Slave Girl: Chapter 8 (Patreon)

I return a short time later with a bundle of sticks and twigs under one arm and a full waterskin in my other hand.  Rosa was still sewing her capelet.  I set the water at her side and she gives me an appreciative nod.  It was a simple act but doing things for other always made me feel good.  Even if was just a slave.  I leave the sticks there, take a few things from the pack, then return to the stream to do my morning grooming.  To my surprise Rosa is not pleased.  Glancing up at me as I return she does a double take.

“You shaved!”

“I shave every morning.”

“Master!”  She pouts.  “You should let me shave you.  I am very skilled with a razor.”

“Shave me?”  I scoff.  “I can shave myself.”

“Master, you need to let me serve you.  I want to serve.  I want to be useful.”  She says.  “All you’ve let me do so far is take.  I want to give back.”

I could understand the sentiment but that was a very peculiar request. 

“Tomorrow.”  She says firmly.  “Promise me.”

“Tomorrow?”

“I will shave you.  Promise me.”

I roll my eyes.  “Fine.  Although it’s really not necessary.”

“Thank you Master.”  She smiles.  “You won’t regret it.”

City folk were a strange bunch.  Digging out a small area I set up a small mass of the smallest twigs around some dried moss I was lucky enough to find.  With my flint and steel I am able to get an ember glowing by the time Rosa had finished her sewing and had a nice little flame going soon after.

“Sandals won’t be so easy.  I’ve never made them before.”  She says as she crawls over to the pack to look through what supplies we had.  “Hmm.”  Looking up at me she quips.  “I suppose you carrying me all the way there wouldn’t be an option.”  I roll my eyes as she giggles.  “Can’t blame a girl for asking.”

As I gut and clean the fish then get them cooking on a couple of spits Rosa is able to cobble together enough to start crafting a pair of slippers that could handle the long days of walking we had ahead of us.

“You’ve got a little bit of everything in here.”  She says.  “Measuring twine.  Mirror.  The heads of tools.  What’s this thing?”

I look.  “A plowshare.”

“It’s heavy.  Let’s see.  Some scrolls, a bit of pottery, ohhh some oil.  I can’t believe you can carry all of this.  It must weigh as much as I do.”

“It’s all I’ve got in the world.  I hope it’s enough to start my farm.”  I say.  “I might have to work as a laborer for someone else this first year though.  I made sure the taxes were paid up until next fall so I’ve got some time.”  I nod.  “I’ll make it work.”

“We’ll make it work.”  She corrects me.  Pulling out the dagger she inspects it.  “Hey, this is a military weapon.  Were you a soldier?”

I look at the brass sheath shining in the sun.  “No.  It was my father’s.”

She studies it a moment then, sensing the importance of it, she carefully places it back in the pack.  “I’m going to use a bit of this leather.”

“Sure.”

The fatty flesh of the trout begins to sizzle and a mouth watering smell fills the air.

“Master?”

“Yes Rosa?”

“Do you want to talk about last night?”

I squirm uncomfortably and say in a low tone.  “No.”

“If you wish to punish me…I’ll understand.  I won’t judge you for it.”

I let out a frustrated sigh.  “I’m not going to punish you!  You are not a child.  Just…don’t do it again.”  I shake my head.  “I don’t want to talk about it right now.”

“Okay.”  She says warmly.  “Hey, those are smelling good!”

“Nothing beats fresh trout.”  I say.  Then, after a moment, I can’t help but ask.  “How can you be so upbeat?  You were just sold into slavery.”

“I already answered that.  You are more than I ever hoped for.”  She says as she stands with the scrap of leather in her hands.  Her eyes focus out into the distance and she looks around.  “It’s scary out here I admit.  I feel lost.  But I’ve got you and that gives me courage.”  She waves at a group of the travelers moving along the road in the distance as I had done earlier and they naturally wave back at her as we country folk do.  “It’s no longer just me.  Me trying to hide.  Me finding my place.  Me against the rest.  It’s us.”  Her eyes follow the group as they move and in a hushed voice adds.  “Us.  I like that better.”

I had to say something.

“Rosa.  I may sell you.  You aren’t suited for the country.  I’m not suited for…the kind of woman you are.  We’re a poor match.  Don’t get used to…us.  This is likely temporary.”

She looks up at the sun and closes her eyes, feeling its warmth on her skin.  Her long hair drifts with the breeze.  There wasn’t a care in the world creasing her lovely features, in fact…she smiles.

“Did you hear me?”

“Yes Master.”  She says in a light whimsical voice.  “I heard you.”

“Good.”  I nod.  “Just keep that in mind, okay?”

Each of us fall quiet as we focus on our own tasks.  I cook each of the fish and lay them out on the on the grass then extinguish the fire as Rosa makes herself a pair of rudimentary slippers.

“Come eat.”

“Yes Master.”  Sitting cross legged across from each other we tuck into the trout, one for her and three for me at her insistence.  With a knife she carefully carves out a bit, blows the steam from it, then daintily eats it.  “Ohhhh!”  Her face lights up.  “So good!”

“Mmm.”  I break off a hunk of the cooked meat with my fingers and pop it in my mouth.  While still chewing I answer.  “Yep.  Hope our river is this good for fishing.”

She grins.  “Our river.  I bet the fish taste even better there.”

We eat and drink our fill and are soon packing up for the road.  Once I get my sandals on I am kneeling by the pack, tying it up tight, when Rosa approaches from in front of me.  Just before I lift the pack from the ground she comes in close and places her slippered foot onto it.  I freeze, my eyes staring downward.  Here I was again kneeling in front of my slave.  The soft creamy flesh of her smooth shapely leg was right here in front of me.  With the index finger of her branded hand she lazily traces up her supple thigh though my eyes are still locked on the pack.  I dare not look.

“What do you think?”  She asks.

Very slowly my eyes pan up her exquisite curvaceous body.  Her tunic came down just far enough to cover her groin and her shorts weren’t much longer than that which left her most of her legs exposed.  Making the most of the fabric she had available her sleeveless tunic hugged her lithe nubile body, her small breasts two small humps in the plain white cloth.  Her cute hooded capelet could cover her upper body down to her waist but she currently had it draped in behind her as the heat of the day was just beginning to be felt.  Her long hair cascaded down over both shoulders.  Towering over me she stands with confidence, her eyes peering into mine, and smiles down on me.  She seemed larger than life.  I wanted to touch her…or her to touch me.  She holds my gaze for a moment before speaking.

“My slippers.”  She motions down with her eyes.  “What do you think of my slippers Master?”

“Huh?”  My gaze snaps back down again to her foot.  “Um…good.  They look good.”

“Why don’t you take a closer look.”  She whispers.

I stare at her slipper without really seeing it.  Every fiber of me wanted to obey her.  Cupid had pierced me with an arrow of passion, it’s hot venom lust courses through my veins.   But it was that same shameful passion as last night. I wanted to bow low, my head all the way down…to kiss her delicate feet…to grovel to her beauty.  I wanted her to speak to me as she had last night.  I ached to feel her soft touch again.  Yet I resist.  Despite last night I still had my manly pride, thankfully.  I let out a shuddering breath and shake my head.  “We should get moving.”

“Yes Master.”  She steps back and looks toward to road eagerly.  “I am ready.”

I hoist the pack and sling it over my shoulder.  Without another word I follow the path back toward the road with Rosa close behind.  We are soon on the road and heading South once more.

With food, water, rest and recovery Rosa is an entirely different traveling companion than the day before.  She was a ray of joy on this already bright day.  Gone from her was the fear and trepidation of a frightening alien landscape and an unknown future.  She knew our goal now and had made it her own.  She was still easily intimidated by the new sights and sounds of the open road but when she was uneasy she would simply walk closer to me and that seemed to make it better.  She greeted the other travelers happily and exuded a contagious enthusiasm.  At no point did she tempt me or behave like anything but a loyal slave.  From the outside one would have thought she and I had been together for years as master and servant.  With her at my side the miles may have passed by much more slowly but never more easily.

Chapter 9