Dreaming of a Place: Far From Home (Closed for Magi)

[The_PG]

Riding a horse was such an exciting thing. Ryan did not often get the pleasure of doing it, so now that he had he was taking full advantage of it; putting the horse through it's paces on his way to one of the many secret docking points of the Dawn Midst. He was on a duty by his master, the honorable Sir Gosling who had sent him in order to fetch two new maids and a skilled servant if any were available. The whispers going around the castle were that one of the two had become pregnant by Sir Gosling's young son, and the other had been cast off the fifty foot wall by the Lord himself while he was in a rage that his mead was not properly warmed for his morning breakfast that he liked to eat while taking in the vista that his beautifully rich castle afforded him. Ryan did not pay them much attention. He was one of five squires the Lord had retained on his service and one of the middle ones. Not the brightest, dumbest, strongest, or weakest. He was just smart enough and strong enough to go unnoticed and make very few mistakes, but neither did he ever stand out.

It was because of this trait that he was most often sent on duty such as these errands; though they were more a job for the head-servant Rolf. It mattered not to him, because of how much he enjoyed riding one of Sir Gosling's war horses like this. The horses enjoyed it too, for he was light and a sure rider, not the heavy behemoth of a man like their master.

Because of his pacing Ryan arrived far too early; sometime in the early afternoon.

After buying a meat-pie and custard he took his Lord's horse and allowed him to graze in the forest just outside of the village itself. As he waited he spotted many men coming, and was in awe of most of them. Especially the rider in black. His armor was so new and so... Different, that he decided to follow the man into the square and down to the warehouse where the Dawn Midst would be selling from later on. After taking Sir Gosling's horse to the stables he darted back to the warehouse, and slipped inside. The way the man walked; with such ease and intensity under the massive amounts of armor made Ryan swallow thickly. He was obviously a powerful man, ferocious warrior, and darkly contented one. Someone who could kill, laugh, eat, and fuck whenever he wanted. He acted like nobody could tell him what to do. As the man and the fat bastard walked into another room Ryan scrambled outside and tried to find a vantage point into the room. He finally managed to scramble up some boxes to an open window from where he could just hear and see what was going on.

The naked girls had his eyes popping open widely, and he blushed furiously until he realized nobody was around to see him.

Once calm. He took to listening. The man whose name Ryan still did not know asked one of the girls if she ever touched herself, and Ryan blushed again at the question. This man was sick! She answered quickly, "No." The man turned back, and picked another girl who was trussed up like a pig, and slung carelessly onto his massive black warhorse.

Ryan dropped back to the ground. Stunned.

As he stumbled out into the opening he suddenly came face to face with the black armored rider. He quickly bowed, touching his knee to his forehead and whispering words of etiquette. When the man did not simply walk past him a sudden chill came to his blood and he felt time passing in tenths of a second or slower even. A quick peek during this fascinating time where the world seemed to stop revolving pushed his glance toward where the girls had come from. The dark-haired one that had been asked the question last was just then powerfully smacked across her cheek and thrown to the floor. Then a simple tunic was tossed at her feet. Ryan felt his jaw being touched by cold metal and before he realized it he was on his feet being held by the... Duke?!

"I am Duke Lamar de Cohen. Who are you, boy?"

"R-Ryan... Ryan of Gosling, m'lord." The man twisted his head to the side, and his eye twitched. Ryan shivered.

"Do you like what you see in there boy?"

"Y-yes'r. M'lord."

With a smirk the Duke literally carried Ryan into the warehouse where the nymph of a girl was quickly pulling the shirt over her head. That did not stop Ryan from getting a peek at her privates; causing them both to blush. This close and he realized just how much older he was then her. She was only a girl! Panicked, slightly he looked at the Duke's dark eyes and shivered again. This man was evil. "Well," The Duke said, tossing him at the girl, "Touch her." Like being struck by a whip the voice forced him to move, his hand shot out and he touched the girls side. She flinched, but then relaxed as she realized he was being as gentile as he possibly could. The duke lowered his massive helm between them and spoke directly to Ryan.

"When you understand what I mean. Come and work for me."

Then he was gone.

Later in the evening when it was his turn to purchase the slaves he saw that they were all dressed again; in tiny shifts that hardly hid a thing. When the dark haired one appeared he suddenly wanted her badly. Just to ask her who that man was! The bid was over quickly; she was too young to do anything useful and had not apparent skills. Ryan also found a skilled trade-servant and another maid who was more of a woman. Their wrists were bound, and the ropes were lashed loosely to his horses saddle. He had his sword and knife, and was obviously in much better shape then any of the slaves. Just as he was about to leave the fat bastard came puffing over to him.

"Young sir, this'ere belongs to yer girl,"
"Oh indeed?"
"Yesh, she's can sing suh,"
"Thank you sir."

He took the instrument, and tucked it into the saddlebag. Then flipped the man an extra copper. He led the horse this time, and as all of them walked he turned and tugged a little on the rope to the young girl, "You. Come here. I want to know something. Who was the man from earlier? Dressed all in black? He asked you... About... Private matters? You remember him? Do you know who he was?"

 

[Magi_monk]

Maera squinted against the harsh sunlight that beat down upon her malnourished and poorly clothed form. Small hands, lashed together by coarse rope, rose to shield her face awkwardly as she stumbled from the bowels of the Dawn Midst and staggered down the gangplank unsteadily. A gnarled hand slapped at her thinly glad behind, causing the lithe girl to scuttle hurried out of reach with a quiet whimper as she glanced anxiously over her shoulder. Slim shoulders shuddered slightly as they were marched into a shadowed courtyard, stern looking men herding the slaves into categories of usefulness.

The old and the sick had already been disposed of during the journey, and now only the younger more reliable wretches remained – even if they were all thin and gaunt. Eyes now adjusting to the light, Maera raised her head to reveal a set of icy blue hues which darted to and fro in search of something. A large red faced man shouted something which caused her malnourished form to flinch back visibly, shivering despite the midday sun. The order was no repeated, instead the man lunged at the nearest girl and tore away what little remained of her clothing. Maera and the rest swiftly obeyed, pulling the tattered rags from their body before attempting to shield their now nude figures.

Several old women appeared with features solemn and cold as they doused the trembling girls with water and tugged the knots from their hair with vicious efficiency. If the Duke was to make a purchase then the wretched souls needed to look as presentable as possible. Not clothes were brought to them, it would conceal the attributes that their esteemed patron was so finicky about, but their wrists were rebound with fresh rope.

Shoulders hunched and eyes fixed upon the ground, Maera did her best to shield her naked girlish figure. Shrinking back as the darkly clad man towered over her, she answered with flushed cheeks and a swift shake of the head, uttering a meek no as quickly as she could. Only once the man had made his selection and that poor girl had been dragged out of the courtyard did she release the breath that she had been holding.

Guilt washed over her, eyes sliding closed for a moment as the selected girl’s protests rang around the courtyard. She was relieved that she hadn’t been selected, relieved that it was someone else that had to suffer and not her, and she hated herself for it. “Yer dunno what yer missing girl...” The trader’s voice came out of no-where, an arm curling round her slender form and dragging her back sharply against his sweaty body, a hand crudely spread across her stomach.

Maera cried out in alarm and wrenched herself free of the man’s grip, only to receive an open hand to her face which sent her sprawling to the ground. Tears sprung to her eyes as she pushed herself up onto her knees, head bowed as a tunic landed in front of her, a small cloud of dust disturbed by the movement. As the trader wandered off, she snatched at the garment and hurried pulled it over her head, only to find the darkly glad man and a younger man standing in front of her. Eyes widened as she tugged the slip down her body and took an uneasy step back, ice blue hues shifting from one to the other.

She flinched at the sharp order and touch of the other’s hand, but was reassured by the look of alarm and softness of touch. Then, as suddenly as they had arrived, the Duke disappeared and a slaver returned to drag Maera after the rest of the girls, though she did spare one brief look over her shoulder to find the young man still standing there. The auction went by swiftly and to her surprise, and perhaps relief, she found herself purchased by the very same man that had touched her so gently.

Remaining silent as she was led away with two others, Maera watched as the rope bound to her wrists was bound to the saddle of a horse, providing her with enough slack to allow her to walk comfortably. Such consideration did not go unnoticed, neither did the way that Ryan had been watch her since they’d left the auction. The mention of her lute brought the girl’s attention swiftly to the trader, eyes widening in wonder as she caught sight of her mother’s precious lute. Hands instinctively reached out but she swiftly lowered them as the instrument was tucked away safely, though her eyes did not leave it for some time.
The walk was rather pleasant, though her malnourished body was not used to such activity it made a nice change from the cramped conditions she had endured for several weeks. She trotted up Ryan’s side at his command, eyes fixed carefully on the ground as she listened to his question. Biting down on her lower lip, she shook her head vigorously enough that many strands of hair fell in front of her face, only for the light breeze to brush them back. “N-no Sir, I don’t know who he was...” Her cheeks flushed a little at the topic of conversation, tugging on the hem of her tunic awkwardly.

 

[The_PG]

Ryan nodded as he expected the answer.

"He is the Duke of Cohen. Lamar is his name, I've heard stories..." He trailed off thinking about the stories he had heard. The way the Duke had defended the Holy Land, slaughtering thousands of men, and hundreds of women and children. Apparently his soul was as black as the armor he wore, or maybe it was the other way around. Either way some foolhardy priest had given him clemency for favor. It was a scary thought that a man of that much power and evil could have free-reign over any and all that he wished to have it over. Ryan suddenly thought better of telling any stories to the girl at his side, so he turned and simply shrugged. "He is an evil man," That was all she needed to know, and he realized she probably knew this better than him having underwent his torturous questioning. After a few more minutes of walking Ryan thought about what the Duke had said to him. He wondered what the hell he meant, but before he could figure it out he felt the girl brushing against him and he quickly turned.

With a smile he asked, "What is your name?"

"Maera," She answered sweetly.

"That is a pretty name," Another smile as she blushed, "I've bought you to be a maid, do you know what that is?"

She shook her head.

"Our master is the Lord Sir Gosling. You will be made to sweep, cook, clean, sew, garden, and look after his children. There are plenty of those bastards running around too. hehe. One of the other maid's will teach you your jobs, but just remember to learn them fast. Sir Gosling is not evil like the Duke, but he can get a bit... Angry, if you mess up, but don't worry. Your chores won't be so hard. Like I said... By the way, I am Ryan, I am training to be a Knight under Sir Gosling. I am a squire, so I will often be put in charge of you and others to make sure you complete tasks... I'm not too much of a slave driver either."

As they walked Ryan filled her in on a few more things she would need to know before asking, "So what happened to you? How did you end up on the Dawn Midst? I am sure it is a dreadful tale."

 

[Magi_monk]

She listened silently to the explanation that was offered to her, but when the man’s words trailed off into silence, she turned her head to look up at him. A brief nod was the only response she made to his statement and then lowered her eyes to the path beneath her feet. Fatigue and hunger presented a slight obstacle to walking in a straight line and Maera found herself bump against the young Sir that had purchased her. She uttered a hurried apology, adjusting her steps to put a small distance between them, ice blue eyes flickering around their surroundings curiously.

That he would care what her name was surprised the girl, but she obliged politely with a response, only for her soft cheeks to flush a gentle pink at his compliment. The following explanation of what her tasks would be provided her with some comfort, at least her new master was not on the same level as the Duke. To also learn that Ryan, as he told her he was named, was a servant in some regard and that allowed Maera to relax a little.

“I can do those tasks Sir, I’ll do my best to please Lord Gosling...” She lowered her gaze to her bound wrists, adjusting them carefully to alleviate some of the discomfort. The topic of her capture was not something she wished to discuss and as a result her head hung forward and the gentle expression that had been upon her face shifted to that of loss and sorrow.

“My people were betrayed and killed...” Her voice was barely above a whisper, and she turned her head away from Ryan to watch the scenery that they passed by. Maera did not elaborate, in truth she did not wish to speak about it at all but it was not her place to refuse him if he truly wished to know.

 

[The_PG]

The simple answer didn't bother Ryan; he hadn't expected anything different.

"Okay, you can walk with the others," But before he let her go he added, "If you ever want to talk. Just tell me."

Once Maera had slid back with the others they all walked together at an easy pace back to the castle. Sir Gosling was busy, so each of them were sent to their supervisors. To his delight Ryan realized that meant he would be helping Maera as he was the only one competent enough to keep the castle under control whenever his Master was gone. He saw how awkward she was standing; the tunic she wore barely covered her lower parts and he quickly went into the servants quarters before returning with a pair of panties. They were a faded blue, but still fairly thick. He grinned as she eagerly took them, and then laughed as she blushed while putting them on. Girls her age were always so concerned about being proper. Especially after having rude practically nude their whole life, and now realizing how many hungry men had been watching them. Ryan didn't mind, she was pretty, but still far too young.

First he decided to teach her what she would be doing, showing her where the cleaning things were, and how the Master liked things done. He moved through the chores easily until she seemed to have a fairly good amount of control everything. Finally he lead her back to her quarters. Well, their quarters. All the indoor servants slept in what would become Ryan's quarters once he was a knight. He was the only one with a bed, the others all just slept on straw mats about the fireplace, but he always let the young children sleep in the bed with him if they wished. Occasionally this would angry Sir Gosling, but only when there was something else really bothering him.

"It is nearly dinner time," Ryan then said with a scratch of his head, "Would you like to come and meet everyone?"

He introduced her to everyone including a few of the other girls that Sir Gosling liked to look at, but rarely touched. He was one of the nobles that thought his cock was only good enough for noble women, but he didn't mind having eye candy about for his knights and men-at-arms. Ryan, as a squire, was interested in a few of the girls. And once he'd introduced Maera he kind of forgot about her, as Rebecca and him began talking. She was one of the Ladies-in-waiting's girls, a handmaiden, and very pretty with dark blond hair and sparkling brown eyes. As dinner was served. Ryan looked around for Maera with a frown, "Where did she go?" He asked aloud as he looked.

 

[Magi_monk]

Maera offered Ryan a bright smile at his offer, slipping back to walk with the others that had been purchased that day, one of which seemed to have taken a dislike to her. For the rest of the journey, she walked in silence, surveying the general surroundings as well as trying to ignore the glares directed her way in occasion. She watched her lute carefully, checking that it never slid from where it had been secured. The castle was immense, its shadow falling over the small travelling party which sent a shivers through her slim body.

Suddenly she felt nervous and anxious, the weight of her grief and her situation making her legs feel heavy as she stumbled beneath the tall gates. Intertwining her slim fingers, Maera followed Ryan obediently, massaging her small wrists as the rope was removed and she was led into a vast kitchen. Left there, the young girl rocked back and forth upon her heels, ice blue eyes drifting around the room slowly and carefully. When he returned with a pair of panties, her cheeks flushed a bright pink but she smiled and offered a whispered word of thanks as she hurriedly pulled them on.

Her tasks did not seem too difficult, some of them had been daily chores she had helped her mother with not long ago. The quarters in which she was to sleep seemed like the chambers of a noblewoman in comparison to the squalid conditions of the Dawn Midst. With a smile and a nod, she followed Ryan through to where the servants had begun to gather, greeting each with a quiet hello.

However, it wasn’t long before she was ignored and in the moment of silence realised that she had abandoned her lute. Panic struck her as she rushed from the room, retracing her footsteps back out into the courtyard, eyes sweeping her surroundings for the stables that had to be nearby. Where would Ryan’s saddlebags have gone?!

 

[The_PG]

It took Ryan several long minutes to figure out where Maera could have run off it. By the time he remembered her lute everyone else was sitting down to eat. He decided that he would rather eat cold food then have that little girl wander into one of the Knights while he was drunk on ale. Scurrying out of the dining hall he raced for the stables. He arrived just as the girl darted in one side; while a knight returning from a journey entered the other. Luckily he managed to reach the small girl just before she walked in the way of Sir Rolf; one of Lord Gosling's meaner and nastier knights that was only allowed to be that way because of his fighting prowess. Often times when there were no battles afoot the man was cast out of the castle because of the disturbances he caused. Snatching Maera's hand, Ryan tugged her out of the stable and safely into the nearby forge before they were spotted.

With a, "Whew," He slumped to the floor. Glancing up at her pretty face he smiled and said, "Your lute is upstairs in my room. That is where my saddlebags are taken after I ride."

He was still breathing hard as he twisted and peered through the slats in the door; watching as Sir Rolf wandered towards the kitchen. He had been drunk too.

Turning sharply Ryan hissed at Meara, "Don't run off next time. Sir Gosling isn't a saint, and neither are his knights. Trust me. Or else you'll find out the hard way, okay? Now. Let's get some food and after that we'll go find your lute. Mkay?" Taking her hand and brooking no arguement he led her into the kitchen and they found cold bread and lukewarm soup waiting for them. As they ate in silence Ryan felt bad for the young girl. He leaned over to whisper, "It's okay. I just didn't want you to get hurt, okay?" When she looked at him and smiled, he smiled back without a blush and turned to finishing his food. Once done, he led her up to their bedroom where a few other of the youngest were already preparing for a nights sleep. They found her lute, and Ryan handed it to Meara. With a few words of caution.

"I wouldn't let any of the knights or men-at-arms see that. They'll take it and sell it for a copper if they can. Keep it hidden, keep it safe."

With a smile he bent over just to kiss her forehead, before departing for his nightly duties.

 

[Magi_monk]

Wandering around the grounds, it took the girl ten minutes or so before she caught sight of the stables and hurried toward it. Not wishing to draw attention to herself, or meet Sir Gosling before it was absolutely necessary, snuck into the sheltered entrance at once side and began her search for Ryan’s horse. She scanned each stall, recalling the features that she could recall while searching for the saddlebags that she knew housed the precious lute. So focused on her task she neither saw nor heard the man’s approach and gasped quietly as her hand was suddenly seized and she dragged to the side.

Colliding with Ryan’s chest, her hands reached out to grasp at his shoulders in order to remain upright, plunging toward the ground with him. What alarm had been present within the young girl’s features dispersed as she realised who had taken hold of her. A shy smile and light nod of the head displayed her thanks and relief as she brushed off the thin tunic carefully. The words of reprimand left the girl silent as her hand was grasped and she was pulled along and back into the kitchen. In silence she supped her soup, eating slowly and carefully, only to stop after a couple of mouthfuls and a few small bites of bread.

Was Ryan angry with her? Maera didn’t want him to be angry, he had been the only person to treat her nicely since her capture; she felt safe with him. He seemed to notice her silent brooding, as swiftly he reassured her that he was not angry. A bright smile swept across her lips as she fixed her ice blues upon him and nodded once, “Okay...I won’t run off again Sir, I promise...”

Hunger sated, but much of her food left uneaten, Maera followed Ryan back up to their bedroom, eyes sweeping the room expectantly for the instrument that held such value to her. Small fingers extended toward the lute as he held it out to her, delicately grasping it before clutching it close to her chest. “Thank you...” She listened quietly to his words of warning and nodded hurriedly; she would certainly keep it safe and out of sight.

The kiss was unexpected, chin tilting upward slightly as his lips brushed against her forehead and her cheeks flushed a gentle pink. Maera watched as he left, a quiet smile on her lips as her fingers caressed the strings. Glancing over at the fireplace, where some of the younger children had settled, she made sure no one had yet to lay down her head before she dragged her fingertips over the strings, a gentle melody filling the room. The sound was comforting and warming, as if arms had just encircled her tightly and held her where she sat. She began to play one of the many songs that she knew off by heart, eventually adding her angelic voice to the mix, singing of her great city and beautiful home, unaware of the youngsters that had began to gather around her to listen.

 

[The_PG]

When Ryan returned and found the children gathered around Maera and her lute he stopped carefully in order to listen himself.

It was a very sweet song and she had a very sweet voice, but he wasn't able to simply enjoy the song. The consequences that could come of it worried him to a large extent. If some Knight or men-at-arms heard her singing and took fancy to it she would be immediately sequestered from the other servants and after one or two innocent showings one of them would get drunk. Then her innocence would be ruined. Singing and fucking would be her life; and she would learn to hate her voice and the music. Ryan knew that this was a droll way to look at the world, but his common sense was both persuasive and sound. It had kept himself, and many other servants alive for countless years. Not only alive, but prospering and often allowed to leave the service of Sir Gosling once they had paid off a debt or outlived their real usefulness. He would have to talk Maera into singing only at the most opportune times, and to be incredibly cautious with her voice if she didn't want it to be choked out of her by the evil world in which they lived.

Still, it was not all bad. Should one of the ladies-in-waiting or other noble women hear it, she could become a chamberlain or be placed with other of the ladies favored guests. It wasn't so bad of a life, better than a slaves because there was no physical work, but harder because there was very little chance for reward and a much larger chance that a mistake could cost you dearly. As Ryan debated these things in his head the children around her were crawling back to their maps and curling up for a nights sleep. He decided that Maera would need to do this too, if she wanted to be well rested for her first day of work.

Approaching softly, but from the front so not to startle her he touched her on the shoulder. She stopped immediately. He smiled.

"You should go to bed Maera, that was very beautiful. Tomorrow you will have to hit the ground running, and the day will be tiring, both for your body and mind. I suggest you rest as best you can, for tomorrow you can leave your lute under my bed. However, by the end of the day you will need to find a better hiding place for your treasure. Okay? Good, goodnight Maera, sweet dreams." With a last smile Ryan walked over to his bed and quickly undressed. Stripping to his undergarments which consisted of just a pair of thin shorts that hugged his hips and thighs. The rest of his clothes he hung on hooks in the wall, before slipping into the massive bed. One or two children slept at the foot of the bed, along with three or four of Sir Gosling's dogs. He was asleep quickly. Dreaming of Maera who was staring at him rather strangely, as if she were embarrassed and excited about something. Her lips moved, but he could not hear if she was singing or speaking to him. It was pleasant enough though, so he slept contentedly. Snoring softly.