With a sharp kick to her right side Maeva was jolted awake from a restless sleep. She tried to reach her hands over to assess the pain that was coursing its way up her abdomen, and was quickly reminded of the coarse rope binding around her wrists. She tried to pull against it, assessing the knot, and was reminded of the painful burns it left in it's wake. Suddenly a large hand was gripping her upper arm and pulling her to her feet clumsily.
" You're coming with me pretty. We need our nights entertainment." A menacing voice coming from the large figure of what she could only assume was a man dragging her out of the cages exclaimed. These words instilled a fear in her that she had never felt before. It clung to her throat and dried her tongue. Maeva was terrified for the first time in her life. The man ripped her into the cold air where he was illuminated by the light of the full moon.
He stood about a foot and a half taller than she. The dark skin of his face, neck, chest and upper arms was covered in a thick black hair. The mane on top of his head came to the nape of his neck in a greasy gathering riddled with knots. His broad shoulders, protected by a matted shirt lathered in blood and grime, led down to a massive muscled stomach, which stretched over the dirty shirt. Had he been clean and groomed, he may have been a decent looking man. He leaned into her and rubbed his nose up her cheek and down her neck holding her in place with hands bigger than her head. Trying to pull away was useless, so she held a determined stoic stance.
" You're in for a treat tonight my love." He darkly chuckled as he rose, lewdly rubbing his groin. Despite her strong demeanor she blanched. " Oh deary, don't you dare worry. You'll get more than just me tonight, and I won't even be the worst of it. At least when I have my way with you I'll get you to squeal a bit!" With this he picked her up and threw her over his shoulder. Her tied hands hung lamely down his back and her chest heaved uncomfortably against his shoulder blade. Before she had time to assess her situation he struck her backside with a sharp clap. She yelped in surprise at this salacious act. " See! Already making you cry out. The boys are going to love that."
He took his huge lumbering steps toward the bright bonfire in the distance. With every step her body swayed making it difficult for her to breath. Her ears let in the boisterous voices of the men mixed with the shrieks of women. Was her voice to be added to the group? The light of the bonfire of the first camp they approached began to light up her face. Her soft ringlets matted with the dirt of the cages shone a dark ominous orange. While her eyes adjusted to the light of the fire, faces of strange men became visible. Each face was equally horrifying. They were faces that had seen months of unspeakable violence and hardship. Yet they were all smiling. Some smirked and admired her form as she was carried by while others already had their hands in their pants preparing for what was sure to be her ruin. The man carrying her stopped and quickly dropped her. Without warning she fell and hit the ground hard without the benefit of her hands to protect her fall. A low laugh rumbled through the crowd of men who had been waiting for her.
Mavea propped herself up on her wrists and struggled to push herself into a kneeling position. " You can just stay like that woman, if that's how to want to start the night." A face yelled from the circle. More laughter followed. She grimaced and stood slowly, raising her shoulders and adjusting her head so that it sat high in the air. She would not give them the satisfaction of hearing her plead for mercy or show fear. She stood tough and resigned, her eyes pretending not to assess the immediate danger that she was in. The group closed in tighter as the man who carried her began to speak.
" Gentlemen, today we have a lovely beauty off the shores of dear old Ireland- the country that cannot stand on its own! Give us a spin my love." As he spoke these words he pulled her bound hands over her head, chaffing her wrists even further, and spinning her in a circle. Some men began to cheer and clap, others just darkened their gaze. The man holding her stopped her abruptly and pulled her flush against his body, her backside to his front. He gripped her hands above her head with one of his and slowly trailed his other hand down the length of her body- over her breasts, curving down her waist, out over her hips and ended with a firm grasp on her bottom. He did this all while moving his hips suggestively grinding against her.
"Men, she is ready for us, and she feels so good." He hissed through his teeth.
At this he folded her out from against his body letting her hand go and catapulting her into the group of men. All at once hands were grabbing her everywhere. Her mind was in a frenzy attempting to adapt to the experience she was going through. A bear of a man grabbed the neck of her dress and tore it roughly from her body. She heard the deafening tear and immediately attempted to cover her now visible corslette but to no avail. Her breasts heaved indecently as she attempted to catch her breath as the many hands continued to pull at her torn gown. She braced herself against the tugs at her limbs and clothing attempting to keep her dress around her ankles where it should stay. The man who brought her into this mess boomed across the group "Alright lads, let me have a go at this beauty." The tugging stopped and she slumped to the ground suddenly exhausted from the attack on her body, her chastity. He stalked towards her slowly gyrating his hips, his fingers deftly undoing his belt and the top button of his pants. Once he reached her he pulled her into a kneeling position and leaned down so they were face to face.
" Listen to me pet, you will survive longer if you cooperate. Be a nice girl, make me happy." He rose to a standing position and began to let his pants drop when there was a sudden- and welcomed- interruption.
" Eleazer, you wouldn't be doing anything you should not be doing now would you?" The voice was deep and smooth. It was spoken in with a calmness that radiated authority. She could not yet see the face of this man because he was standing with his back to the fire. He appeared only in silhouette. Eleazar's face went stark as he struggled to hold his pants up and do his belt. "Why no, my liege, just having a bit of fun...uh...some of the men and I, we, we needed to relieve ourselves"
" With whom, might I ask?"
" An Irish lass we took this morning. No one of importance, sir."
" Well, Eleazer, while I do understand the needs of man," the crowd chuckled " I must remind you that I pay a pretty penny to hire plenty of loose women for my men, you included."
"I know sire, we just, well, wanted a bit of fresh meat so-to-speak. Like I said, just an Irish lass. Quite a beauty too. I believe that James captured her up along the coast of the town we pillaged this morning walking by herself."
At this the mystery man bent his head to the side to get a look at the young woman on the ground. Her flaming red hair was whipped around in a frenzied mess, curling around her neck and falling to her shoulders. Her dress, roughly torn, hung limply from her shoulders, which he noticed were pushed back in a defiant position. The ivory lace of her corslette laced with an ivory ribbon up her delicate, small waist to her breast and lined her full bosom, emphasizing every ragged breath she took. The ribbon lacing in the front of the corset was undone and the opening led several inches down her chest, but the effects of the corset had not been lost. Her breasts thrust upwards and together forming a delicate, but alluring, cleavage. He had never seen this type of undergarment on a woman before, seeing as it belonged to only the wealthy and he usually wasted his time with women less fortunate, and more accessible. He scanned back up to her face and was only able to take in the fierce blue eyes he met there. They radiated pride and sparkled against the flame of the fire.
" I see. Did any of you think to notice anything before you ravaged this woman? Anything at all?" The man asked with his hands out in front of him open. He swiveled around to get a look at the motley crew. "Hmm? Anything?...No...Okay..." He walked towards Maeva and held his hand out. She took it cautiously and he helped her to her feet.
" A corslette. She is wearing a corslette. Do any of the typical peasant women you romp around with wear one of these?" The group of men looked dumbly back at him. He continued. " And the material of her dress, the gold trimmings, the lace alone. She clearly is some sort of nobility." She looked at the group with hard eyes that chastised them for their attempt to dishonor her. The man turned from the group and looked her once over pausing at her eyes. It was the second time they met. He held her gaze while he spoke his next words slowly, "a noble woman is always taken to my chambers."
Maeva's calm demeanor vanished in that one second. He studied her furrowed brow and his lips curled into what she perceived to be a wicked grin. The men cheered and whooped, egging the mystery man on. He turned and made his way back in the direction he came from.
" Bring her to my quarters." He ordered, his authoritative voice echoing in her ears. So this is what was to become of her? She was to be defiled by a man after he rescued her from a hoard. What was stopping him from discarding her after he finished with her? The questions flashed through her mind. She was unaware but Eleazer had grabbed the ropes on her wrists and began to lead her after her savior. Maeva walked limply after, her feet tripping over every bump. He dragged her along faster than she could keep up. He stopped at the opening of a large tent. It looked as if it was two rooms.
"Well sweet, looks like you won't go to waste after all. Enjoy your time, you won't be having much fun in the morning." He growled. Clearly Eleazer was bitter that he had to give her up to his superior. " I'll have my way with you one way or another." He ran his tongue over his lips, the jagged, rotten teeth of his smile showing menacingly. Shoving her through the tent opening he took one final grope of her backside. She stumbled forward into the tent of the man.
She took in her surroundings. The tent, indeed, did have two rooms. In the room she was standing in there was a large table with papers strewn about. In the corner there was a suit of armor and heavy weaponry- a sword, a knife, spear and a shield. These items glowed in the flame of the fire, which was burning slowly under a hole in the roof of the tent meant for letting out smoke. There were oil lamps set about the room lighting it slightly, however only a dim glow emanated through the room. Turning her neck to peer into the second room she realized it was lined with a tent flap pulled up acting almost like a doorway. From her vantage point she could see what she could only assume was a makeshift bed of some sort. It was large and covered in various animal hides and heavy blankets. This was not exactly a place of comfort, however it was better than the cages.
" I do apologize for the behavior of my men tonight. You must understand that it has been a while since they were in the presence of a woman like you." The voice startled her. She hadn't seen anyone in the tent with her. Upon inspecting the area closer she saw the mystery man walking from the shadow of the tent wall behind her. Had he been observing her this whole time? She did not respond. Instead she looked ahead away from this man and stared at the table.
