Slave Girl 2: Chapter 120 (Patreon)

It was a good thing that I had been so bolstered by that incredible night with those incredible ladies as the day that I set out to conquer put up some stiff resistance.  It begins on my walk to Horatius’ estate where a blanket of autumn gray had been draped across the crisp blue heavens of summer and a brisk wind was blowing down the valley from the North.  As a field worker an overcast sky was a welcome sight and a break from the weeks of heat would be appreciated but they did bring with them the threat of rain.  Along the way I whisper a short prayer to Jupiter to stay his hand and let us get the harvest in.  We were so close now and, to a man, my crew and I just wanted to see it through even though it would mean the dissolution of our little fellowship.

At breakfast the chilly reception I receive from Cassie’s family made the North wind feel downright balmy in comparison.  Horatius is the first face I see as I approach the gathered workers and by the hard look that follows me in I could see the boss was not pleased with me.  I don’t think it was so much that he was mad at the idea of his daughter and I having sex, he knew the ways of the world as well as anyone, as it was the brazenness of not even attempting to hide it before marriage.  It was the disrespect of it that raised his ire.  He makes no move to approach and, sensing he was in no mood to chat, I keep my distance.  Next came Cas serving at the breakfast table.  My ‘good morning’ is ignored and my meal is dished out without a word, my portions noticeably less than what she usually gave me.  With her she wasn’t so much angry as disappointed and embarrassed.  Disappointed because I think she’d built me up in her mind as some kind of ideal gentleman and embarrassed because of the looks I was receiving by all around us.  Unsurprisingly the word that Cassie had spent the night at my place had gotten around.  Standing beside her however was Granny trying her best, and failing, to hide a knowing smile.  I wanted to explain that I had not deflowered their maiden the night before but I knew I would not be believed.  Besides, if I told them what actually took place it was sure to be even worse.

Reunited with my crew I am greeted by the scowls of Lucas, as well as a nearby Felix, and the congratulatory smirks from the others.  The others besides Toke that is.  Toke sat off on his own, his hate filled frosty eyes drilling holes into me as I approached.

“Have a good sleep, boss?”  Julian quips the moment I am close enough to hear to the chuckles of all those around, to which he gets a hard slug in the shoulder from Lucas.  “Ow!”  He rubs his sore shoulder.  “I just meant because we took it easy last night.  Geez.”

“Watch yer damn mouth.”  Lucas growls.

I roll my eyes and sigh.  “It’s not what you think.  But there’s no point in even trying with you lot.”  I sit among them and eat my meal.  “Just keep it to yourselves.”

As we ate and got ready for our day I sense a tension running among my men just beneath the glib surface.  And Toke, he had never been so sternly silent before.  Even in those awkward early days.  He spoke to nobody and responded in grunts and simple terse gestures.  He was already as taut as a drum and had me squarely in his sights as his enemy.  Physically and mentally he had worked himself up for battle.  Had I not had my night of rejuvenating rest and total mind-blanking bliss that I did I might have been shaken by his intensity.  No, on second thought, all jittery and second guessing and fatigued from a poor slumber I WOULD have been shaken by it.  No doubt about it.  With the grounded clarity of thought that only a good night’s sleep could bring it hits me that, unfortunately for him, he was peaking over ten hours too early.  Would he be able to hold this level of focus and ire for that long?  As I meet his glare, fully accepting my role as his bitter foe for the day, I decide that we were going to find out.

Finishing my breakfast I stand.  “You’re all well rested then.  On your feet you cackling hens.”  As they groan and rise I look to the sky.  “You can rest if the rain comes.  In the meantime, we’re gonna show Ceres just what a crew can do.”  Looking around at my men I announce.  “This will be our finest day yet!”

“Damn.  Big man is fired up today.”  Quique says.

“I wonder why.”  Oeneus says with sly insinuation.  “Must have had quite a restful evening.”

“Shut it!”  I bark, to which they laugh.

As the others collect their sickles and other things I step away and approach the northman who hovered nearby.  Without fear I step up to him and say.  “You may rest up today if you wish, elder.”  As his cold eyes narrow I add.  “If you’re worried that you might slow us down.”

Among my crew you could have heard a pin drop as all eyes watch us intently.  Toke’s jaw clenches, his body tenses and his grip on his sickle tightens.  I ready myself, just in case.

After a long moment he growls in a low voice.  “I see what you are doing, whelp.  It only stokes me hotter.”

“I told you to call me Master.”  I say firmly.  “I’d hate to have to waste the time in taking you to the whipping post when there’s work to be done.”

His lip trembles in rage…then he bows his head just a couple of inches.  “I am ready to serve, Master.”

It fucking killed me to talk to this proud man like this.  A man I respected and quite liked.  But the game was afoot and if I was going to win I needed every advantage I could get.  There would be time to soothe feelings later.

“Good.  You’re with me today, old man.  Keep up if you can.”  Confidently, or stupidly depending on your point of view, I spin and show him my back then stride away for the fields.  Only about half a dozen steps later do I hear the crew scramble to catch up.

That day I work my men, hard but fair.  With the extra recuperation from having no training the night before and the blessing that was the clouds and cool breeze they were more than up to the pace that I set.  We sing our work songs as we slice and gather sheaf after sheaf.  With our spirits high, except for one obvious exception, I cannot help but be proud of my crew.  Most had come to me as green as a Spring seedling but in the years hence they would be known as fine working men and a boon to any harvest crew.  Despite the work and camaraderie, Toke proves himself to be hard as steel.  He shows no joy, no fatigue, and his simmering eyes were a bottomless font of hate.  When the day is done and he stands strong as the others groan, his tireless tanned muscular body glistening from his toil, I wonder if I’d only made my task more difficult.  The man wasn’t human!

“Are you done with me, Master?”  He asks me as we take some end of day water, the first words he’d uttered since breakfast.

“Toke…”  I sigh.

“Am I done, Master?  Am I free to go?”

I look at him, wishing that he would give me something to hold onto.  Some glimmer of warmth for the friendship that might have been in different circumstances.  But his warrior mind had no such weakness.  I was his enemy and until one of us stood triumphant over the other that is all I would be.

“You are free to go.”  I say.

He gives me one last slavish bow of his head.  Likely, hopefully, the very last I would ever see from him.  Then without a word he turns his back on me and walks back toward the farm.  As I watch him go I pray that someday we might be able to shake hands as men.  As equals.  This Empire that had given me everything had taken from that great warrior his dignity and freedom.  The very two things that I would give up everything, including my life, to see my daughter be born with.

As a low rumble of distant thunder rolls down the valley Gyasi steps up beside me to watch our teacher, our cohort, and our brother in sweat recede into the distance.  “You ready for this Quin?”

“Yeah.”  I whisper.  “I am.”

Chapter 121