"Wow. You're already a Level 14, with six player kills," Joss said. "How are you still +2 to Light?"
Asha gasped, quickly checking her stats to discover Joss was correct. She knew Dukk as an Immortal, and she killed him. Apparently she killed more players among the goblins. She lost one point towards Light, as well.
"Well, we were ambushed by a lot of bad guys," she said. "I didn't realize I'd actually killed players, but one of them got lucky." She shrugged, trying to act all unconcerned. "And there may have been some players among the goblins."
They regarded her with mercenary eyes. A chill ran up Asha's spine. Except for Deidra, they were all very Dark characters.
"Come on," Krakus said, placing his massive hand at the small of her back and ushering Asha into their midst. "We're burning daylight. I want to reach Oxenbluff today so I can get drunk."
They slotted Asha in between Coop and Joss, with Deidra and Krakus coming next. The sorceress would rather walk with the other elfmaid, but Joss wouldn't let her drop back.
What's their game? Asha wondered. It can't be good.
"Hi, Deidra," she called.
"Hi."
Nothing else. Her expression didn't change. It was like the ranger was in a daze.
"Poor thing's not feeling well," Joss said, and then suppressed a giggle. "We captured her yesterday and are taking her back to Oxenbluff to collect the bounty."
"Bounty? Deidra's a criminal?"
"Yep," Krakus said. "And we're bounty hunters." He tousled Deidra's hair like she was a small child. "This pretty little thing's going to bring us five silver shekels."
Asha slanted a sharp look back at the ork warrior. That was the price the goblins said she'd bring as a slave in Oxenbluff. The reward for Deidra's capture was the same amount she'd bring if sold to a slaver? And the bounty hunters were all very Dark?
"What did she do? What is her crime?"
Joss shrugged, but Krakus answered. "Who cares? If you got a bounty on your head, we'll hunt you down and take you back to face justice."
"What if she's innocent?"
"That's not for us to determine," Coop said.
Joss pressed up behind Asha, snaking an arm around the sorceress' waist. Asha's breath caught at the feel of Joss' rough hand sliding across her bare belly. The witch's hot breath tickled her ear. The icy cold of Dark magic flowed out of the witch's hand and made Asha's belly clench.
The elven sorceress pushed that hand away.
"What's the matter, sweetie?" Joss asked. "Is there a bounty on your head in Oxenbluff, too? Like from that fight where you killed so many men?"
Her blood froze. Asha couldn't breathe for a long moment as her mind spun. If they turned her over to the authorities, then Rudolf would get his vengeance. How would they punish her? Death? Branding was common in the middle-ages. Since slavery was legal, she might be either sold as a slave or given to Rudolf.
"It was self-defense," Asha said, but her voice came out tight and strained.
Getting away from them became paramount. Asha never felt comfortable around them, in this realm or the previous. She should've listened to her instincts and declined to join their troupe. Leaving them now would appear she feared a bounty on her head in town, which would make them capture her outright.
Asha glanced back at Deidra and noticed something she hadn't before. A silvery collar, about the diameter of her pinky finger, encircled Deidra's neck. Runes were worked into the silver, declaring it a magical object.
They've captured and entranced her with the collar. Asha slowly sucked in a deep, steadying breath. The ranger appeared to be a much more powerful player than her, so it was possible for the bounty hunters to capture her, too. I'm having the worst luck in this realm.
Their progress was painfully slow. Apparently the collar's magic forced Deidra to walk slowly, and they were only as fast as their slowest member. The others were surprisingly unconcerned, though it aggravated Asha.
The paladin stopped at a creek crossing. There was a fallen tree to sit on, and some berry bushes.
"Let's take a short break here," Coop said. He took Asha's hand and guided her to the downed tree, insisting she sit. He leaned in and whispered. "Joss is off to get some berries, so we can talk."
Krakus was drinking from the creek, while Deidra just stood where she stopped. Asha doubted the ranger was tired. Actually, considering their pace, she doubted any of them were tired.
"Is there anything wrong?"
Coop nodded, looking past her at Joss' back. "Joss doesn't like you. At all. She's being all nice now, but that'll only last until you say or do something to piss her off."
"I'll play nice," Asha said. He motioned her in closer. She leaned into him until their heads almost touched. "What?"
"There's something else you really need to know, and you aren't going to like it," he whispered almost too low to hear.
Asha leaned in a little closer when he paused, looking a little worried. Her heart started pounding and it became harder to breathe. What did he have to warn her about that frightened him so much?
"It's Joss," he said, taking both of her hands into his. "She's right behind you with a slave collar."
"Huh?"
It was too late. Coop's grip on her hands tightened, holding her firmly. Joss laughed as she swept Asha's hair aside, and slipped an open metal collar around her neck. As soon as it snapped shut the sorceress felt the magic flowing into her.
"No, no, no!"
She tried to break free, but Joss wrapped her arms around the elfmaid to help hold her still. Asha struggled, but the magic was numbing her mind, making it harder and harder to think. The fight slowly melted away, and Asha felt a calmness flow over her.
Once she ceased all struggles, the paladin and witch released her. Joss lifted Asha's chin, forcing the sorceress to look up at her. The witch giggled.
"Damn, she fought the collar harder than Deidra," Coop said. "That thing is too weak, Joss. We need to spend some money on better quality Subjugation Collars."
The witch ignored him. She only had eyes for Asha. Joss looked the beautiful elven sorceress over with relish, eyes bright and eager.
"I've wanted to do something bad to you since the moment I met your stuck up ass," Joss said. She leaned down and kissed Asha on the corner of the mouth. "You are my slave, Asha. I own you, and that collar will force you to obey my every whim."
"Yes. I am yours to command. What is your wish, mistress?"
Chapter 22
They made good time and reached Knaresburg a good two hours before noon. The surrounding farmlands were easily five times that of Oxenbluff. Killum even saw another village and an expansive area cleared for agriculture on the other side of the river. He counted three villages on his side of the river, each atop a small hill. All of the villages had wooden palisades protecting them. There was no shantytown to speak of outside the city walls.