Legends of Belariath
Flidais
The Collaring
Two forms lay curled together under a blanket near a banked fire. Their breathing gentle and even with sleep as the nighttime deepens around them. The woods they sleep in remain calm and quiet with only the occasional rustling of some nighttime creatures. One form stirs with a soft sigh, golden blonde hair sent tumbling as the woman turns to cuddle closer to her companion who in turn shifts and wraps one deeply colored arm around her and pulls her close to his side.
They settle again into sleep, days of travel having lulled them into thinking they are safe in these woods, they have not hear of the trouble with slavers though as they have not gone into any of the towns yet to pick up any news.
From the woods comes a soft faint sound of a foot pressing down on dead leaves then nothing more as the ones approaching take even more care not wanting to awaken yet the ones they stalk until it is to late for them to fight. Seven shapes loom out of the darkness lit by the dying embers of the fire. Five humans and two half-breed elf/humans survey the two sleeping on the ground their faces full of smirks and leers of what they will do with these prizes.
Sudden quick movement occurs now as they all spring forward, two grab the woman and yank her up and away even before she has a chance to wake up. One wraps am arm tightly around her and covers her mouth holding her facing him as the other starts to bind her arms behind her back. Flidais blinks in confusion at the blurry face over hers until her vision can focus and she sees that this is not Ashe. She starts to struggle then trying to scream but that just earns her her breath forced from her lungs as the man squeezes her hard.
The other five in the mean time are on Ashe each working to restrain his limbs while one grabs his head wrapping his arm around Ashes neck. Ashe lashes out arms and legs hitting their targets more times then not until he hears the hissed whispered words telling him that if he does not stop fighting now the woman with him will be killed. Ashe quickly goes limp letting the men grab and tie him up. He grunts in pain as a few blows are landed on his ribs as repayment for the damage he did to them. They would do more but their leader calls them off saying he will be needed hail and whole for the pits.
Ashe growls now as he hears them talking and he tries to surge to his feet at the same time one of the men tosses a few logs onto the fire causing it to flare up and light up the face of their male captive. A few of them step back. They recognize him and for a moment fear hits them hard until he falls to his side and they remember that he is tied and they hold his woman also. Soft chuckles move through the assembled men as they watch Ashe struggle to sit up and glare at them.
Flidais in the mean time is still struggling against her captor who is not minding it at all as he feels her curves through the thin shift she wears. Fear filled eyes look up at him as he leers down at her and whispers quietly what he plan on doing to her, at that she starts to struggle even more and whimper against his hand as she tries to shake her head at him. The leader looks over to them now finally able to pull his eyes away from Ashe and all the thoughts of the money he will bring in when he is put into the pits again.
”Bring her here” He barks to the man who grimaces partly in anger but drags her over. Ashe snarls this time as he sees Flid having half hoped up till now that she had been able in some way to get away. The leader wraps his fingers into the mass of Flid's hair and yanks her from the other mans grasp and making her slam into him. He looks down at her into her eyes savoring the fear he sees there and nodding slightly in approval at the spark of anger he sees behind her fear. “You have some spirit in you lovely I can see it. Where is your collar then or are you actually traveling willingly with this half-breed bastard?” He smirks seeing the flare of both fear and anger in her eyes wondering though what part of what he said caused which reaction.
Flidais would hiss at him if that where her nature, instead she just stares up at him and blurts out the first thing that pope into her fear filled mind. “I wear no ones collar...he wears mine.” That about floors the man holding her and he stares at her in shock for a few moments before he throws back his head and laughs at her. “I see no collar around his neck little one....” He looks back at Ashe looking at his bear neck as if to confirm his words. “Not that him being a slave surprises me just I highly dough that you are the one who owns him...he needs a strong Master to curb the stubbornness in him...and that he is soon to have again as he was stupid enough to come back here.”
Flidais bites her lip at this. It took her so long just to feel comfortable in the decision to own Ashe that to have this man call her a liar throws her back into her uncertainty...she can not back down though as from the mans words they will put him back into the pits if she doesn't do something quick. “I am his owner...and I can prove it” A raised brow is what she gets in return to this. The leader of these men nods slightly to another and her bound wrists and quickly freed. “Ok then little one show me that he is yours...produce a collar that bears your mark and fits his neck.... Make him kneel looking at me as you put it on him and let me see by his own face that he is yours.”
Flid brings her hands before her rubbing them as the ropes had been tied very tightly. She bites her lip again...this isn't how she wanted to do this. She had wanted it to be special of all things.... Something that would be a nice memory and not this horror filled night. She moves to her pack and kneels down totally unaware that the fire light shines through her thin shift silhouetting her form and with her tumble of golden yellow locks she takes on a slightly ethereal from to the watching men.
Ashe closes his eyes as all this happens staying silent and still as he sees where this is leading and even though he does not think her words will save them a part of him is still pleased that he will feel her collar around his neck even if only for a short time.
Flidais pulls the leather collar from her pouch and holds it out for the leader of this little band to see. He raises a brow as he looks at the simple leather collar with her name burned into it then back to her smirking slightly as he views her silhouetted form again. “What no gold and jewels? One would think you would spend some money on him.” Flid closes her eyes for a moment having no idea that he and the rest of the men there are getting a nice view of her. “Gold and jewels would not suit him, the leather is enough.”
Ashe opens his eyes again and turns his head to look at her, he blinks once at what he sees and has to suppress a growl at knowing all are staring at his Mistress. He pulls in a breath though and tells himself over and over to remain calm, that lashing out like he wants to will do no good and might get Flidais hurt. He drops his head down not wanting to look at what happens now so he can keep his control.
Flid moves over to Ashe then not looking at the others now as she tries to keep her calm and not tremble anymore then she already is. She comes to a stop before Ashe and speaks quietly, “Look up at me Ashe.” Slowly his head comes up and he raises his eyes to look into hers focusing on nothing but her eyes as he knows it is time. Flid nods slightly and smiles just a bit down at him, it fades though as she brings her hands up and slowly slips the collar around his neck. She gathers his hair and moves it out of the way before leaning closer to him she secures the collar around his neck.
A breath leaves them both at the same time as this happens and Flid pulls back to look down at him again and managing to smile down at him as she moves a hand to cup his cheek. “You are mine now.” She thinks those words enough as does Ashe. His whole body language shifts he losing the tension and kneeling calmly at her feet for now just basking in the fact that he wears her collar.
The leader shakes his head as he watches them saying nothing as Ashe does not look at him while she collars him like he told them to do...the fact that he doesn't but stares up at Flid makes him that bit more certain that she does indeed own him. He shakes his head again with a bit of wonder...this small delicate looking human girl owns Ashe. How the hell can that be he thinks; Ashe ever hated when he was a slave fighter in the pits. Now though he looks like a damn lap dog sitting adoringly at his mistresses feet...or that is how it looks to him.
Over to the two he walks now eyeing them just to see what reaction he will get as he wants to be very sure he is not being fooled by this. Flid looks back at him calmly her behavior changed also as when she put the collar on Ashe she knew she was now responsible for his life and she doesn't mean to loose him now that he is hers. Ashe bows his head again his thoughts a swirling jumble in his mind. He is hers and his heart soars but fear clouds that for their position is not secure. He will protect her though. That is his purpose of being hers as they have talked about and he will do that or die trying.
The leader watches their faces seeing the emotions move over them and he nods. “Well it seems I was wrong congratulations Milady on the ownership of such a fine slave as you have. Tell me though most women of your beauty would have a slave for pleasure, Ashe here is not that kind of slave. So just why is he yours?” Flid lifts her chin slightly as she looks at him; some of her fear is leaving her though not all. “I know he is not what one would look for in a pleasure slave, that is not what I wish though. He is my bodyguard; he is there to keep me safe...” She looks away at that though as right now Ashe kneels tied and they at the mercy of these men. A chuckle leaves the man “Then perhaps you should have had that collar on him sooner to remind him of that duty.”
Ashe winces at those words they reminding him that even before he became hers that he has failed her, the pleasure of ownership to her fades as his failure sinks deeper into him. Flid places a hand on his head slipping her fingers into his hair as she looks back to their captor not speaking. He shakes his head at them and crosses one arm over his chest and props the other on it as he rubs his chin. “I`ll tell you what, I'm going to let you go. On one condition.” Flid pulls in a breath not truly believing his words but can not help the hope she feels. Ashe does the same and waits to hear the condition. “I want Ashe in the pits.... But for one fight only...that will bring me more business then I get in a month.” Of course he knows with the betting he will make even more then that, especially with the match he already has in mind.
Flid looks down at Ashe again wanting some response from him on this as he knows better then her the danger they are in. He nods just slightly and she relaxes a bit before looking back to the man and nodding. “Ok.” She prays that he will make it through the match half afraid that this man will set him up to be killed, They really have no choice though and they all know it. The man claps his hands together and smiles. “Good good let us be off then. It is a few hours travel to my home, we will head there come morning and see to the arrangements for this.
(To read the ending of this story please read “Pitfight” by Ashe`NightBlood)