WARNING: Sexual and physical violence. Vile words. Pain and suffering. Hurt and comfort. Arguing and attitudes. Basically, good and bad.

18 mentally and physically or don’t read this story. Trust me, 18 is plenty soon enough.

FEEDBACK: Please note the new email address p.phair@comcast.net Email sent to the old address will not arrive. Or visit my website at http://www.phair1.com

THE RIDDED

by Phair

Part 10

Reuben was so tired even his hair hurt. He had been on command watch for more than two suns. His relief finally arrived just after the third break of daylight. Too tired to either bath or eat, he trudged to his tent in search of sleep.

"Reuben! First Lineman, wait up," a hesitant voice stammered from behind him.

"Oh gods, what now," he sighed.

"Reuben, sir, General Felix will see you immediately, sir," the bottom lineman, really no more than a boy, announced with all the authority he could muster in front of the intimidating officer.

"Damn it!" Reuben cursed quietly before acknowledging the lineman with a curt nod.

Stomping back toward the General’s command tent, Reuben went through a hundred arguments why he should not be given the responsibilities Felix had in store for him. It was always the same approach. General Felix, Reuben’s uncle, would wait until the younger man was bone tired or bored to the point of insanity with the repetitiveness of military life. Then Felix would ply him with wine and promises of an adventurous life. Greatness was one small word away; yes. All Reuben had to do was accept his uncle’s adoption and renounce his own birthright.

"Sir, at your order, sir," Reuben shouted from the entrance to the command tent.

"Enter," a short, gasping grunt responded back.

Reuben entered and assumed a rigid stance. His eyes watered from the smoky interior and dim candle light. The General was face down in his bedding. He was obviously driving into somebody hidden in the pillows and linens beneath him. Felix snorted as his climax approached. With a hardy shout, his whole body rose, trembled violently, and fell hard. His husky pants were the only breaths to be heard.

"At ease. I need moment more, my boy," Felix rested heavily on more than the soft fabrics.

"At your order," he sighed softly but did not relax his stance.

"Please, sit," The General spoke as he struggled out of the bedding. "There’s some strong grape in the skin. Pour us both a mug."

Happy to have a task, Reuben went to the skin sitting on the low eating table. He found two mugs and poured more in Felix’s than his own. He sat in the fur pelts on the far side of the table. It was his training never to be caught with his back to a door or a slave when drinking.

"Thank you for joining me. I find myself weary for home and family more often, these days," the General’s voice was wet with phlegm.

He donned a half robe around his waist before approaching the eating area. The General’s hard body was drenched in sweat and it glistened in the candle light. The pungent smell of semen linger around him like perfume for the dead.

"For home and family," The General saluted.

Reuben mumbled agreement and half raised his mug in reply before downing a mouthful of the bitter wine.

The General took a big swig from his mug before stating, "We need to talk, my boy."

"Regarding," Reuben ventured but was interrupted by hoarse sob from the bedding.

"Well, I’m bound for the villa. Pia has been busy preparing it. She is trying to make a small portion of this inhospitable land presentable for my arrival. After years in Waur’s service, I’ll have my own oasis in Hell. Still, after all my devotion to our way of life, there are enemies waiting for a chance to pounce. I’ve learned, confidentially of course, several Legislative members are planning to visit Pia unannounced. These legislators are far too liberal for my liking. Let’s say, between you and me, it would not do for me to be away when they came to inspect my private holdings in an occupied territory."

Reuben slowly nodded his assent.

"My trip, however short, has started me thinking again about my legacy. I’ve no heir. No son to pass my command to when the fight is done for me. My wife’s family produced nothing but girls. Sniveling weaklings let them all live too!" The General flashed a sudden grin, "But, my pacifist baby brother sires a son; a strong, bright, courageous warrior. You know, a child like you should have been mine in the first place."

Reuben politely smiled even though his heart drummed a death march for the man sitting across from him, "My father’s a diplomat. His battles are waged differently than ours but it makes him no less Waur’s servant. As for me, you always said, I’m my mother’s bastard."

"Aggh, has that come back to haunt me now? I knew your Greek bitch Mother would interfere with family matters from the moment your father announced his plans for a political marriage," Felix tossed his hands in the air before taking a long draw directly from the wine skin. "Your father has a fragile mind. He fell under her influence from the very beginning. Greek gods, Greek house, even a Greek education over Elosian fighter training. And, you were nothing but a child; her pawn. How could you know difference? How could you know what was at stake?"

"My soul was at stake," thought Reuben. "Still," he cleared his throat, "I agreed with them then and I still agree with them now. Greek education has serious advantages over our basic combat training. Uncle Felix, even you must admit, I’m a better fighter than any man on my squad."

A whimper from the bedding brought Reuben to his feet with sword in hand. He prepared his whole life to protect Waur’s land and way of life. Which meant he had to defend his general’s life at all costs.

"Relax, my boy, sit down," The General laughed with a sudden cough, "she just crying because I’m gone. She must miss my stiff meat stuffed between her tender thighs!"

"Right."

Reuben agreed without hearing the words spoken. He had caught site of the abused body in the bedding. Her blonde hair and pale skin made her different from the other slaves brought into the camp. But, it was the memory of her defiant stance in defense of a friend that made Reuben remember her; Becca.

The General’s voice interrupted his thoughts, "You know, you’re right. You are the best fighter I have on the entire peninsula. But, that’s because we are descended from Waur himself. No amount of foreign blood can dim our bloody heritage."

Reuben sulked in his seat. He could not argue the point. His father’s Elosian blood made him a perfect soldier. His mother’s Greek heritage gave him the intelligence to know killing comes to no good end for both sides of the quarrel.

"I’ve committed to military service. I’ll fulfill my obligation but," Reuben deepened his voice to show his resolve, "the diplomatic branch is my birthright. I’ll finish here and return home…,"

"Home, hah," Felix mocked him. "You mean, you’ll continue to live in Athens among your mother’s people. Reuben, you are an Elosian. Descended directly from Waur himself. It would do you well to think on that and remember who your family really is."

The two men sat in silence. Reuben knew enough to drop his gaze. Letting his Uncle see the depth of his hatred for him would be a mistake with so many moons left to serve in hostile lands. Anything could happen to a first lineman.

Felix began to laugh, "Look at us. So serious. Enough about the future, let’s talk about now. There seems to be an insurrection in the village. The Elders estimate between twenty and thirty men."

"Have they taken control?"

"No, they have the villagers pinned down. Well, some of the villagers," the General laughed loudly and slapped his naked thigh. "Women and children, even the animals move around freely. However, when the men try to step outside their homes, arrows wiz around there heads. Very precise shooting so I’m told."

"Injuries," Reuben was secretly pleased the pompous village men were being taught a lesson.

"A wounded leg and a lot of soiled leggings," the General chuckled until tears filled his eyes. "Quite comical."

"How did we find out?"

"Our soldiers, it seems, also move about as they please. They dispatched a rider with a the message on the second day of the siege," Felix smirk. "Messenger bird arrived this morning to confirm the arrows continue to fly and frighten the poor village men."

"What would you have me do, sir?"

"Take a dozen men. Round up the band and confiscate the weapons. Bring anything interesting back and burn the rest. As for the insurrectionists," the General sighed, "even as witty as they are we must deal swiftly to quell their legend. Burn them in the village square. Make attendance mandatory. But, I want the leader. Bring him, unharmed, in heavy chains to me at the villa. I might be able to utilize that kind of talent. Besides, it will give you a chance to see Pia again."

"At your order, sir," Reuben rose to leave but Felix motioned for him to return to his seat.

"You’re rightly exhausted. Take two days rest before you depart. In fact," the General rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "take my tent today. I’m heading for the practice fields and then to the baths. There’s wine, lunch will be delivered, and there’s a comfort slave in the bedding. Enjoy my riches for the day. It is the least I can offer to tempt you," Felix smirked as he stood.

"I don’t know…, the village…," Reuben blushed.

"I do know! Consider it an order," Felix slapped Reuben lightly across the cheek. "Enjoy my greatness."

"At your order," Reuben whispered as he stared at the body trembling in the bedding.

* * *

Dayne stifled a cry. The broken wounds on her hands burned as she urinated on them. When she finished, she caked mud over the palms hoping to toughen the skin.

She’d built a multiple arrow launcher in order to terrorize the village. However, the string triggering mechanism cut deeply into the soft flesh of her hands. It was a small price to pay she decided. Dayne willed herself to suffer through the pain for all the joy she was getting from scarring those arrogant men.

"Not enough suffering for them," she mumbled as she loaded another round of arrows in the launcher. "Not for what they did to Becca," tears tracked a well worn path down her cheeks.

Dayne pulled back hard on the string and set the safety. She would wait, patiently, for another fool to cross her path.

* * *

Reuben removed his weapons. He laid them neatly on the low table. Next he stripped off his leather armor vest and battle skirt. His boots were last to be removed. Clothed only in his rough tunic, he felt vulnerable. Naked would suit him better but he feared it would frighten Becca.

He moved to the end of the bedding with all the stealth he usually reserved for covert missions. Reuben wanted to assess the situation before the woman realized he was watching her.

Her body sported bluing patches of skin and splashes of blood. Becca lay with her eyes closed but tears flowed freely down her cheeks. A metal collar was fixed around her neck and chained to a spike midway to the chamber pot. It was already worrying the skin beneath it causing redness. The General’s brand over her right breast lay raw and untended. Becca’s breathing was coming in short, rapid pants indicating sore or broken ribs or maybe a bruised throat.

"Or maybe she’s just afraid," Reuben shook his head sadly.

Becca heard the quite remark and her eyes squeezed more tightly closed as her body curled into a ball.

"Please, Master, no more. It hurts, please, mercy. I hurt too much, please, just kill me," she sobbed.

"Hush now," Reuben dropped into the linens and rested his hand on her forehead. "Fever. You need water and to get cleaned up."

He didn’t wait for Becca to respond. Reuben went around the tent gathering the supplies to treat the woman. Once he found them all, he took the Generals finest cloth robe and tore several strips off the bottom. Setting the clean but ruined garment aside, he returned to Becca.

"Here, I need you to lay flat so I can wash you down," he tried to keep his voice gentle.

"Please, don’t hurt me, no more," Becca mumbled as she drift into unconsciousness.

"No, I won’t hurt you," Reuben sniffed. "Such a waste. Such a pointless pursuit hurting a woman."

Reuben yawned a bit before beginning the slow process of cleaning and bandaging Becca’s many injuries. It would be another day before he would find his rest.

TBC

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