‘Land must be somewhere close,’ Karl thought and his heart soared. He looked around for any sign but found it hard to focus, so he rested a moment, and then tried again. It took a few minutes, but finally from the crest of a wave he spotted land close, not even half a league away.
“Prince,” Karl croaked, barely above a whisper. “Land.” Gwaynn did not respond as Karl began to kick weakly, trying to steer them to salvation.
“Prince…” He said again, this time even softer than the last time. Gwaynn still made no move, and Karl gave up, not having the strength to continue. He just kicked and kicked, sometimes catching sight of the land growing closer, but mostly he just kicking mindlessly. Without thought he continued to swim, finally hearing the breakwater, knowing they were getting very close. He was not aware of how close until the waves began to lift them higher, and suddenly the surf flipped Gwaynn off the raft and threw Karl head over heals, tearing the planking free of his grip. Karl struggled to right himself underwater, and was surprised when his feet touched sand. He pushed off and shot to the surface just in time for the next wave to crash into him; it sent him reeling once more. When he finally managed to surface again, he looked first for the next wave and somehow managed to ride over the top of it, then he frantically looked about for Gwaynn. He spotted the boy’s light skin not far away. He was face down in the sea. Karl fought his way to him, exhausted, catching him just as the next wave struck them. Karl held on, however and with what strength he had left, tried to guide them both to land. The waves helped, pushing them up until finally the big man was able to crawl more than swim his way up onto the beach. He pulled Gwaynn up after him, and with a final titanic effort drew them both out of the water and as far up on the beach as he could manage before he collapsed from the effort and was still.
ǂ
Far to the south, in the former Capital City of the Massi, King Arsinol Deutzani was not amused.
“The Rattan just returned to port; the Captain is reporting the Calais is missing at sea as well as the Londalay,” Ja Brude, the King’s advisor said entering the former throne room of the Massi royal family. He glanced curiously at the three suspended women hanging from a hastily erected scaffold in the center of the room. All three were completely naked and Ja’s first impression was that the one on the far right could not rightly be called a woman. But after closer inspection he saw that though she was indeed young, she was clearly not a child. She was thin, much too thin, with underdeveloped breasts and nearly straight hips. Her body was closer to that of a young boy than a woman, except of course for the genitalia. Ja Brude kept his face carefully neutral as he gazed at her. She was built exactly to the King’s liking.
“The boy has escaped,” Arsinol stated, letting his anger rise, which did not bode well for the Massi women before him, but of course, they were unaware of the danger.
“That is far from certain,” Ja answered, his eyes lingering on the naked bodies of the three before him. The thin woman’s breasts were small, really not much more than nipples and he paid them no mind. His taste did not follow along the lines of his King’s, rather his attention remained fixed on the full breasts of the woman in the center. She was older, though far from old, perhaps thirty, perhaps not, but her breasts were large and swayed as she moved however slightly. Her head hung down so that her face was hidden beneath a swath of black hair, but her hips were wide and her thighs had a milky softness which made her dark triangle of pubic hair stand out all the more. Ja felt a surge from his groin. The King would not choose that one, he was sure. Perhaps, with a bit of persuading, she could be saved just for him, after all what was the fun of conquering new lands without a little rape… a little pillage.
“The storm was a bad one, and it seems unlikely that the Londalay could have survived, she being lighter and less able to handle high surf than our large war ships,” Ja said never taking his eyes from the center girl.
“No,” Arsinol said standing; the eyes of the women tied before him rose in unison, hoping for pity, hoping for mercy, but they saw none in his eyes as he picked the horsewhip from the table. “My heart tells me he has survived. I’ve given my youngest daughter to the High King in exchange for the destruction of the Massi. They must be killed…all of them. There must be proof.”
Ja shrugged. He knew the King doted on the Princess Audra, who, admittedly, was very beguiling for one so young. But even Arsinol must admit that he received a very good price for her, beauty or no. Brude’s attention went back to the hanging women and he unconsciously licked his lips, watching as the three sets of feminine eyes followed the whip in the King’s hand, much like a cornered rodent eyes an approaching snake.
“And Navarra will be laid up for at least a month from his injuries,” the King added as he moved in front of women, becoming excited by the fear freely displayed on their faces. “Injuries caused by Massi treachery,” he added then slowly moved behind the prisoners, taking in the pale plump backsides of the two on the left and the small tight one on the far right. He studied that one, hips narrow. His view was disrupted as the young woman, her curiosity and fear getting the best of her, turned to look back at him.
“Eyes front!” he yelled and lashed out at her, the whip leaving a bright red slash across the lower half of her small globes. The woman cried out in surprise and fear, her breath hissing through her lips as the pain began to spread. Arsinol smiled. Yes, she would be the one for tonight, he thought and with the decision made, concentrated the whip on the center woman, and the one on her left. Their cries rang out in the large hall as stroke after stroke fell. Ja watched avidly, as the two attempted to avoid the lash, but their range of movement was limited. There was no escape for them.
Fifteen minutes later they both hung limp and silent, blood running from numerous cuts, most of which were on their buttocks, but a few were on their lower backs and upper thighs. The girl on the right continued to whimper, waiting for the lash to visit her again. Arsinol watched her as she steadfastly remained looking forward. He smiled to himself. She would do. Then he swung the whip just one more time and slashed across her upper thighs. She screamed in surprise and waited fearfully for more, but the King took his knife and cut her from the scaffold. He pulled her out of the room and to his private chambers without another word. Ja waited until he was gone then moved to the women left standing. He placed his hand on the left breast of the woman he favored, lifting it slightly to feel it’s weight. She remained frozen, head down, though he could tell from her breathing that she was still in quite a bit of pain. He cut her down. He would take her from behind so he could see the welts.
“Give her to the men,” he said, indicating the lone woman left standing. The two remaining guards looked at each other and then back to the woman and smiled.