Training Kye

Orin watched them bring her in, her gate strong and angular as if she were use to flying rather than walking. She wore a fitted garment of every shade of blue imaginable from the darkest night to the brightest sky. It flared at her hips falling to the floor in a peacock type fashion. Orin knew that her master called her Lady Bird, and that he took delighted in treating her as her namesake. Orin had been invited to watch her dance, a privilege reserved for only the highest of guild Masters. He had just acquired the position of Master of the Horse, a place second only to the Master of the Sword, Gabriel. He was younger than most here; only 25, and these kinds of events were still unknown to him. Lady Bird wore a specially fitted mask that blinded her to the crowd. Its golden contours gave her all the features of a fierce bird of prey, a stunning opposite to her delicate build.

“Is she to dance without being able to see?” He asked Darren, his long time friend and Master of the Long Spear.

“She is not allowed to see where she is taken, just like a true bird of prey, Gabriel keeps her hooded until he is ready to use her.”

The thought caused Orin to frown, but he said nothing, instead sipping his wine and watching Lady Bird intently. She wore the silver collar of a bound slave, it’s curve having no beginning and no end. It was welded to one’s throat at the time of collaring and from that moment on it never came off. To own a slave was forbidden to all but the guild Masters and before this moment Orin had never considered owning one, but as he watched Lady Bird’s lead being secured to her Masters chair he knew he had to have one.

“I see that thought my friend,” Darren leaned over to whisper, “It was the same I had when I first viewed her and it is useless. There are none that compare to her and Gabriel will never sell her. Besides he is the only one that can control her.”

Orin grinned at Darren taking another draft of wine, “We shall see.”

Gabriel rose once Lady Bird was secured; he spared her no more than a passing glance as he came down from His dais to walk the length of the tables. They were set up in a U shape so that the middle of the room was clear and so that all could equally view the event. Though Lady Bird was blinded she seemed to follow Gabriel with her hawk like gaze as he made his way around. The Masters reclined about the table on various colored cushions, each color depicting their Household. To their left was their most favored slave, and to the right a servant, whose job it was to bring in the meal. Orin’s gaze was so riveted on Lady Bird that he failed to notice that Gabriel had stopped in front of him.

“Orin,” he said formally bowing his head in respect.

“Gabriel,” Orin returned with a bit of chagrin, “My thanks for the invitation to watch the dance.”

Gabriel nodded, “She is beautiful is she not? One of the finest ever owned.”

“She is lovely.” Orin agreed feeling guilty for coveting her. When Orin had first shown interest in being Master of Horse, having no parents, it had been Gabriel he turned to. His rank and everything he knew of training, of weapons, and of life, was due to Gabriel’s kindness, and Gabriel had always treated him like a son.

“I have a task for you Horse Master, one that has need of your special talents. First, though, we shall watch my Lady dance.” Gabriel clapped his hands and music flowed through the chamber. Lady Bird rose to her feet with exquisite slowness, the music’s drum like rhythm, seeming to bring her to beautiful life. Rather than return to his throne Gabriel took a seat to Orin’s left reclining at the tables with the rest of them. Orin watched as Lady Bird moved, catching the music with her hips, until she reached the end of her tether. There, she began to spin a tail of flight. The music flowed around her as air would beneath a birds wings and she courted it with devotion that bordered love. She “flew” to the end of her tether and then back again to her Master’s chair as if she would bring the joy of flight to His feet. Her delicate garment floated around her bringing deep contrast to her strong movements. Orin wondered how long she had studied the bird like gestures she mocked with such accuracy. He wondered too if a slave could be taught to mimic a bird of prey than why not other animals. The thought took hold of him like fire, would one not look equally as beautiful prancing proudly as a horse? He wanted to teach a slave to toss her head with spirit and arch her neck to beg for his touch. As the music hit its crescendo Lady Bird made a leap onto the arm of her Masters throne crying out, her head thrown back and arms out stretched, but instead of flight she fell to crouch, her golden head bowed in submission. The crowd exploded in applause as she returned to her “perch” at the bottom of the throne. Gabriel leaned up to catch Orin’s attention again.

“She is exquisite, he murmured adding his applause to that of the crowd, “Of all the things in this world worth loving a slave is most worthy of the attention. Their love comes without expectation, without hope. They love because it is in their nature to do so, and if their love is not returned they wither and die.”

“You do not love her?” Orin asked taken aback.

“Love her?” Gabriel laughed softly, “I would trade my life and all my worldly possessions if it would grantee the chance that she would never know sadness. She is the first thing I crave when I wake and the last thing I desire before I sleep, if that is love my friend, then yes, I love her.”

“I don’t understand then”

“You are but a quarter of a century old, these things take many years to make sense, and yet you have a gift for training that I have never encountered.”

Orin nodded, “Thank you.”

“That is why I called you here,” Gabriel turned his gaze back to Lady Bird, “We have a daughter, she and I, and a more beautiful creature was never created by the gods.”

Again Orin nodded, “The Lady Kye. I have heard of her.”

“Yes, my beautiful Kye. She is a wild thing my friend, with wild ways. Her mother and I have both attempted to curb her but to no avail. She spends all her time in books and in the stable.”

Orin protested, “I have never spoken with her.”

“She speaks to no one save her mother and myself, but every day I watch her wither. She was born, like her mother before her, with the heart of a slave.”

Gabriel made a motion with his head and from the back of the chamber, on a lead similar to Lady Bird’s, came a girl. She was dressed in an unadorned garment of green, her hair flowed like obsidian to her hips, and her skin was so pale it was almost translucent. Orin found that he could not breath as he watched her. In her frame and in her grace she resembled Lady Bird in every way, but her directness in manner showed her to be her Fathers daughter. The crowd murmured its appreciation as she was led to stand in the middle of the room and pushed down to her knees. Rather than to drop her gaze in submission, as was common for slaves, she tilted her head up to stare directly ahead. Challenge was written across her whole body but something else about her caught Orin’s attention. Her breath came is shallow gasps and her skin was flushed…she was excited. Gabriel rose and walked past Kye touching her chin briefly as he returned to his thrown.

“My friends, I have invited you to this ceremony for three reasons. One is to welcome our new Master of the Horse, Orin.”

The crowd cheered offering a toast of congratulations and Kye turned her gaze briefly to him. Orin smiled softly bowing his head to her, and laughed as she snapped her attention back to her father.

Gabriel held his hand up for silence, “The second reason is to celebrate the 18th year of my daughter, Kye.”

Again there were cheers this time accompanied by bawdy whistles that caused Kye to blush. Orin wished to take her out of there and found himself actually on his feet when Gabriel called the crowd to silence once more.

“The last reason is that tonight I give my daughter to the bonds of slavery.”

Kye gasped as her captors forced her head to the floor, she struggled almost managing to break their hold, but was brought up short by her fathers command.

“Be still woman.”

Orin’s heart wrenched as he watched a humiliated tear slide down her cheek.

“As a slave she would be auctioned to the highest bidder.” There were more cheers and a few numbers called out, but Gabriel shook his head and continued, “My gift to my daughter for her birthday though is to allow her to choose to what house she would belong to.”

The men holding Kye released her so abruptly that she cried out glancing wildly around the room like freighted animal. Her wildness more than her beauty reached into Orin’s soul and he heard his heart call out to her, speaking in the same soothing manner he would to calm a new mare in a paddock. She froze trembling, and then tilted her head toward his as if to listen. He began to coax her to him, centering his mind on calming her, meeting her gaze to assure her. She walked toward him, enthralled with his gaze and he reached out to take hold of her lead, the movement startled her and she bolted to the other side of the hall. He watched as she approached each Master, in turn, with a wary eye. Orin held his breath when she drew too close to another knowing that if they could capture her she would be lost to him. But as she neared each one she cast her gaze back toward Orin and then spun out of their reach. He waited knowing now what Gabriel wanted of him, Kye would be his. She approached him last coming within easy reach of him, but unlike the others he did not reach for her. He feigned interest in his glass and the placement of his eating utensils knowing that she, like any animal, would resent his inattention. She caught the gist of the game too late, for as she stepped forward again her collar lead brushed the back of Orin’s hand and he leapt toward her grasping her by the hair in a movement so fast that she barely had time to register what was happening. He forced her to the ground at his feet as the crowd around him roared its approval.

“So be it!” Gabriel announced over the cheers, “By show of might, the life of a slave known as Kye will be given to the Master of the Horse.”

Orin moved so as to wrap Kye in his arms, an embrace of lovers that made her shiver. He smoothed back her hair placing a kiss on her shoulder and whispered words that in her years to come she would work hard for, “Good girl.”

Orin sighed heavily as he watched the moon fill the night sky. The gentle shuffling of sleeping horses blended softly with the night breeze creating a lullaby that in the past would have lulled him into sleep, but tonight there would be no comfort. It had been two weeks since Kye, his slave had been delivered to him and still she spoke not a word. She sat on the battlements of his great house and looked toward the sky, sometimes not moving for days. He’d given her new clothing, and set up her own room so that she would not feel trapped by him, but each day her sadness grew. He remembered the passion that had inspired him to claim her but now that he had her doubt assailed him. Was he strong enough to conquer the Sword Masters daughter? Was his knowledge enough to mold her into the thing of beauty her mother was? Could he woo her heart as well as her spirit, or would he be doomed to watch the body of love and not taste it. He laughed softly at himself wondering when he had become such a philosopher. He had all a man could desire, a house so large you needed a map to find your way through it, a position of honor in the Masters Guild, and servants to attend his every need, but when days were hard and his heart was troubled he could always be found where he had began, in the stables. He had trained a great many stable hands and many more horses, the skill seemed born to him, but he could not fathom how to start training this girl.

“My lord?” The soft questioning voice of his apprentice Marcus stirred Orin from his thoughts.

“What is it boy?” Orin said smiling at the dark eyes that peeked up at him from the door of the stable.

“The mare that arrived yesterday my lord, she’s still quivering with fear. I’ve tried everything but I can’t seem to calm her.”

Markus had Orin’s gift with horses, but lacked the confidence to trust his heart. “Have you bathed and brushed her?”

“Yes m’lord.”

“Have you fed her and gotten her settled into her home?”

The boy nodded so vigorously that Orin though he might break his neck. “Well I suppose the only thing left to do is spend the night with her.”

Marcus frowned, “How will that help?”

“She’s in a strange place boy, with strange people and she is probably lonely. Stay close to her, eat with her, sing to her, until she knows she is not alone.”

“Yes my lord!” Marcus scrambled with excitement to do as he was told. The mare in question wasn’t much to look at but Marcus had been in love with her since she first arrived. Orin made a mental note to gift her to the boy if he could make progress with her. He sat a moment longer pondering the mystery of Kye when his own advice replayed through his head, “Stay close to her, eat with her, sing to her until she knows she is not alone.” How could he have been so blind? He rose with a laugh of triumph; he would start today and infiltrate so much of her life that she would not be able to separate herself from him.

He arrived to his household with a bellow that could wake the dead, his house servant Lonnie was too his feet almost before the sound quit echoing through the halls.

“My Lord?” She said, her gaze riveted to the floor.

“Ahh, Lonnie, good. Where is Kye?”

“Asleep my lord, in her chambers.”

“Wake her, she no longer has chambers. Take all of the stuff that came with her and lock it into the pantry, gowns, soaps, everything. If she wants something she can ask me.”

Lonnie nodded and started to rise but Orin stopped her, “Further more she is allowed nothing to eat unless I feed her, she will not bathe unless I am bathing with her, and none of the servants will speak directly to her.”

“My Lord?” Lonnie protested but Orin stopped her with a raised hand.

“She is mine, and she will come to heel or she will starve. Do I make myself clear?”

Lonnie smiled up at him happy to see her Master back in control, she personally could care less for the waifish girl, but Orin was like a son to her and she would do anything to see him happy. “Absolutely my Lord.”

Orin gathered Kye’s lead; he’d taken it off her collar in an attempt to make her more comfortable. He realized now that it had been a mistake, she was a slave and he had confused her on her position from the moment she had walked through the door. He entered his bedchamber with a determined walk. Kye stood in the middle of the room as if she were planted there, her hair was platted down her back and her pale white sleeping gown made her look like a lost specter. She looked at him with such fear and confusion that for a moment he regretted his rash action but he could see no other way to reach her. With out speaking a word he began to move around the room undressing, he sang softly under his breath aware that she followed him with her midnight gaze.”

“Come to me my hearts desire,

For you are weary and alone.

Come to me my hearts desire,

For you are lost, I am your home”

Orin kept his back to her as he took off his tunic and sat on the bed. He bent to unlace his boots the song filling the room with a palatable longing. He watched her out of the corner of his eye, noting that color rushed to her cheeks, and her breath again came in shallow gasps. She still stood in the middle of his bedchamber but her hands were now knotted in her gown as if she would hold herself to that spot. He removed his pants folding them neatly, and laying them aside. He looked up to see Kye’s gaze riveted on him. Unlike most genteel ladies, who have turned around in outrage and embarrassment at the sight of his nakedness, Kye studied him with a wary interest.

“Come here girl.” Orin’s voice was soft and coaxing and he smiled in pleasure as she took an unconscious step toward him. She slowed upon seeing Orin’s smile and seemed to force herself to take each step, pausing before taking the next as if she were awaiting execution.

“Quick girl!” Orin’s command startled her into stumbling. He caught her just before she hit the floor returning her to an upright position in one fluid movement. He laughed softly smoothing the curls that had gathered around her face and pulling her closer. Her whole body tensed against the action but Orin was firm with her. He knelt and began to run his hands under the gown, starting at her ankles, and tracing her rounded shape. He made the movements swift and business like as if he were inspecting a new horse rather than a freighted girl. She did not protest as his deft hands made their way up the curve of her calves and across her buttocks, but as his fingers slipped across the soft curls between her legs she bent down to stop his hands. She realized almost immediately her mistake; he caught both of her wrists and jerked her to the floor to kneel before him.

“I have been very understanding with you girl, but do not mistake that understanding for weakness. I will touch what I wish to touch,” he pulled her body flush with his locking her arms behind her back and rubbing his lips across her temple, “and taste what I wish to taste.” She trembled but did not answer.

“Right now, tonight only, I am going to give you this choice, we can do this gently or by force.” Orin nuzzled her face to the side biting her throat taunting her softly, “Go ahead and fight me girl…you’ll like it.”

Kye flushed, dropping her gaze to the floor and her hands to her sides. Orin’s hands continued their journey up the graceful arch of her back, over her shoulders and finally to cup her full proud breasts.

“You have the body of a good slut, girl.” He pinched the nipples softly at first, rolling them between his fingers, then increasing the pressure until she whimpered.

“Good girl,” He said releasing her nipples so abruptly that she swayed toward him, “Open your legs.”

She gazed at him stupidly as if she didn’t understand the command so he pushed his hands through her clenched thighs forcing them apart. The back of his knuckles grazed her labia lips and gasped softly at the contact. He stood then forcing her to look up at him and brought the long braid over her left shoulder.

“Cross your wrists behind your back.”

Again she gazed up at him in confusion but before he could correct her position she did as instructed.

“This is the posture you will take each time I call you to my side. If I must wait longer then I think is necessary or if the posture is incorrect you will be punished.” He stepped behind her shoving her to all fours. He kicked her legs wider apart and, catching her hair, forced her head back.

“This posture we will call, Prepare.” Orin knelt behind her wrapping the braid around his fist and using his other hand to feel between her legs. “Can you guess what you are preparing for, girl?”

His fingers slid along her slit noting the wetness that had gathered there. He spread the moisture from her dark crevice to her clit making sure to flick the hard nub back and forth with each pass. Her posture relaxed as pleasure came to her in soft waves. She had almost forgotten where she was when Orin’s finger pushed it’s way into her untried body. She began to struggle but Orin just placed his knees between hers preventing her from closing them. He tilted her head back, applying steady pressure to the braid until she arched her back at a seemingly impossible angel. His growl in her ear stopped her from struggling further.

“That’s twice you’ve tried to deny me what is mine girl, despite my warnings.” He released her hair pushing her gown over her hips and pulling her taunt against him. “There will not be a third time.” She felt his hands fumble between them and then the pressure of his cock against her slit. He pulled her back against his erection, not bothering to give her body time to adjust. He clenched his teeth against the hot, moist, tight feeling that threatened to push him to orgasm before he was ready. Kye tensed against his movements as he withdrew and then plunged into her again and again. Her breath came in soft little whimpers that turned to moans as Orin brought his hand around to fondle her ample breasts paying special attention to nipples through the cloth of her gown. Kye began to pull away from him to lessen the force of his thrust