Drake switched between putting his weight on his arms and on his toes. Both were unbearable but by switching he gave one or the other a little relief. It had been a few hours since Raell had left, and the sun was fully up in the sky. The three men waited, hungry and hot, for the return of their mistress.
It was past noon when Raell once again made her appearance in the barn. Drake adopted the submissive expression of the other two slaves-no, men he mentally chided himself. He desperately wanted freedom from the ties. She threw Devon and Riley an apple each, and they thanked her before frantically devouring the fruit. She then strode over to Drake, and leaned an arm against his chest. He moaned as her extra weight strained his already agonized shoulders.
"Do you want me to free you, slave?"
"Yes, Mistress Raell" Drake responded, willing to call her by any name if it meant he would be released, watered, and fed.
She grinned, and with a snap of her fingers the ropes above him came undone. Drake once again collapsed, his mind going over her obvious display of supernatural powers. He stayed kneeling, waiting to see if he'd get the final apple in her hand.
"I didn't hear a thank you, slave."
Drake blinked, then frantically answered "I'm sorry Mistress, thank you for releasing me Mistress Raell!"
Raell laughed at the rushed words but tossed the fruit between his legs and strode over to the other slaves. Drake thanked her again, and she responded with a short laugh. He then chowed down on the apple, savoring the flavor and the juice. He didn't notice when Raell took the two other slaves with her until the door shut and he was finished with the apple. He'd eaten the whole thing, core, seeds, and all. He then got up and dunked his head in the water bucket, sucking down the water inside.
With his thirst and some of his hunger sated, he got up to look through the bars. His legs shook and his shoulders ached, but he already felt a lot better. He peeked out of the stall, and saw the two slaves harnessing two big horses. Raell was out of site, but from the speed and fearful expressions the Devon and Riley worked with he was sure she was nearby. He looked down at the latch on the door, and felt his heart sink as he realized it was locked shut. Deciding nothing could be done and he might as well relax, he went back over to the water bucket and sat down.
After about a half hour Drake heard the door open- he had dozed off waiting. He sprung up, feeling strength returning to his muscles. Raell stood in the door, staring at him. Too late he realized the rope she'd tied around his neck earlier was next to the door. He'd tried to get if off his neck, but the knots were too complicated and tight for him to get them undone. Now she had the end of his rope-leash and hauled on it. He stumbled forward, once again surprised by her strength. She was two thirds his size and weight yet she had no issue yanking him around. Choking, he moved towards her, and stopped only when she raised the whip in her other hand.
"Put your arms behind your back."
He obeyed, eyeing the whip and remembering the whip cuts across Riley's back. She stepped behind him, and in that second he bolted. He was out of the stall and running in seconds, glad that the rope around his neck had not been tied to anything, and that she had held it so loosely. He blasted past the men and the wagon, and was headed down the dirt road as fast as his feet could carry him. He had almost hit the tree line when his calf was hit by something.
He went down hard, screaming at the sudden pain in his leg. Had he been shot? Looking down at his leg, he saw a hole on either side of his calf. He then noticed the silver metal shard floating next to him. It looked like a broad head arrow, and had a silvery nimbus surrounding it as it floated. He realized the wound in his leg was from the shard. He looked up and saw Raell walking towards him, an ice cold smile on her face. He began to struggle backwards, but stopped when she flicked her fingers and the shard floated over to his shoulder and pressed against it, pricking him.
"So you want to run, huh? You'll be doing lots of running now, I promise you. Arms out in front."
He complied, aware of the blood pooling around his leg. She tied his arms together, then grabbing the leash and the rope to his arms she ordered him to stand.
"Are you crazy? I have a big gaping wound in my leg! I can't stand!" He replied.
Raell looked at him coldly, then started walking. Drake yelled as she reached the length of his ties and he was dragged along.
"I'll get up. I'll get up!"
She didn't stop walking, and Drake was forced to attempt to stumble to his feet. His jeans were being shredded and his shirt was torn. When she reached the barn she tied him to the wagon, and marched over to the other two slaves.
"Are the horses ready to go?"
