seem to have been severely traumatised; the term 'crazy as a hare at Wintersend' didn't even begin to describe Andruil's mental state or behaviour, let alone her preferences in the bedchamber of which he had heard the usual rumours. "You are insane and you don't even like males."

She got to her feet. "Stand up." Without well-knowing why he stood up. "You could really make this so much easier on yourself." She remarked. "What I did to you before… Some grow to see as a pleasure because it excites the body… As if in preparation for mating." She ran her eyes over his form, he resisted the temptation to cover himself. "You are not entirely unpleasing, Fen… For a male… I could have a good deal of fun with you, enjoyment which could be shared… Somewhat."

He crossed his arms over his chest. "Not with you Andruil… Never with you."

"Kiss me."

"No."

She pulled the chain so his face was almost level with hers, "Kiss me, Fen."

"No."

She ran her hand lightly over his balls and he shivered, cupped them ever so gently, the hair rose on the back of his neck. Her voice was almost a whisper "Last chance, Fen, kiss me."

"No."

It felt as though his guts had just lurched to the bottom of his throat, and, for good measure while he was rolling on the ground she kicked him a few times. He hadn't noticed that even her slippers ended in dainty aurum points…

She had loosened the chain and began to drag him towards the main house, "Garas…"2

He was so incapacitated by the agony radiating from between his legs that he did not even attempt to get to his feet to stagger in her wake, but just clung to the chain to spare himself from being choked again… Let the bitch make the effort he thought, insofar as he could think beyond the pain…

"Oh for fuck's sake Fen! Half of Arlathan can hear you groaning like a bronto, have you no shame…"

He was on his knees and stomach when he noticed it, at first he took it to be a visual disturbance brought on by the hurt, a few minutes of determined concentration dispelled that notion: there was a tiny sliver of red iridescence, a subtle scarlet glimmer outlining every footstep Andruil took.

A bare handful of slaves loitered in the shadows of the cloister surrounding the courtyard, most of them were pretending not to see anything amiss, or perhaps this was just a normal day chez Andruil, who knows? A few, however, and were clearly enjoying the show. It was to these that he appealed, "Vena mamae…" he croaked weakly, "Vena Mamae, sahlin!"3 and then, summoning all his power, "GET MOTHER NOW!"

1 "You are full of shit, Andruil."

2 "Come…"

3 "Get mother, now!"