Lady Ragenta Moves to Ar: Chapter 3

Lady Ragenta moves to Ar

 

Chapter 3

 

An uneven stone in the road caused the wagon to rock and brought

Ragenta back to the present. They would be reaching the gates soon. She

looked at the collar and pleasure silks that she held in her hand. At times it

had seemed that she had worn these more than her fine robes and veils.

As many times as Lady Ragenta has sent word that she had a horrible

headache and did not wish to be disturbed for any reason, while enta had

been assigned duties by Spectus. She has not always been chained to his

couch for his pleasures, which had not happened as much as she had first

thought it might. Most of her duties saw her perfumed in pleasure silks and

bells while entertaining in his private dining hall serving and pleasuring him

and his guest. He had explained her lack of a brand as she had as a free

woman a particularly nasty, she-sleen. He had arranged her capture and

enslavement. His plan was to arrange a special private auction of those

she had wronged. It was unclear if this was to sell her or just to be the

highest bidder to pay for the satisfaction of marking her as a slave forever.

Ragenta supposed that there was a measure of truth in that story but was

uncertain if that was really his plans for her or just a story. And though he

had been pressed many times, Spectus would never reveal who she had

been or from what city. Only that she had once been of a high caste and

very well educated.

One that had pressed the issue vigorously had been her other partner,

Atilas. He was not pleased to learn that they had an unbranded slave

serving in their house. Marchant Law required that all slaves be branded.

That had not precluded him from taking his enjoyment with the unbranded

slave twice that night. Knowing that Atilas would be at the dinner, Spectus

had shrewdly had her placed in a gagged slave hood so she could not utter

a sound other than to whimper and moan into the wadding that filled her

mouth. She had also been secured helplessly in a breeding rack that had

been brought up from the lower pens. She had recognized Atilas’ voice as

he stood behind her testing her slave responses while all she could do is

 

give into her body’s reaction that made her squirm as much as the bonds

would allow her as she juiced for the Masters.

Ragenta knew that she was on a very slippery slope. She fought to retain

every bit of her free woman life the best she could. But her body was

growing to enjoy and long for the slave fires that had started. She had more

than once woke to find that she was sleeping at the foot of her own couch

by the slave ring mounted there. She had also signed passes that would

allow the slave enta to leave the house and perform errands for Lady

Ragenta inside the walls of Victoria. She found that like inside the house,

enta had been able to learn a great deal of information roaming the streets

of Victoria. Snips of conversations that she happened to overhear that gave

her insight to what was happening within the Administrators offices or other

businesses or houses.

These insights had allowed her to invest or purchase properties around the

city making her a great deal wealthier. She had also taken the precaution of

setting up secret accounts under the name of Lady Andraus. This was so if

she were able to break free of Spectus’ control she had funds to allow her

to start a new life. But everyday the chance of that happening seems to slip

further and further away.

In each of the cities that she had visited on her journey to Ar. Ragenta had

slipped from her lodging unnoticed. Each time she had worn plain and

simple robes and veils of a member of the caste of bakers or caste of

seamstresses. Under those robes she wore the rags of a she-urt or a

simple common slave tunic and a collar that said she was enta property of

Lady Andraus. She did not want to use the Ragenta collar because she did

not want to be connected if stopped or questioned. She would find a

secluded place and slip out of the robes and veils that she would hide for

when she returned to change back. This had worked out well for her in

each instance. She had been able to slip in and out without any problems.

Which had been a blessing when she considered the difficulties of trying to

explain what she was doing, especially when she was pulling on or off the

robes of a free woman over the tunic and collar of a slave.

Her attempts to blend in with the she-urts of the different port cites had

been enlightening. Each time she had been met with hostility and

resistance, twice to the point that she had turned back and returned to

 

where she had hidden her clothes. She has found that she-urts had a pack

mentality. Tending to live and roam the cities scavenging for anything that

they could use. From discarded rags to scraps of food, in some cases they

would exchange sexual favors with certain shop and inn keepers for meat

scraps, whole pieces of fruit, or sections of bread or pastries. While she

had worn nothing but tattered rags and rolled on the floor of the alley to

dirty herself to try and blend in. Ragenta had been seen as a stranger or

outsider and chased off.

Her explorations as enta had been more informative but not without their

challenges. Twice, enta had been detailed by guardsmen wishing to know

where she was supposed to be as she had wandered into an area that she

should not be without an escort. Once she had endured the wrath of a free

woman that had taken offense that enta had not groveled enough when

retreating from the path of the woman. Several times she had been

stopped by men that had found her of interest. Sending her on her way

after seeing that she was the property of a free woman laughing at the pity

that a slave with her body was wasted on a free woman. But the incident

that had sent shivers down her spine with fear was when she had been

chased by a gang of adolescent boys that were intent on capturing her and

having her pleasure them.

Ragenta looked at the collection of different slave garments and engraved

slave collars. She was going to be living in a rented room outside the house

for some time. This might be a good way for her to explore and learn about

her new city. It would most certainly be more appealing than staying in her

room when not working in the new house. The caravan seemed to slow.

Parting the curtain and looking out, she called to one of the guardsmen.

“Why are we slowing?”

 

“Scouts report that the road is blocked a few pasangs ahead by

troops from Ar that are investigating reports of raiders and outlaws. You

had best remain in your wagon, Lady Ragenta.” Then he rode off.

 

If the road ahead was blocked, then that meant that they would not reach

the gates of Ar for another day. That was at best, but more than likely it

 

would be two days possibly three. She struck her fist against the side wall

of her wagon in frustration. Ragenta desperately wanted out of the confines

of this wagon. She was beginning to feel like she was as much in the cage

as the slaves carried chained in the barred slave wagons. At least they

were removed from their wagons and allowed to move about the camp.

Even if it was while they were on work details and chained.

 

Then she eyed the slave collar that lay on the floor of the wagon where she

had dropped it. If Ragenta could not leave the wagon, then perhaps enta

could get out and move about just a little. Without another thought her

hands retrieved the collar from the floor and snapped it about her own neck

locking it and pulling out the key. Only as soon as she pulled the key, she

knew how stupid a move that would be for her. Those slaves were all

naked and chained, and usually under one of the trainers with a switch

watching them in groups of twos, threes, or fours. And if she was chained

to other slaves, then she would be returned with them to one of the wagons

and chained.

No that would be a very foolish thing for her to do when she was so close

to Ar’s gates. Outside Ragenta heard the riders calling out that they would

be stopping here to make camp for the night. Holding the key in two

fingers, she lifted her hands to place it back into the lock so that the collar

could be removed. Already off balance, an unexpected bolt of the wagon

causes her to fall against the side of the wagon. The key dropping to the

floor of the wagon. Cursing the driver as a fool, she rises from the floor of

the wagon to look for the key.

It should have been right there in front of her. Ragenta instantly felt her

stomach knot and her world beginning to spin. She had to find that key. It

was the only key she had with her. Yes, it was a master key that would

open most of the house slave collars. There would be another like it at a

house in Ar, as well as the house in Victoria. There would be one at their

holding houses along the river. The problem was that she could not just

walk in and ask for another copy of the key. In theory she as one of the

owners could do just that. But that would raise questions that she did not

wish to answer. The loss of such a tightly controlled key could cause all of

their houses to lock the doors and shut down operations while all new

 

collars were obtained. With the numbers involved that would take days if

not close to two hands. That was almost worse than having to say that she

had locked herself in the slave collar of the house then lost the key. On top

of that she was wearing the collar of a slave that was already registered in

the house and supposedly still in Victoria. Once she was processed and

the prints, they took from her matched those of the slave girl enta. It would

not be good.

Then she spotted the key. It had to have bounced because it was on the

opposite end of the wagon. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw that it

rested near where part of a knot in the board had broken loose and falling

out. If it had fallen out, she might as well walk back to a cage wagon to be

added to the chain. It would have been lost and there would be no way for

her to remove the collar on her own.

She leaned forward and about had her fingers on the key with the teamster

halted the wagon. The jar of the wagon as it came to an abrupt stop was

enough that the key slid towards the hole and dropped out of the wagon.

Ragenta started to scream out but covered her mouth to stifle any sound. If

she had screamed “No!” like she had started to. It might have been heard

by the teamster or someone near the wagon. There would be no time to

hide the collar before someone came in to check on her to see if something

were wrong.

Pressing her face to the hole in the floor and looking through. She could

see the key in the grass below the wagon. She had to get out there and

retrieve it without anyone noticing her. The Lady Ragenta would certainly

draw attention crawling around on the ground under her own wagon. That

would mean that enta would have to slip out while the camp was distracted

by some of the slaves being released from the wagons to serve and

pleasure the guardsmen and teamsters.

Ragenta had adjusted her robes and veils so that when her meal was

delivered, the collar was well hidden under them. After she had finished her

meal, the slave had returned to collect her tray then left. She started to

remove the layers of veils and outer garments till she was only wearing a

house gown. Removing it as well, folding all of her things neatly to one

side, she went back to the chest. She had seen a couple of the trainers that

were being shipped to Ar moving about the camp supervising the serving

 

slaves. They had been allowed slave strips to wear so that they could be

distinguished from the slaves that were serving. Finding a length of binding

fiber and two small strips of cloth roughly three horts in width and five horts

long she knelt back on her heels. The binding fiber she wrapped once

about her waist tied it in a slip knot on her left hip. The two pieces of cloth

she slipped one under the cord in the front allowing just enough to hang

over the cord to keep it in place. Then she did the same with the second

piece of cloth. It barely covered her in the front and rear, but it was still

something.

Ragenta was counting on if any saw her off by herself they would think her

one of the trainers tending to some task or another and pay her no mind.

There was much laughter and squealing coming from the fires where they

slave served and entertained. Just before she had crept from the wagon,

she would have sworn that she had heard the beating of mighty wings

close by. There had not been any alarm sounded so it could have been a

messenger or patrol from Ar returning home to the tarn cots.

 

Soon as she was sure that none were looking in her direction, she slipped

out the door of the wagon and down over the folded down steps. Hiding

under the steps in the shadows, she watched and waited till she was sure

once more that none were looking her way. Turning and dropping to her

hands and knees, she crawled back under the wagon further till she found

the spot where the key was. Feeling her way through the grass with her

fingers she found it and clutched it tight. Now what? She still had to get

back into the wagon. She was all but naked so there were no pockets to

place it. She could not risk being caught with it. As she would be whipped

severely for having it if caught before she got back in the wagon. If she put

it in her mouth, then if someone said something to her, they would wonder

why she was talking strangely.

“We have rounded up almost enough for tonight.” She heard a male voice

nearby saying. Looking up at the light coming out of the same hole that the

key had fallen through, Ragenta pushed the key back through the hole into

the wagon. “Just need one more and we’ll be ready,” the voice continued,

“what have we here?” Ragenta froze as the voice was right behind her.

 

Hands grabbed her ankles and she fell to the ground as she was pulled out

from under the wagon on her belly.