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The boy crawled across the meadow toward the old barn, ignoring the wetness of the dew-soaked grass. The pre-dawn light had turned everything a dark, blurry gray and he hurried forward, intent on the destination, rather than the awkward posture of his stalk, or the scurrying rushes from one place of concealment to another. Under the circumstances, he knew that speed, rather than stealth, was his friend and he flitted from shadow to shadow as he moved deeper into the farm hold. His homespun tunic and breeches were stained with both moisture and dirt, but he paid the conditions of his clothing little mind as he darted from the stone fence line to the stable’s wall. The structure in front of him was familiar enough; he’d been inside it on more than one occasion, under similar questionable circumstances, and he knew which of the boards was loose. He grasped a rusty nail sticking out from the wood, swinging the loose slat aside. After that, it was easy to squirm through the gap into the darkened interior.
The opening let out into an empty, straw filled stall and he felt, rather than heard, the presence of the various animals owned by a farmer named Evan Coleson. The man himself was not rich, at least not by the standards of the kingdom, but he owned a plow horse and a cow, and there were the usual pigs, chickens, and goats on the far side of the property. Grain was stored in plenty, and the hay pile was thick and full. Various iron implements: rakes and hoes and even a sharp scythe hung neatly from hooks along one wall.
But the boy was no thief and ignored the tools.
Knowing he had only minutes, he hurried across the barn, past the pile of hay, and tucked himself opposite, burrowing into a crevasse between two crates. The dark shadows hid him perfectly and short of a lantern stuck into his face, there was no way anyone would see him. He could see the light growing through one of the open windows of the barn and knew it was almost time. He bit his lip, trying to control his excitement and he shifted uncomfortably as his body keyed in expectation. Then his ears caught the faint tones of her humming as she skipped down the garden path.
She came just as the first rays of light streamed golden over the horizon and the boy caught sight of her as she crossed the yard between the cottage and the barn. She was only a few months younger than him, having reached her naming day only a span or so behind his. The boy’s breath caught in his throat as he was once again overwhelmed by the sheer beauty of the girl. Her dark curls fell in ringlets down around her shoulders and the heart-shaped curve of chin and cheek were enough to make the boy’s pulse quicken. More impressively, she was shapely too, with full curves that belonged not to a young girl, but a grown woman in her prime. She wore a bleached, white cotton blouse that did little to hide the impressive rondure of her bosom, and the folds of her dark blue skirt swirled around her bare ankles. She swung a bucket from her hand, singing to herself softly as she entered the barn, and the whickering greeting of the plough horse and the concurrent snort of the milk cow made it clear that the boy wasn’t the only one welcoming her presence.
The soft scent of huckleberry suddenly permeated the building and the boy realized he was almost panting in excitement. He struggled to hold his breath as she crossed in front of him, her soft leather boots almost within touching distance. Then she turned, her skirts swirling, only to put down the bucket. The boy could tell that there was something in the pail, but he couldn’t see what it was. Besides, he wasn’t really looking at the pail. Instead his eyes were focused solely on her, his heart hammering as he watched her turn in a full circle. With elegant vibrancy, she kicked off her leather sandals, her bare little feet just as perfect as her other attributes. Her arm swept upward, the bottom of her shirt coming up to reveal the smooth expanse of her belly. Tam’s breathing stopped as the shirt kept going up, then up some more, and when the deep bottom curve of her full breasts appeared, the boy couldn’t help letting out a gasp.
If she heard it, she didn’t seem to care, but he doubted that she had. She lifted her shirt until both of her magnificent breasts, pink nipples taut and raised, were in full view. Her fingers teased the rose colored tips, caressing and then pinching the points, eliciting a deep groan from the maiden. She sank down into the hay, supine in the stalks of golden straw. He watched as she played with the delicate tips and he longed to come out, to put his own mouth on those wonderful nubs. Then one of her hands slipped along her bare abdomen, down to her skirts, and pulled the azure folds up. Her legs were smooth and clean and the boy’s eyes followed her hand as she exposed her loins. Her sex was almost completely bare, with only a light blonde down at the apex of her crevice, marking her budding maturity. The pink petals glistened in the soft morning light and her arousal was evident. There were glistening trails along her inner thigh. Her fingers made slow, sensuous circles, caressing the tiny nodule at the top of her slit and the sweet, soft moan of pleasure that escaped from her throat was laced with need.
The boy felt the rock-hard discomfort of his erection pressing against his leg and he reached down to adjust himself, still watching with deft attention as she slipped a finger into her own depths. Her legs opened wide, soft, creamy thighs rippling as she spread herself for Tam, as if she knew the boy was there, watching in fascinated awe. Her eyes closed as she moaned, her body quivering with need and her hand pumped against her sex, thrusting not one but two fingers into her slit. Tam held himself, his fingers tightening around his own organ, as she worked herself into a froth.
But as the boy watched in growing sexual discomposure, the girl had other designs. She let go of her breast and reached over to the bucket. To his shock, she drew an outrageously large cucumber from the container, clearly one of the first yields of her father’s harvest. It was at least a foot long and as thick as the boy’s wrist, and for a moment the boy could only wonder what she wanted the massive vegetable for. She moved it between her legs and the boy’s eyes widened as she rubbed it vigorously against her already soaked folds. The wetness of her sex spread, glistening on the green skin of her makeshift phallus and the boy bit a knuckle as she slid the first few inches of the cucumber deep. Her back arched, an expression of utter satisfaction bringing her lips together, and the sound of the thick, organic rod moving through the sodden and swollen petals of her sex, her hips bucking, her splayed legs trembling, filled the boy’s ears. His own hand stroked silently, yet earnestly and the surge of need as the two of them approached their own solo climaxes was almost as tangible as the air itself.
The girl gasped, her face flushed as wave upon wave of pure bliss crashed through her body, her toes curling as the euphoria of orgasm crested. The boy watched, his own teeth clenched in desperation, a burning heat bursting in his loins. Even as she continued to thrust the full length of the cucumber into herself, her back arching with pleasure, the boy gasped, his granite rod surging, his hand jerking. Across from him, she cried out softly, both hands now between her legs, climaxing a second time as she rubbed frantically at her clit, the cucumber still slipping in and out of her sex. The boy couldn’t control himself any longer. He put a hand over his mouth and felt the eruption of his own seed, squirting out to splatter the side of the crate he was propped against. Across from him, her bare feet twitched, toes curling, until she threw her head back with sigh of satisfaction, drawing the cucumber out of her sex with a languid motion and a guttural groan. The boy could only sit there and watch as she lay back, bringing the slick, green vegetable up to her mouth, licking at it, satisfied and happy.
A desperate noise from the other end of the barn roused her and she sat up, the white cotton of her blouse slipping back downward to cover her breasts. The boy, only somewhat sated, frowned as the perfect mounds of her bosom were concealed. She ran her fingers through her long dark hair, plucking stray pieces of her bedding from her chocolate-colored tresses and she picked up a handful of hay, rubbing it dutifully across her still glistening slit, drying herself of her own juices.
“Alright Butter,” she sighed, tossing the makeshift dildo aside. “I’m coming. I’m coming.” She picked up the bucket, letting it dangle from her fingers. The boy grinned. She certainly had cum, though that wasn’t what she’d meant with her words. The boy knew that she would go to the end of the barn to milk the cow next, and he held still, practically holding his breath as she climbed out of the hay, her skirts falling down to cover the sweetness of her sex. He held still as she swept by him, never looking into the shadows, never knowing about her secret admirer. How would she react knowing that her friend Tam, the boy from the neighboring farm, was spying on her most intimate doings? The boy bit his lip. He wanted to tell her, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. His eyes stayed on the girl until she disappeared into the stall at the end of the barn. He heard her drag the small milking stool into place. She hummed contentedly and the hissing sound of the milk squirting into the steel pail filled the barn. Slowly, Tam stuck his head out of the niche where he was hidden, and seeing that the girl was tucked away with the cow, he crept back to where he’d come in. The board moved with only a tiny squeak and in seconds he was outside.
He resisted the temptation to run, but he knew that in the growing light, the direct route back from the barn to his own parent’s holdings was a poor choice. Farmer Evan would have easily seen him crossing the field, and would have immediately suspected the boy of thieving, or worse. The fact that the boy wished, with all his heart, that he had been taking the place of that cucumber was beside the point. So instead of slinking off across the field, he rounded the outside of the barn, checked the yard, and then darted across to the cottage. There was a miniscule chance that the girl would see him, but that was better than letting her father catch a glimpse. The house was a squat building with stone walls and a thatched roof. Gray smoke curled lazily up from the chimney, a clear indication that Farmer Evan’s wife was already at work. He ducked down, the shutters of the kitchen window on the side of the building open, and he began to crawl, heading toward the gully and stream at the back of the farm. But even with the shutters closed, the boy could hear Enna’s voice, clearly upset, and he paused, curious.
“I don’t give a damn about the Rift, Evan! Or the kingdom for that matter. I don’t want Kari even being considered!” Enna said, her voice strained. She sounded fraught with worry. And the boy could easily imagine Evan, Kari’s father, wrapping his arms around his wife.
“I know, Enna. I know. I don’t want her considered either. But the reeve keeps a list. When we entered her name on the rolls, we had no way of knowing. If I don’t take her, they will check with the townsmen and know. We have no choice.”
“There is always a choice,” Enna stated. “We could leave.”
“And go where?” Evan asked. “This is where our land is. I’m a farmer, Enna. We don’t have anything to pack up and take with us.”
“We would still have Kari,” Enna whispered. The boy could hear the agony in her voice and pictured tears running down Enna’s face.
Evan sighed and there was quiet sobbing. “Enna, it’s the law. The King made an agreement.” Kari’s father said. “Besides, there will be two or three dozen other girls. Only one boy and one girl from each district goes. The likelihood of Kari being sent is about as high as Tam being selected. Less even.”
The boy froze when he heard his own name spoken and his eyes widened. Selected? What did Farmer Evan mean? Tam lifted his head and peeked through the window. Enna was wrapped in her husband’s arms, tears streaming down his face.
“Arvard has much more to be worried about,” Evan said softly. “There are only half a dozen boys for this year. Tam’s odds of being picked are much, much worse than Kari’s.”
Enna sniffed. “Is that supposed to make me feel better?” She demanded. “The one and only young man in the entire area with whom my daughter has befriended?”
Tam swallowed. Enna shook her head and pushed her husband away. “I don’t want her going.”
Evan sighed again and this time sat down at the table. He put his head in his hands. “The king…” he began to say.
Enna snorted in derision. “King Leonid!” She sneered. “How come his own daughter wasn’t sent?” demanded Kari’s mother. Evan looked up.
“She is the same age as Kari. You know that. And she will be assuredly stand with the others of her district. And maybe even be selected!” He frowned. “You don’t like the options, Enna. I understand that. But if we run, they will send the guard after us. And then we’ll lose everything. The farm. Each other. Even Kari.”
The farmer took a deep breath. “I’ve got to get the wagon loaded. No point in making a trip to town if we can’t sell off some of the first harvest. Besides, I’ve agreed to meet Arvard and his son two candle marks after dawn. We’ll head into town. All four of us. Then we’ll endure the culling. And then I will be home, with Kari.”
Tam stiffened. All four of them? He cursed softly, under his breath. An awful realization struck him. If he and his father were supposed to meet Evan and Kari in just two candle marks, he was going to be missed, and soon! He backed away from the house and hurried down into the gully, never seeing the dark-haired beauty staring up at him from the barn with a knowing smile.
When Tam arrived back at his homestead, his father was not happy.
“Where the devil have you been, boy?” Arvard demanded, standing there with his fists on his hips. The man gave his son a stern look. “What are you up to?”
Tam swallowed. There was no way he could confess to what he’d heard at Farmer Evan’s house, not without having to explain what he was doing a mile and a half away. Instead he looked down at his feet.
“Sorry Pa,” he muttered. “Looking for berries.”
Arvard sighed, some of his irritation fading. “Hope you found some, boy. I’ve loaded the wagon for a trip to town. Go on in and give your mother a kiss goodbye.”
Tam’s eyebrow went up. It was unusual for his father to be welcoming of such expressions. “Yes sir. And I’ll wash up.”
Arvard’s hand shot down and grabbed Tam’s arm, squeezing in desperation and the look of panic on Arvard’s face scared Tam.
“No!” He blurted out, an almost frightened look on his face. “Tam,” he said, pausing, blinking tears out of his eyes. “You look… you look fine. You’re just going to get dirty again when we have to unload the cart.”
Tam stared at his father, totally shocked. Arvard let him go, then looked down at the ground. “Now go in and say goodbye to your mother.”
Tam backed away and then hurried into the house. His mother was in the kitchen, her face blotchy and red. She hugged him, then handed him a parcel full of food.
“It’s all your favorites,” she whispered. “Come home to me.”
The boy suddenly felt like crying. “Mother… what is the culling?” He asked. She gasped, eyes widening.
“I can’t!” She said, her voice breaking. She shook her head and burst into tears. Then Arvard came back into the house. He looked at mother and son.
“Let’s go boy. Times a wastin’,” Arvard said. Tam reached out and squeezed his mother and she wrapped her arms around him in a bear hug. They didn’t say anything, but then when his father coughed once more, she let him go.
It didn’t take them long to get the horse hitched to the wagon and just a few minutes later Tam found himself sitting on top of almost a dozen burlap sacks of potatoes, watching his home disappear behind them. It took them only twenty minutes to make it to the junction in the road and when he heard the welcoming nicker of another horse, he twisted round and caught sight of Kari.
She sat next to her father, as gorgeously pretty as she had been that morning. She still wore the simple homespun shirt and her blue dyed skirt covered her legs, but Tam stared at her with a hunger that was difficult to describe. In fact, it was the necessity of adjusting his pants that made him look away from her steady gaze.
“Evan,” his father said to Kari’s, pulling on the reins and stopping the cart. “Ready?”
Kari’s father nodded. “I suppose. You lead?”
Arvard nodded and snapped the leathers. The old horse snorted and began moving. Arvard’s cart rolled past and Tam couldn’t help twisting back around to stare at Kari as Evan moved in behind them. She looked at him intently, eyes glittering and the wicked smile on her face made Tam suddenly self-conscious. Did she know that he’d been creeping into her barn each morning to watch her? Finally it became too much and he felt his face reddening, guilt showing on his cheeks and he looked away. The creaking of the wagon wheels filled Tam’s ears and he settled back, thinking back to the amazing view he’d witnessed that morning. Part of him wished that he could walk with her, or sit with her, but as he remembered the soft curves of her bare skin, he found himself drifting in a fantasy, with Kari wrapped in his arms, their bodies entwined. It didn’t help that when he looked back up at her, her eyes were staring straight at him.
Tam had been to town a few times before, the last being at the end of harvest the previous year. Evan pulled off to the right, heading for the market and Arvard followed behind. It only took the two farmers a few minutes to sell their small loads. When it was done, Arvard spoke quietly to Evan, who nodded.
“Come on, boy,” Arvard said, climbing back up into the wagon.
“Where we going, Da?” Tam said, feeling a sense of disappointment. He had hoped to stay near Kari. She gave him a little wave as Evan’s got his own cart moving.
“We’ve a quick errand to run,” Arvard replied. He twisted the reins the other direction.
Arvard threaded the empty cart down several streets, moving into a poorer, and seedier area of the town. Tam had never been there and looked around. The streets were littered with debris and there was a sickly sweet smell that seemed to permeate the air. Arvard stopped in front of a small shop. The building itself, jammed between the other shops, was odd. There was no sign, the windows were darkened and shuddered, and the place made Tam’s skin crawl.
“Come on,” Arvard said simply, getting down from the wagon. Tam followed after his father and entered the building.
There was very little light inside the little shop and the feeling of wrongness increased. The ceiling was low, clearly indicating a second floor and a staircase in the far corner created a dark abscess where the light from a strange yellow crystal, hanging from the ceiling couldn’t penetrate. The floor was stained, wooden planks that had been sanded by the passing of feet, rather than craftsmanship. Tam looked around, trying to figure out what the place was selling, but there was nothing on display. Just a wooden counter that seemed to separate most of the room.
“Welcome, welcome,” came a voice. An old woman appeared behind the counter, stepping into the light. Her eyes flickered from Tam to Arvard and she nodded knowingly. Without another word, she brought out a strange looking amulet. Hung on nothing more than a piece of rough string, it looked like some sort of spiked seed pod, about the size of a blueberry. Arvard approached the counter and looked down at the item.
“Does it work?” He asked carefully.
The old lady smiled. “Do you know the cost?” She asked.
Arvard swallowed and nodded. “I do.” He put his left arm on the counter, as well as a small leather bag that jingled. Tam watched curiously as the woman opened the bag and looked through it. Then she poured the contents into her hand.
Tam’s eyes widened. “Da!” He exclaimed, as more money than he’d ever seen in his life landed in the woman’s palm. Gold glittered in the lamp light, then disappeared as she hurriedly pocketed the sum.
“Hush Tam,” Arvard said, leaving his bare forearm on the counter. “I’ve been saving specifically for this day.” The old woman laughed, bringing out a small tray from under the counter. A lancet, a small bowl, and a roll of linen bandage sat on the surface.
“Look away,” the old woman advised. “This won’t take long. I’m not taking much.” She picked up the lancet as Arvard turned his head. He grimaced as the old woman used the tool and placed the bowl under the freshly opened wound.
Tam gave his father a frightened look as his father bled. ‘Da? What is going on?”
Arvard shook his head. “Just… just… it’s nothing. Okay? I’m fine. Alright? Just… wait over there, in the corner.” He gestured with his free arm.
Tam stepped back, a worried look on his father. Arvard’s blood looked very dark, but Tam realized that there wasn’t very much of it. He crossed his arms and leaned back against the wall, only to see something glitter in the dark storage area under the staircase. There had been a flash of red, a reflection from the light. Curious, he moved a little closer, eyes narrowing. His eyes began to adjust to the light, but before he could truly see, hands reached out and grabbed hold of him.
Tam cried out and Arvard jerked as the old woman let out a mild curse. “No, you fool. Stay!” She grabbed his hand and forced his arm back over the bowl. Then she hurried around the counter toward Tam, her hand holding the lamp.
“Let him go, Karla! He’s not for you!” The old woman hissed. She raised her hand and there was a sharp cry from the darkness. Tam twisted as the hands released him and he backed away, almost stumbling. In the niche beneath the stairs there was a woman. An incredibly beautiful woman with strange gray skin, black hair, and long, pointed fingernails. Tam gasped, his eyes widening as he realized the woman wasn’t wearing very much. A simple ragged and torn band of material across her bosom and an even shorter wrap around her loins. Tam saw a pink flash, glistening in the light and he felt himself harden in response, taking in the details. That was when he noticed that her arms and legs were covered in thousands of tiny scratches, some still appearing to be open wounds, oozing blood slowly. Leather bands around her throat, both wrists, and even her ankles, sported crimson colored gems. Tam’s mouth gaped when he realized the girl was chained to the wall. She put a hand down between her legs, just like Kari had done that morning, and with a groan, slid two fingers into her own sex, thrusting desperately.
The old woman grabbed Tam and pulled him away. “No harm done? Right?” She said with a pleased voice? “Not bleeding anywhere?” She asked, running her hand up and down his arms, checking. “She didn’t bite you?”
Tam shook his head and the old woman smiled. “Go to the counter. By your father. We’re ready for you anyway.”
Tam nodded and glanced back toward the woman under the stairs. She had moved back into the shadows, sitting and pleasuring herself.
“That’s enough,” the old woman said, grabbing the bandage and putting it on Arvard. “Press here. Hard.” Arvard, whose face had gone a little pale, grabbed hold of the bandaged wound and pressed. The old woman unraveled a long length of linen and tied it off. “There,” she said. “I recommend drinking and eating soon.” Then she took the tray, pulled it off to the side, and picked up the spiked amulet. Tam watched in curiosity as the woman muttered a strange incantation over the amulet, then dipped the entire thing into his father’s blood.
There was a surge of… of something. Tam couldn’t describe it. It was like some invisible power had just passed through him. Then the old woman pulled the amulet away from Arvard’s blood and the entire spiked pendant had changed color into a dark black. She set the pendant on the counter and pulled the tray away, setting it back down out of sight. When her hands came back up, she had a stick in her hand, a crimson stone that matched the ones embedded in the captive girl’s cuffs and collar, set on the end.
Arvard looked at the red stone. “Is that…'' he was about to ask, but the old woman moved her hand quickly and pressed the stone against Arvard’s arm. Tam’s father gasped, then stiffened, then groaned.
“Da?” Tam asked, even more worried. But then Arvard’s eyes cleared and he looked over his shoulder toward the dark niche where Karla was chained.
The old woman pulled the stone away. “Satisfied?” She asked.
Arvard reacted just as much to not being touched as he had to having the stone against his skin. He nodded. “The amulet?”
The old woman picked it up and held it out, not to Arvard, but to Tam. “Put it on,” she ordered. Tam glanced at his father, who nodded. The boy took the pendant and slipped it on over his head.
“It has to be against your skin. Under your shirt,” the old woman said.
Tam blinked. “But the spikes!” He complained. The old woman nodded.
“They’re for a purpose. It won’t be comfortable. But the magic will protect you. Do it and I will show you,” she said, gesturing with the stone she’d touched to Tam’s father. Frowning, Tam slipped the amulet under his shirt. It didn’t hurt, but it scratched at his skin, right above his sternum. Then the old woman touched the stone to Tam. He felt a quick sting on his chest, but then it went away. Tam looked up at his father. “Am I supposed to feel something?” He asked in bewilderment.
Arvard let out a laugh, suddenly very happy. He nodded. “If the amulet hadn’t worked, you’d already be heading over to that girl chained in the corner,” he assured the boy. He ran a hand through his hair. “I’m still not sure I don’t want to do it.” He took a deep, shuddering breath.
Tam gave his father a confused look as the old woman cackled and pulled the wand away. “But… you didn’t go over there.”
Arvard took a breath. “I wanted to. But I’m older than you. I can control my urges, at least for a little while.” He nodded at the old woman. “Thank you. I can’t say it enough. Thank you.”
She shook her head. “You did the hard part,” she assured him. “Now go.” She pointed them toward the door and Tam and his father exited the strange store.
Back in the cart, Arvard with his bandage, sat down next to his son. Tam grimaced. “What is this supposed to protect me from? What was that stone? Who was that girl?” He asked. Arvard let out a frustrated grunt at the barrage of questions. “It’s a charm. It will protect you. As for the girl, she is one of the barbarians from the north. You can tell by the gray skin. Look Tam, I will tell you everything on the way home.” He glanced around. “Make sure it stays under your shirt! No one should see it.”
“It’s uncomfortable,” he told his father. Arvard heaved a sigh of relief.
“It’s just for an hour or two,” he told his son. “As soon as we are done here, you can take it off.”
“Pa? Why do I need protection?” Tam asked. “What is the culling?”
Arvard frowned. “The culling. The Choosing. Your Ma and I don’t want you picked.” Tam looked at his father with a foreboding expression. Arvard’s eyes narrowed. “Once a year all the girls and boys of a namin’ year, who have passed their agein’ day are presented at the temple. One girl and one boy from every district is chosen to go and serve the Sorceress.”
“Who’s the Sorceress?” Tam asked.
Arvard scratched his head for a second. “She’s a great magician, we're told, and a friend to the King. You remember the time the ground shook? You were only four. Almost five.”
Tam nodded. “The barn fell down. I remember that.”
“Aye. It did. The day the Rift appeared. And you should remember it. Well, we’re told the reason we haven’t had any more earth shakes is because the Sorceress has been using her magic to keep the ground still. She stopped the gorge from reaching the mountains.”
Tam’s eyes were wide. “How does she do that?
Arvard frowned. “I told you. Magic.”
“Magic?” Tam asked, his tone a little skeptical.
Arvard climbed up into the wagon. “Aye. You just saw some, so you should believe. Didn’t you see the crystal light? And there’s been strange happenings in the kingdom besides smokeless lights. Strange mechanisms. That amulet. Wouldn’t put it past anyone.” He grabbed Tam’s arm. “Don’t tell anyone about the amulet. Alright? Keep it out of sight. Don’t say a word. Do you understand?”
Tam nodded obediently. “So the old lady? She had magic?”
Arvard shrugged, twitching the reins as the horse plodded along.
“What about the Sorceress?” Asked Tam. “If she has magic, what does she need boys and girls for?” Tam asked. “I mean wouldn’t magic make it so you could do anything you want?”
“I don't know. What I do know is that few, if any, of the girls or boys who’ve been chosen to serve her have ever come back, not one in eleven years. Though some of the servants she sends out to pick new girls and boys are said to have been some of the earlier children sent. That’s why your mum is so upset. You could get chosen, and maybe we wouldn’t see you again.”
“Could Kari get picked?” Tam asked, suddenly very concerned. Arvard got the wagon moving again and headed back toward the market square. “Kari? Aye, boy. She’s the sort. Too pretty and too coquettish. She’s got the look. There’s a heat in that girl’s veins. Break poor Evan’s heart it would, not to mention her mother.” Tam’s father shook his head. “But Kari will be one of almost twenty girls.” Tam didn’t catch the look on his father’s face. “Them’s good odds. You’ll be one of just seven boys,” Arvard added. “Which meant I needed to take precautions.” He turned the wagon down another street.
The temple was not as big as Kari remembered it, despite the flagstone dais that ran across the front of the building. A large stone pillar sat in the center of the dais, topped with the temple’s symbol and iron brackets. Several of the King’s knights were there, along with the Reeve who was checking names off a parchment list. Kari sighed as her father led her forward, closer to the temple dais. A line had formed but Kari didn’t see Tam or his father. “I don’t see Arvard or Tam. Are they coming, Da?” She asked Evan. Her father looked down at her, then back along the line.
“Yes. They have to,” Evan replied. He watched as his daughter looked around. The town folks were dressed in a smattering of fine clothes, with bright colors. But as Evan studied his surroundings, he let out a soft curse. His daughter noticed a moment later, surprised to see that every one of the girls in line with her wore the same crude, homespun attire that she customarily wore. But even more confusing was the fact that most of the boys and girls had dirty, tangled hair and soot smudged faces.
“Papa, why aren’t any of these boys and girls clean?” She asked in a whisper. Evan frowned.
“Because their parents are hoping that by making their children dirty, they won’t be selected. I should have thought of it,” he said softly, looking at his daughter. “We should have cut your hair, too.”
Kari gasped and took hold of her long, dark braid. “Papa! You wouldn’t!” He took hold of her shoulders and squeezed her tightly.
“Kari, I would do anything I could to prevent you from getting picked,” Evan said strongly.
“NEXT!” The reeve’s voice rang out. Evan looked up in surprise, realizing that it was his turn. He grabbed Kari’s hand and approached the man as Kari’s eyes focused on the huge sword hanging from his belt.
“Name?” The reeve asked.
“Uh, Evan, my lord. Evan Cole’s son,” Kari’s father said softly. The reeve gave him a disgusted look.
“The girl, you fool.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. Kari, my lord. Her name is Kari Enna’s daughter.”
The reeve looked at Kari appraisingly and there was a certain leer on his face, as if he were mentally undressing her. Evan gave the man a dark look, but then the reeve nodded at Kari. “Up onto the platform, girl. Go on.”
Kari looked at her father who nodded, motioning her to mount the steps to the temple porch. Kari quickly climbed the steps and joined over two dozen other girls, all of whom stood in a group. The others were constantly moving, as if each were trying to hide in the back and Kari suddenly found herself at the very front, looking down on the crowd. She felt a flurry of embarrassment as it seemed everyone was looking at her, admiring her, but when she saw Tam, her eyes brightened. Arvard led the young man into the line and eventually they came up to the reeve, who looked down at the filthy, dirt-stained boy and quickly crossed Tam’s name off the list. Then Tam mounted the steps. He spotted Kari and his eyes brightened as she made a beeline straight toward him.
“Hi Tam.” Kari said, her mouth curling up into a smile. “How was your morning?” She asked playfully. “See anything worthwhile on your morning rambles?” Tam felt his face turn red and a flaming heat crawled up his cheeks.
“Um… good,” he managed to splutter.
Kari gave him a grin so bright Tam was lost in it. “You sound like you swallowed a toad,” she said in a teasing voice, which then turned curious. “Where did your da take you after the market?”
Tam glanced down at his father who was watching intently near the front of the platform. Tam could feel the prickling amulet beneath his shirt and he looked back at Kari. “Uh… my da needed to pick up something from one of the shops,” he explained.
“Boys to the back!” Shouted the reeve. “Girls in front! Form a line!”
Kari let out a breath of frustration. “Ride back together?” She asked hopefully. “So, we can talk?” She leaned over and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “We have some things to discuss.”
Tam’s eyes widened and he nodded. One of the guards came up and pushed him away from Kari and she gave him a little wave. Then she turned back around and found herself in the middle of the line of other girls, staring out at the assembled townsfolk.
Kari saw a mixture of expressions and it confused her. Most of the people were excited, almost as if the Choosing were a spectacle they couldn’t wait to witness. But speckled through the crowd were worried and anxious faces, undoubtedly the family and friends of the boys and girls who were facing selection. Among them, both her father and Farmer Arvard stood tense, as if they were expecting a thunderstorm.
Then a woman, clad in black, gold, and scarlet robes, stepped onto the stage. She wore a pendant hanging on a chain, a dark red stone glittering on the slope of her bosom. She was at least twice as old as Kari herself, though stunningly beautiful, with sharp features and thoughtful, intelligent brown eyes. Her dark boots were loud on the stone and her hips swung with an exaggerated and intensely feminine swing as she approached. Kari found herself tensing, apprehension growing inside her.
“I am here to make the choice for the Sorceress,” the woman announced simply, speaking not to the crowd, but to the girls in front of her. Her eyes trailed down the line. “I will touch you. Resistance is not acceptable.” Her hand slid to her belt and Kari’s eyes widened as she saw the multi headed whip tucked into the leather. The color drained from Kari’s face, and she licked her lips, staring resolutely ahead.
The woman moved to the end of the line and Kari glanced down the row. Every other girl was filthy, with bedraggled hair and mud marring their cheeks. Down in the ground, her father’s expression was one of frantic worry and Kari realized that from a visual perspective alone, she was the rose among the lilies. She wondered what the woman was looking for.
The Chooser began walking down the line, studying faces. Each girl turned away from her, not daring to meet her gaze, but when the woman stood in front of Kari, the young girl couldn’t help but stare directly into the intense, blue eyes in front of her. The woman’s dark curls framed her face and she paused, looking into Kari’s eyes.
“Kari!” Her father said loudly. “No! Don’t! Don’t attract her attention!” The reeve looked down at Evan from the far side of the dais, even as Arvard hurried to the man’s side.
“Evan! Hush man!” Arvard looked over his shoulder as several of the king’s guards hurried forward, clearly expecting trouble. But Evan shook his head.
The Chooser ignored Evan and the crowd behind her. “You’re a feisty one, aren’t you?” The Chooser asked curiously. With one hand she grasped the pendant, the red stone glittering with light. Then she lifted the other hand and pressed a finger under Kari’s chin, lifting her face upward. Kari gasped at the touch. It almost felt electric and a shiver ran down through her body. She felt herself tightening, her breaths coming in short, excited gasps. Then the woman traced a line down Kari’s jaw and onto Kari’s neck. Each inch seemed to excite Kari more and the tension became a shudder.
To Kari’s shock, she felt herself ripen. Her sex seemed to gush and her hips twitched, thrusting forward on their own. It was as if every urge from that morning, and all the ones from other mornings, had combined between her thighs, bursting with energy and need. The Chooser’s finger didn’t stop, tracing its way down into the hollow of Kari’s throat, and then down even further. The crowd began to murmur as the Chooser slid her hand down between Kari’s breasts, until the girl’s shirt blocked the way. “Yes, quite feisty,” the woman said, letting go of the pendant. Then she pulled her hand away and kept walking, leaving Kari to gasp, trembling.
Kari was not the only girl touched by the Chooser. Four other girls shivered and shuddered under the woman’s finger and Kari felt herself conflicted, the pressure within her loins still throbbing with need. When the woman in black got to the end of the line, she turned and looked back down the row of girls. Her brow furrowed in thought and she pointed to a girl just four spaces down from Kari. One of the guards hurried forward and pushed the trembling girl forward. Then the woman selected two more. Kari heard wailing in the crowd. Finally the Chooser pointed at Kari herself, and she felt hands on her back, shoving her forward.
“No!” Evan cried, hands balled up into fists. Arvard looked back over his shoulder at the guard and then put his mouth to Evan’s ear, speaking urgently. Evan glanced at the menacing soldier and then shook his head, still close to panic.
The woman in black went to the first girl she’d selected and once more grasped the crimson stone on her pendant. She touched the girl on the cheek gently, staring into her eyes. Then the girl twitched madly. Kari’s eyes widened, her own sex still wet and pulsing, as the Chooser’s hand grabbed hold of the girl’s homespun skirt plucked at the simple string holding it in place. As the waist came loose, the girl gasped and shuddered, even as the cloth fell, exposing her sex. The crowd gasped, but so did the girl, her eyes wide as The Chooser moved her hand downward between her legs.
For a moment, it seemed as if the girl melted, but then she recoiled, pulling away without hesitation as the Chooser withdrew her hand. The girl’s eyes blinked and she realized she was standing on the dais half-naked, the crowd looking up at her with both excitement and a strange sense of disappointment. She dropped frantically, grabbing at her skirt, pulling it back up in embarrassment. The Chooser accepted this, moving past her and the girl moved to run away, but one of the guards grabbed her arms from behind and pushed her back into line where she huddled, trying to stay covered.
The Chooser had already moved to the next girl. Again, the woman grasped the pendant hanging from her neck and touched the girl in front of her. Kari watched as the girl had a similar physical reaction to the power of the woman, then moaned as her skirt fell to the ground. This time as the Chooser slid her hand downward, the girl groaned softly, accepting the caress. When the woman pulled her hand away, her finger was wet. The girl stood there, bare from the waist down, quivering with need, her eyes unfocused.
But then the Chooser stood in front of Kari.
“And what will I find here?” The woman purred. Her fingers plucked at Kari’s skirt, the string loosening. Kari found herself enraptured, held motionless and in thrall to the Chooser’s voice and touch. She felt the woman’s finger against her skin, even as the clean cotton fell away from her hips. Her fingers twitched, but she couldn’t move and in front of the entire town, Kari’s skirt fell to the ground around her feet, baring her exquisite loins and bare bottom. Kari felt the wetness on her thighs and her hips thrust forward as if she were begging to be touched.
The woman gave her a sad look. “I hardly need to check you,” she whispered. “I can feel your arousal.” Then her hand came up between Kari’s legs, fingers pressing into Kari’s soaked slit. Kari gasped and suddenly found that she could move. She spread her legs, widening her stance, groaning as the Chooser slid her fingers deep into Kari’s sex. The crowd cheered even as Arvard and Evan looked on in horror. The Chooser ran her thumb over Kari’s clit and with a sharp cry the little farm girl exploded, a splatter of cum squirting out of her sex into the woman’s hand. Kari trembled violently, still bucking on the fingers between her legs, totally oblivious as the guards began pushing the other girls off the platform.
“No! No damn it! You can’t have her!” Evan suddenly shouted. The guard grabbed Evan and began pulling, but Arvard grabbed the farmer’s other arm. Kari, still in the throes of sexual euphoria, wasn’t even aware of her father’s plight. Her hands reached out, grabbing hold of the Chooser’s arm, thrusting desperately.
“The shirt,” the woman said softly, her fingers wriggling between Kari’s legs. “You do not need it.” Kari trembled and found herself pulling it off over her head, baring her breasts. She let it drop, her mind muddled, sweet bliss streaming up from between her thighs. Her hands came up to cup her breasts, fingers pinching at her nipples. The Chooser smiled as another orgasm followed and Kari cried out, once more cumming with obvious satisfaction. The Chooser pulled her hand away, palm coated with Kari’s fluids. The woman shook her hand, droplets falling from it, and then she reached down to Kari’s fallen clothes and used them to clean herself. Kari stood there, naked, eyes unfocused, still shuddering in unwavering pleasure.
In the courtyard, Even yanked his arm away from the guard and rushed toward the platform. “No! Evan!” cried Arvard. “You can’t!”
“Not my daughter! Damn you!” He screamed. But other men in the crowd suddenly barred his path, pushing at him until the soldier grabbed the furious farmer and smashed a gauntleted fist against the side of Evan’s head. The man stumbled, eyes glazing, and Arvard grabbed him again.
“Bind her,” the Chooser ordered. Kari didn’t even resist when one of the guards began wrapping a leather strap around her wrists, tying her hands together in front of Kari’s abdomen. Kari blinked, her brain starting to work again now that the Chooser was no longer touching her.
“There, there,” she said soothingly. “You’ll be getting more of that soon enough,” she assured her. The woman pulled a black leather collar, studded with a single red stone, out of her pocket and quickly fastened it around Kari’s neck. The second it went on Kari felt a fresh surge of arousal, her hips thrusting forward, and she moaned with need.
“Bind her to the post while we do the boys,” the Chooser ordered the guards. Kari was moved to the pillar in the very center of the dais, her bound wrists raised above her head as a rope was thrown over one of the iron brackets embedded in the stone. She could feel the smooth stone against her buttocks and then she was pulled taut, forced to stand on tiptoe, her body stretched out in full view of the crowd. Off to the side, the guards were already lining up the boys, this time at an angle so that they could see her. Kari whimpered, naked, held in place with her hands tied above her head, while the crowd watched. She felt a wave of humiliation and turned scarlet, only to feel a fresh surge of need from between her legs. Her sex pulsed and she moaned, shocked that she could be ready and wanting again, after just cumming. Her thoughts spun through a whirlwind of confusion. How could she be aroused by what was happening? To be stripped and fingered and bound in front of the entire town? And her own father? What had happened to him? Kari closed her eyes, trembling, trying desperately to resist the urge to thrust her hips forward in desperation.
“Let’s go. Line up!” the reeve announced, moving behind the boys.
Kari turned and watched as Tam, along with just six other young men, shuffled forward in a line. Tam was looking over at her and instead of feeling ashamed, she felt her own sexual need increase. Kari wanted to run to him, rip the dirty and ragged clothing off his body, and drag him to the ground, mounting him. She blinked, realizing the outrageousness of that urge and for a moment wondered what was happening to her. Then, as the Chooser began walking down the line, Kari felt a surge of jealousy as the woman touched each boy on the cheek. Tam didn’t take his eyes off Kari, not for a second.
Until he had to. Kari held her breath.
The Chooser got to Tam and touched him. Under his shirt he felt the amulet quiver, once again creating a sharp sting. Tam held his breath and the Chooser moved past him almost as if he didn’t exist. Near her father, Kari saw Arvard sigh in relief. Then the Chooser walked back down the line. Once more she grasped the pendant and with a finger, touched the neck of each boy. Twice, she slid her hand downward, pushing her fingers down into their trousers, but the disappointed look on her face made it clear that neither of them were truly satisfactory. She practically ignored Tam, moving on almost instantly after touching his shoulder. She went back to the first boy she’d fondled and once more reached down into his pants. The boy gasped in shock and the Chooser leaned forward, her voice quiet.
“The girl over there. The naked one. Does she arouse you?” Tam heard the Chooser ask the boy next to him. “Is she comely? Do you want to slide yourself into her?” The boy groaned and shut his eyes. The Chooser let go and moved down the line, to the other boy, touching him in the same manner, her hand in his trousers, fondling his manhood. “And what of you? Do you not find her curves interesting? Would you like me to have her breasts and bottom whipped? Or perhaps have her spread open for my flogger to turn her slit pink before you use her?”
“N-n-no…” the boy stammered, looking away.
The Chooser sighed and shook her head, pulling her hand away and letting go of the pendant. The red stone’s light seemed to dwindle and she turned. “Pathetic. The lot of you. That girl is both beautiful and luscious, and in desperate need of both a whipping and a hard fucking. And none of you can barely get it up. And here I am, having to choose one of you to go with her to the Sorceress.”
Tam gritted his teeth. He glanced at his father. Arvard’s eyes widened and he shook his head. Tam took a deep breath. It was about Kari, wasn’t it? He reached up to his neck and pulled the amulet from beneath his shirt. Instantly he felt his erection rise, stiffening into a granite pillar. He ignored it and instead stepped forward.
“I will go to the Sorceress,” he announced.
“What?” Arvard exclaimed, only to utter an angry curse, next to Kari’s father. “Damn it, Tam! No!”
The woman turned back toward Tam. “One does not volunteer for this kind of servitude, boy. You must have the urge inside you. You have nothing. Not even a smidge. There are others here with more vitality.” She looked at him in disgust.
Tam dropped the talisman his father had given him to the ground.
“Test me again,” he demanded. His fingers went to his trousers and before the Chooser could even move, Tam exposed himself, his cock surging out from under the cloth. The Chooser’s eyes widened and she went back to him, looking down. “Well, well, well. Hardly disappointing now. You arouse easily?” She asked, suspicious. Her hand came down and grasped Tam’s manhood. Tam’s eyes widened as he felt an immediate pleasure so intense that he could only gasp. His eyes flickered to the woman holding his cock, suddenly wanting to kiss her, to tear the robes from her body. But then Tam looked back at Kari. Bound and stretched, he could appreciate her form even better than he had in the barn. In seconds he was thrusting his hips forward into the Chooser’s curved fingers, against her palm, frantic to cum. His face turned pink and the Chooser smiled.
“Oh yes. Much, much better,” the woman cooed. Tam trembled, eyes closing as the intense pleasure streamed through his loins. His hips jerked forward, and he felt an animalistic urge take hold of him. Suddenly, all he wanted was to cum. His mind replayed the events of that morning, of Kari’s naked body writhing in the ecstasy of self-pleasure, of seeing her stripped naked in front of the entire town. Of watching her explode with ecstasy. Tam felt his trousers fall down around his ankles, but he didn’t care.
“It’s her, isn’t it?” The woman whispered, her palm still stroking his full length. “You want her. You fantasize about her.” She bent down and licked Tam’s ear. “Do you have any idea the torments we will inflict upon you? Or upon her? Do you want me to whip her? From the tip of her chin down to her toes. She will scream in agony and pleasure, and you will be forced to watch, and to help us wring orgasm after orgasm from her writhing body. She will cum repeatedly, while you will not. Are you still willing? She will be forever just outside your grasp.”
Tam groaned and shook his head. “No… I want… I want…” But then his cock spasmed. The woman in black laughed as white cream spurted out of Tam’s shaft, some striking her hand, the rest falling on the same stones Kari had wetted moments before. Tam cried out, grimacing as the woman laughed gloriously, still stroking his softening cock.
“Your body tells me you lie. You love the idea of that little strumpet being spread out, tied open and fucked.” She let go of his cock and wiped her hand on his shirt. Tam stood there, his trousers down around his soft leather boots, his dick softening. “Still, I’m curious how you managed to hide yourself from me at first.” She studied him, then looked down to kick at his pants, only then spotting the spiked amulet he’d tossed on the ground. She snatched it up, tucking it away.
“I choose this one,” she said carefully, pointing at Tam. Immediately the guards grabbed the boy, tearing off his shirt and kicking loose his pants. Tam didn’t fight. He was still too stunned. The Chooser produced another collar, the same as the one that had gone around Kari’s throat, and she put it on Tam. Tam groaned as it locked into place and then he felt another surge of arousal. Between his thighs his cock hardened, coming up to rise in rigid desperation. The Chooser smiled, stroking him for just a moment before stepping back.
“Tam! What have you done?” Arvard cried out. Then Tam’s father, along with a sobbing Evan, was pulled away by the guard. The Chooser pulled her flogger free of her belt and gestured at the two naked youngsters.
“Put these two in the cart. We have our new servant girl and a page. We leave immediately for the Sorceress’ Keep.”