The Great Escape Chapter 7, Part 4 of 5

The Great Escape
Chapter 7, Part 4 of 5

"Madam, when I heard that Kalyndra had escaped, I feared she would fetch the Mariners.

Now that we know where she has gone, we can trust her. I propose we leave her with Ezra and treat her kindly when she returns to work."

Mirselene was not impressed:

"Kalyndra has not been harmed or maltreated by us consistent with being tied up and gagged, of course, and her escape is in breach of her agreement to work in compensation for assaulting Urulla. I want her brought back."

Parvinder also spoke up:

"I agree with Annela. Was Kalyndra malicious? She might have attacked any of us last night.

We should rebuke her only if she doesn't turn up for work."

Mirselene saw where the consensus headed, so she conceded to punishment but not to bringing Kalyndra back. She was adamant about that, and she carried the tribe with her.

Annela, therefore, volunteered to fetch her back. Erin and Sharne went with her.

While the trackers searched for Kalyndra that morning, she and Ezra were having sex again.

He'd warmed her up nicely, sucking her voluptuous tits and fingering her to a gently delicious climax. Then he tied her wrists and elbows together behind her back and bent her forward on the bed, her arse in the air, and began ramming her from behind. She moaned sweetly, getting gradually louder and more insistent, but he pulled out before she had another orgasm.
Lying back on the bed, he helped her squat over him and lower herself onto his upright cock.

She rode him slowly and luxuriantly, a beautiful sensual fucking, made deliciously more complex for her because she couldn't hold on. When she came, he held her tightly until the ecstatic feeling ebbed away, and then she rode him again, wriggling her pelvis, getting enough friction to keep him in a state of glorious arousal. When he was close to his finish, he helped her balance and thrust up hard and fast into her smooth, wet snatch. They came together with a joyful spasm and pulsing.

She rested on him until it was time to go.

Having dressed quickly, she kissed him goodbye and left for the camp. Halfway there, she met the party sent to collect her.

Annela said. "Hello, Kalyndra. We were on our way to find you."

"I am ready for work," she said, proffering her ropes, holding out her wrists to be bound.

"We won't need those," Annela replied. "Come, tell me: How was Ezra?"

The two women chatted amiably about their mutual lover back at the camp. Persuaded that Kalyndra was no threat, Mirselene publicly announced the beautiful Mariner's forgiveness.

She commanded that the rope bindings be discarded, but Kalyndra secreted them away for her use with Ezra.

Mirselene also ruled that Kalyndra would not return to the Honeymoon Lodge that week. After all, it was still Dagma's month with Ezra, and it was unfair to the other Woodlander women for Kalyndra to take her place if they could not. It was incredibly unjust on Urulla, whom Kalyndra had hospitalized. Kalyndra felt the injustice to Urulla deeply and meekly obeyed.

Urulla was sitting up during the day now and eating well, and a skinny teenager on Samothea ever ate, slowly gaining strength. From the first, she was delighted with her Mariner companion. They had lots in common, with just enough differences to keep things interesting.

Urulla was nineteen-and-a-half; Thalassa was very nearly eighteen. They were both tall and thin brunettes, though Urulla was mid-brown, and Thalassa was a deep chestnut. Urulla had light-blue eyes with an intelligent spark; Thalassa had kind grey eyes that glinted silver in the sunlight.

For all her lively temperament and sexual spirit, Urulla was plain, with an aristocratic horsiness to her face and a strong jaw. In contrast, Thalassa was a natural beauty, from her high forehead, perfect eyebrows over large pale eyes, a straight nose, and thin mouth with sensual lips. Urulla had no jealousy but only absolute pleasure in her lovely new friend.

They were both talkers, but Urulla soon ran out of breath, so Thalassa talked for them, careful not to make Urulla laugh because it was still painful. An interesting topic was the difference between life in the forest, which was dank and humid but full of noise and variety, and life at the water's edge, where the soft whoosh of the regular waves lulled the senses. A salty breeze cooled the skin, but there were short feasts because the night rain came early, and nothing so interesting as birds and trees: only stupid fish, crabs, and seaweed.

Another fascinating topic was Ezra and the fact that Urulla's month with him was supposed to start in a week. Then came the scandal of Kalyndra's behavior, Ezra's pardonable response, trial, and exile for a week. Thalassa wisely left it to Dipti to tell Urulla those choice pieces of news.

Dipti visited her bedmate in the early mornings before work and then all evening, bringing their dinners into the hut. Much as Urulla enjoyed Thalassa's company, Dipti's visit was the absolute joy of her day.

With the Woodlander's trust gained, Kalyndra was free to do something that her essential good nature had prompted but had been ashamed to do while in restraints. She got permission to leave her work for an hour and sought out Thalassa. They conferred for a few minutes, and then Thalassa nodded and went into Parvinder's hut.

She returned and beckoned Kalyndra, who entered with her head bowed, her eyes modestly down.

It was always going to be an awkward meeting. Still, Thalassa's kindness and Kalyndra's evident contrition mollified Urulla's resentment of her assailant and made her inclined to accept a heartfelt apology.

"My name is Kalyndra; I am the one who stabbed you."

"I recognize you. How are you being treated?"

"Much better than I deserve. Urulla, I am so sorry. I never meant to hurt you. I didn't know what I was doing. It all happened so quickly."

Urulla said nothing.

"I am working on compensation for my actions, but I can do more. I will do anything to make up for what I did. Please? Just command me."

"You don't have to do anything for me. I have whatever I need."

"I'm good with my hands. I can make excellent tools."

Thalassa corroborated this assertion with a nod.

"Please? Just command me," she repeated.

Urulla relented.

"I will think of something," she said.

Kalyndra saw the girl was tired, so with a last apology, she left the two teenagers together.

Urulla shut her eyes for a few minutes, then she said:

"I'd like to forgive her, but I can't quite do so now."

"I understand. She is sincere about making things right if she can."

"I know, and the thing I can't forgive her for is that there is nothing she can do anything about.

You know Ezra and I were due to be bedmates next month?"

"I know."

"When I dreamed of spending all month in bed, I didn't imagine it would be in a sick bed!"

Thalassa laughed.

"There'll be plenty of time when you've recovered."

Urulla nodded.

"Would you have wanted to be a mother quite so young?"

"Now, don't you be so reasonable and balanced? I'm going to be resentful if I feel like it!

Besides, have you seen how radiant Annela looks? And my Dipti? Who wouldn't want to be carrying a child?"

Thalassa raised a perfect eyebrow.

"Except for Dagma, it seems. It hasn't taken you long to learn all our secrets, has it?"

As Urulla settled back into the bed for another rest, she thought that much as Thalassa was now an expert on Woodlander matters, the girl had revealed almost nothing about how the Mariners conducted their affairs. This would have been something to puzzle over when she wasn't so tired.

Thalassa stayed in the hut while Urulla slept. She had one of Mirselene's books and made herself comfortable reading in the chair.

A few minutes later, Urulla stirred again and, in a sleepy voice, said:

"There was something familiar about her dress."

Then she fell asleep for real and dreamed of Dipti.

At the end of a week, Ezra returned to the camp. On the morning that he was due, Mirselene called out from the door of her hut, "Is he here yet?"

"No, Madam," Annela replied. She was on her veranda, looking out for him.

"He's to come and see me as soon as he arrives, Annela. No loitering, you understand?"

"Yes, Madam."

"Let me know when he's back."

When Ezra returned, he dropped his bundle at Annela's hut, but she wouldn't let him in.

Instead, she gave him Mirselene's orders. He went to the chief's hut, feeling like a naughty schoolboy sent to the headmaster.

Mirselene came out to greet him, wanting their meeting to be in full view of the tribe. She didn't send the loitering women about their business but sat down at the table on the dais.

"Take a seat, Ezra," she invited.

He remained standing.

"Sit down, Ezra. I won't talk to you while you're standing to attention."

"Yes, Madam."

"And don't 'Madam' me. We're friends enough for you to call me 'Mirselene.'"

"Friends? I thought you hated me?"

"Why? For having rough sex with a woman who loves rough sex. That's no crime. Besides, I hear more than one woman in the camp likes it rough."

Some of the eavesdroppers smiled to themselves at this.

"But... but you just exiled me for a week!" he exclaimed.

"And you have served your sentence and returned with a clean slate whatever that is, so no recriminations and all is forgiven."

Ezra just stared. Could she be so generous?

"Thank you," he said quietly.

"Now, let's go inside. I have prepared some refreshments."

This was amazing. He'd never heard of Mirselene cooking before. In truth, when he got inside, she'd only peeled a few fruits and laid out some salted meat, but he was honored, and the whole tribe recognized this as a tangible sign of his forgiveness.

Once inside, however, she checked no one was listening and then said:

"Good God, man! I thought you might seduce her, or she might seduce you. I never dreamed you'd rape the girl."

"You ... you wanted this?"

"Not this precisely, but something like it. I wanted one or other of the Mariner women to fall for you, with the hope that she would become more amenable and forthcoming."

"Amenable and forthcoming about what?"

"Go on, eat. Don't just stare at me ..."

He obediently picked up some food and chewed unconsciously.

"Amenable and forthcoming about what is going on among the Mariners. Something peculiar is happening in that tribe, and before I consider an alliance or reveal the existence of your ship and its tools, I want to know what it is."

Ezra thought for a minute. None of it made sense. She had been against an alliance, and now she was for it.

"This was all a ruse. You’re fighting with me and giving me insulting orders was never serious?"

"Of course. I was keeping my options open. One scenario I planned was to exile you to the Mariners, so I needed our conflict to be believable."

"You could have told me."

"No, I couldn't. For all your charm, Ezra, you are a lousy actor. They would have seen through you in minutes."

"Madam Mirselene, please explain it to me from the beginning because I don't understand anything."

Mirselene paused to order her thoughts, and then she began:

"I suspected that Kalyndra was sent here as a spy. It's even possible the attack on Urulla was deliberate. Suppose the Mariners knew or guessed your existence. I could easily suspect that Belena ordered Kalyndra to assault someone so she could be sent here and learn if the rumors were true. Even Thalassa may also be a spy. Then, when they got back, the Mariners would attack our camp and kidnap you. Or maybe Kalyndra's shameful display was designed to entice you into returning with her to the Mariner camp."

"I think I understand Kalyndra quite well," he said, "and my experience tells me she is completely sincere - or a magnificent actor unlike me," he added ruefully. "As for Thalassa, she seems entirely innocent and honest."

"To me, too, and I'll take your word about Kalyndra as well. I have tried speaking to Thalassa about life at the Mariner settlement, but she looks down and mutters empty generalities. The Mariner tribe is 'nice,' Belena is 'nice,' everything is 'nice.'"

Mirselene sounded disgusted.

"What does Kalyndra say about her tribe?" she asked.

"To be honest, we haven't talked much about anything."

Mirselene nodded in understanding as Ezra tried not to smile at his involuntary image of
Kalyndra on her knees, his cock stuffed in her mouth, or her tied up, gagged with a coil of rope.

"Well, I am sure you'll have many more opportunities to talk. Just be discreet."

"Thalassa is an interesting case, however," she continued. "You didn't see how forcefully Calliope pushed her forward to volunteer to be a hostage - and how much Belena revealed by trying to dissuade her. It may have been a blind to trick me into taking her. But if the girl is innocent, then what I suspect is going on among the Mariners maybe even more monstrous than Belena's tyranny."

Ezra waited for her to explain further, but she remained silent.

"What do you want me to do?" he asked.

"I want you to visit the Mariners for a week, perhaps when Urulla has recovered and Kalyndra and Thalassa go home. I want you to be my eyes and ears. I suspect you might have ways of finding out things that a woman from another tribe may fail to discover."

"What things?"

"Why would Calliope prefer her daughter to be a hostage rather than at home with her mother? Why won't the girls talk about life among the Mariners? I won't trust Belena with information about your ship until I know the answers."

"I understand. So, what happens in the meantime?"

"When Urulla is well enough to return to work, I'll contact Belena and tell her about you. She would never refuse your request to visit. Meanwhile, you make whatever arrangements you like regarding bedmates."

"Whatever arrangements I like?"

"So long as there's no risk of over-lapping pregnancies, you can choose whomever you like."

"Including Kalyndra?"

"Yes, even including Kalyndra," she said indulgently. "But remember that Sharne wants another child, and Dagma doesn't know her mind."

"Of course. You know, I never spurned Dagma."

"I know. Be patient with her. She'll come around. She probably needs more understanding and kindness than I can spare or that you have yet tried."

"I'll do my best."

"Good man."

He got up to leave but remembered something when he reached the door.

"By the way," he said, "thank you for the book loan."

She waved him away, smiling. Thus, a curious interview ended, leaving Ezra with as many puzzling new questions as answers.

Urulla was recovering steadily. After a week of sitting up in bed, she was feeling restless, and it was agreed she could sit outside in the sun, so long as she was moved into the shade in the hot afternoons.

Ezra decided to spend a week each with his former bedmates. In the first week, he moved in with Annela. Everyone expected it, and no one was jealous or felt ill-treated. One night, they stayed at the Honeymoon Lodge, and he showed her his improvements during his exile. There was now a crude shower, which took half an hour to fill for a few minutes of convenient washing, a single-seater earth closet, and some helpful clay oil lamps on wooden stands.

He also fucked her senseless.

Her pregnant belly was fascinating and beautiful. He kissed the bump all over and caressed and stroked it for ages. When they had sex, she went on top, as she preferred, but she also liked it doggy style, with her bump supported by a pillow.

After two weeks' rest, Urulla could walk around and perform light cooking duties. She was grateful to be able to contribute something.

In their week together, Dipti and Ezra spent every night in the lodge. She hesitated initially, not wanting to leave her girlfriend, but Urulla insisted she go and enjoy herself. No disloyalty was implied. Instead, because she could not have sex with Dipti at the moment, Dipti should have twice as much sex with Ezra. Dipti didn't question the logic of Urulla's argument but happily obeyed.

They used the lodge swing so often that it had to be repaired. Dipti also asked to be spanked.

The few times Urulla had spanked her, it had been fun but not nearly hard enough. She was sure Ezra would do a better job.

He sat on the edge of the bed, and she lay over his knees. He patted her bottom first, making her wait, building anticipation. Then he smacked her hard on a buttock. She yelped but stayed in place. He spanked her again and continued spanking, getting gradually harder until, finally, she rolled off him, holding her bottom, small tears leaking from her eyes but satisfaction on her face.

He got her to kneel on the edge of the bed and stood behind her. Her moist beckoning pussy looked like two damp pillows. He shoved his stiff cock into her and began fucking. His thighs slapped against her bruised bottom, reminding her of the punishment. She came hard and vowed always to make spanking part of their lovemaking from now on.

After three weeks of recovering, Urulla was up and about all day, though still prohibited by her nurses from any stressful labor or walking more than half a mile from the camp.



To be continued