ONE
The bards, all say that the best place to start is at the beginning so that's where I'll start. First me, I'm Kinon Stark the only son of Baron Vell Stark and the story starts when I was 8 1/2 years old, but in a way, it started two years before that when my mother died.
My father had let me run wild and I freely admit that I was a spoiled brat, though I always knew there were limits to what I could do. I had crossed them on a couple of occasions and had been soundly whipped as a result.
I was really taking advantage of it, because I had a feeling that it would end rather abruptly. I figured that when that happened I would no longer be able to get away with anything. Despite what I was I was popular because I was a free-spirited and generous little boy and made friends easily.
I was able to wander the estate, at will. A couple of weeks ago, father had assigned a young Guardsman Gannon Wilkes to watch over me. He was a born woodsman and though I had been able to lose him a couple of times, most of the time he had no trouble keeping track of me.
I wasn't on my pony, Patis at that time, but was walking. I heard Gannon stop and turning around, I could see him looking around cautiously. Then I saw a loop of rope settle around his shoulders and with a tug he went down to the ground.
Suddenly, I was grabbed around the waist and a large smelly hand was clapped over my mouth. Two large roughly dressed men probably in their twenties appeared in front of me. They looked very much alike, only the fact that one had brown hair and one had blond hair distinguished one from another.
They took hold of the struggling Gannon and trussed him up like a stuck pig stuffing a wad of cloth into his mouth, as a gag. They got back to their feet and the brown haired one kicked Gannon, in the side and asked, "What do we do that with this one Da?"
The one holding me said indifferently, "I guess, you might as well, slit his throat."
I managed to get my hands up and pry his hand from my mouth for a brief second and managed to gasp out, "Please don't!!" Before my mouth was covered again.
The man had obviously heard me and decided to let me talk. He told me, "We've got you Kinon Stark. What can you give me to make me spare his life? Now I'll take my hand away to let you speak so any screaming and you'll hurt." and I nodded my head in understanding.
His hand left my mouth and I managed to get out through my trembling fear, "You have me, yes, so all I can offer you is my complete cooperation. As long as only my fate is concerned I'll do whatever you want me to do without question and I won't try to escape even if I have the opportunity."
I continued to talk, as I could see Gannon looking at me, fear in his eyes, "You could set me down right now and tell me to go somewhere and I would go directly there without trying to get any help or telling anyone, what was happening."
I heard him give a little grunt, but I didn't know if it was in approval or denial until he said, "I guess there's no need to kill 'im." And he set me on the ground and released me probably to see if I would do as I said. Of course I would I had given my word and my honor, was at stake.
I could see the relief in Gannon's eyes, but then, the realization that he had failed to protect me. I sensed that there was more than just carelessness at fault here. I asked the older man, "How did you sneak up on us?"
He boasted, "Me and my boys is Magic Users. We got a little bit of Concealment. It don't let us disappear like a Mage can, but if we don't move to quick peoples eyes just seem to slide right over us without noticing us."
I was relieved that I was going to live thanks to the young Master, but sad that I had failed to protect him. I knew I wasn't going anywhere without a lot of struggle or until someone untied me. The men were too good at tying knots. They wouldn't get worried at the castle until late afternoon, when we didn't show up for supper.
It would
probably take several hours to find me and it did. It wasn't until after
ten o'clock when they located me. By that time, my arms worn raw from
struggling against the rope.
*****
They hadn't been able to do much tracking in the dark, but at least I had given them a direction and this morning, they found where a boat had been beached on the riverbank. By now, he could be in Sothra and well beyond. I looked at the Baron, slumped down with worry in his chair as I completed my story, saying, "The only way at you'll get him back is to find him, Sir, because he won't try to escape. After giving his word he can't."
The Baron nodded wearily, saying, "I'm proud of him for the way he acted in saving your life. But you're right; his honor will demand that he not attempt to get away. It's probably just as well anyway, depending on where he ends up trying to escape could get him killed."
Baron Stark waved his arm tiredly in the air, "Knowing you you're blaming yourself and nothing I say will make any difference, but you're one of my people and I have to say it anyway. Without being a Magic User yourself, you couldn't prevent Kinon's kidnapping."
I knew he was right in both ways. I couldn't have prevented it and I was still blaming myself. He told me, "You're dismissed. Go get some sleep."
TWO
They may have believed me but they didn't take any chances anyway. They tied my hands together putting me on a lead rope and gagging me. We headed towards the river and I wasn't surprised, when we came upon a boat.
They have already taken my belt knife, now, they stripped me of my short trousers. The old men, told me, "If you gotta relieve yourself do it now."
It was hard to urinate with them watching me but I did have to go and I finally managed it. At that point, they actually stuffed me into an evil smelling sack and fastened the top. They loaded me into the boat and they weren’t particularly gentle about it. I grunted with the pain and someone gave me a kick and said, "Shut your yap kid. We want you intact but going where you're going they won't be surprised to see you with a lot of whip marks on your body." and he gave a grunt of mean-spirited laughter.
I allowed the tears that I had managed to hold back until then to flow with a combination of fear and a feeling of helplessness. I don't know how long I cried as we do on down the river, but finally I was cried out, at least for the time being.
As I began to sink into a welcome sleep, I remembered what had happened, a couple of months ago. The sergeant at arms had been putting a squadron of guards through their paces and after they finished one of the younger ones had asked, "Hey Sarge, what happens if you can get captured on the battlefield? What do you do?"
The sergeant looked seriously at him for a moment and then asked, "Are you sure you really want to know?" He obviously didn't really want an answer since he continued speaking, "It depends on where you are. In this area, your captors would consider you a prisoner of war. Most of the time, you would be honorably treated. In that case you would simply wait it out until you are exchanged, or the war ended."
His words became much more serious, "in other places on the continent you would end up as slaves. That's a much different situation. It happened to my Da and he told me about it. It's almost as if he'd been reborn. One moment, he was a human being, the next moment he was a thing; just a piece of property no more important than any other piece of property of similar value."
He had a grimness of his voice now as he continued, "If you want to survive you put your pride in the background. You do whatever you are told to do instantly and submissively. He said you must keep your honor. If you do not and somehow manage to escape you lose your self respect and without self-respect there's no reason to keep on living."
THREE
A few days later, I ended up on the auction block, naked, lonely and very afraid. Being naked didn’t bother me that much, though I got really embarrassed at the way the men looked at my body and my little penis went rock hard, which turned them on even more. But I knew better than to cover myself. The assistant Slavemaster standing beside me would wield the symbol of his authority, a whip, on my bare little bottom.
I was special and I knew it. The crest on my shoulder told the world that I was a noble child of Camron, but not only wouldn’t it prevent me from being sold, it meant that my value was much more than for other children.
Marrko, according to what I had heard from a couple of the other children being sold was the head of the underworld in Scart. They had said that he hated those of the nobility with a cruel passion. And Scart as a country was much worse than most on the continent. Slaves had absolutely no rights here. Not even the right to life itself. Marrko was quite within his rights to buy me and then torture me to death.
They thought that was exactly what would happen. Nobody thought anyone would dare to bid for me against Marrko and that is why I was so afraid.
The slavemaster, said, “As you can see this tyke is a crested noble boy from Camron. His name is Kinon, though of course you can rename him if you wish. He’s eight and a half years old and I can assure you that he’s a virgin. The minimum bid is one thousand golds.”
One of the men and a large evil looking man, accompanied by two obvious thugs, smirked and said, “One thousand.”
The slavemaster said, “One thousand golds from the Honorable Marrko Canties. Any other bids.” and I bit my lip and I began trembling even harder with a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach, knowing that no one would bid any higher. I couldn’t control my bladder and the urine flowed out of my penis down my legs.
Marrko looked at me with expectation and his hands opened and closed slowly, with anticipation.
Someone said, “Eleven hundred.” and Marrko whipped his head around in shock and the Slavemaster said, “Eleven hundred from Honorable Considus Tannart.” and I could hear astonishment in his voice.
Marrko whipped his head around and looked at me and snarling, said, “Twelve.” and I had a little hope now, but not much and as the price continued to go up, I expected that the man they called Considus would eventually stop bidding.
Marrko went to four thousand golds and Considus, said firmly and with determination in his voice, “Forty-one.” and I stopped trembling then because the voice told me and everyone there that, he would go as high as he had to, to get me.
Marrko
must have heard the same thing, for in a snarling voice he said, “He’s
yours for now, but sooner or later I’ll get him back!!” and he turned
and stalked away his henchmen going with him.
*****
The slavemaster handed my bill of sale to Considus and then clipped a thin chain to my slave collar and I belonged to Considus. His appearance surprised me. I had seen my cousin Krin and he looked a lot like this man and I knew from what my father said that he was a wastrel. He drank too much and was always partying and he looked soft.
That’s the way Considus, appeared, but I was to find that it was misleading. He said to me in a gentle tone of voice, “Come little Kinon, we must get home.” and he put his arm around my shoulder and gave an affectionate squeeze.
FOUR
I was standing; I had been taught that a slave never sat when in the presence of his Master unless he was told to. Considus was looking at me with shrewd blue eyes. He gave a sigh and then crooked his finger an obediently I went closer.
He put his hand on my shoulder and looked me directly in the eye. He said, quietly, “I bought you to prevent you from dying.” and I gave a shiver knowing how close it had been and he gave a gentle squeeze.
Considus put his left hand on the crest of my family on my right shoulder. He said, “Unfortunately, because of your crest, the Prince needed to give written permission for your sale. I’m in favor with him right now, but I could easily fall out of favor and then Marrko would probably get you back, so you’re still on a knife edge Kinon.”
I nodded in understanding and said, “I’m sorry that I put you in danger, um, Master, but I’m not sorry that you bought me.” and I gave a shudder of fear and his hand began to stroke my back gently.
Considus shook his head, “I’m not in any more danger now than I was before I bought you. But you must be what I apparently bought you for. You must become my catamite and bedmate. It’s hardly something that I will dislike. I am a boylover and you’re a very pretty little boy.”
Considus gave a sigh of regret, “I can't even send a message to your family. That could be very dangerous if the Prince found out. I've got people watching him and I should get some warning if I fall out of favor.
He gave me a gentle smile and lifting up my chin looking me directly into my eyes and said, "I’ve never bought a slave before and I’m reluctant to take you to my bed without your permission.”
I blushed and nodded my understanding and I could feel my little penis getting hard. I said, “While I’m a virgin and they made sure that I stayed that way, by locking me into a pen all by myself, the boys on either side of me had both been prostitutes in a brothel and they explained what I would have to do.”
I paused and then said quietly, “You’re a good man and if I have to be a slave I couldn’t ask for a better Master. You have my sincere permission.”
2601 words
08.03.2006
-08.18.2009