Blair awoke to find himself lying in a heap on a beautifully woven rug. Trying to sit up, he discovered he was still bound and gagged, the rope around his neck becoming tighter the more he moved. He laid back, wondering where he was. He was inside a tent, he knew that much. One owned by someone with too much money, from the look of the ornate decorations throughout the small room.
A sound from the opening of the tent got his attention, and Blair glared as he recognized the man who'd kidnapped him. The man looked down at him, a slow smile spreading across his face, as he gestured to someone outside the room. The kidnapper moved aside as the person he was motioning to entered.
"You see, Mendari," Nedar whispered, oozing charm. "What did I tell you?"
Mendari! Blair gasped as he realized where he was. He'd been warned about this man. He looked up fearfully as the huge figure came striding into the tent, and shuddered as the lustful eyes settled on him.
Mendari was over six feet tall, with bronze skin, eyes as black as coal, and a mane of long, black hair. His bare arms were thickly muscled, ending in huge hands that tapered to long fingers. The fingers were accented with long, claw-like lacquered nails, one of which scratched under Blair's chin as he knelt, and tilted the young man's face upward.
"Verrrrrrry nice, Nedar," Mendari purred. "Blair, you said?" He turned to his faithful collector and tossed him a heavy purse. "You've earned every penny of this; he's everything you said he'd be." Mendari turned again to study the young beauty trussed up before him. "Yes, very nice indeed."
Blair tried to struggle away as Mendari cupped his chin in his huge hand. The touch made him think of Ellison, and tears began to fill his eyes. He had never wanted to see anyone as badly as he wanted to see his friend right now. Did Ellison have any clue where he was, or what was happening to him? It wasn't likely, Blair realized, since even he himself didn't know where he was. Blair closed his eyes, and a tear leaked out to run down his face.
"Shhh," Mendari said gently, wiping away the tear with a knuckle. "It's all right." He dismissed Nedar, and sent his guard to fetch his dressers. When he and his new toy were alone, he reached down and gently removed the gag. His breath actually stopped for a moment when he saw the boy's mouth for the first time. Full, sensuous lips, and a mouthful of perfect, white teeth.
"Please." Blair licked his dry lips and worked his jaw as the gag was removed. "Please, let me go," he begged quietly. There seemed to be some kindness here; maybe he could play for sympathy. "Please, I just want to go home." Blair was surprised when he realized the word 'home' brought to mind images of Ellison's camp, rather than his mother's house in the States.
"Home?" Mendari asked, chuckling in amusement. He reached down to untie the boy, gently rubbing the chafed wrists and ankles, helping him to sit up. "This is your home now, little one," he said with a smile. "You'll like it here, I promise."
Blair shuddered. He doubted that promise would be kept.
Mendari brushed the cluster of dark curls back from the beautiful face. "I can tell already, you're going to be my favorite," he continued softly. He looked up as his dressers entered, and stood waiting for their orders. Mendari stood up and motioned the three young men forward.
Blair watched from the floor as Mendari instructed the young men to 'prepare him'. Blair stood up slowly, trying not to arouse suspicion or draw attention to himself. The next time Mendari turned away from him, Blair bolted for the opening of the tent, only to be seized by the guard standing just outside. Blair kicked and fought as he was dragged back into the tent, and roughly deposited before Mendari.
"Be gentle!" Mendari scolded as the guard manhandled his new slave. "There's no need to be brutal with him. He's new, he just needs to learn." Mendari glared as the guard released Blair and returned to his post, then he gazed sternly down at the frightened young man, who looked up at him in fear.
"Now let's not have any more of that, shall we? I'd hate to have to punish you so soon after joining our family." Mendari said softly, laying a hand on the curly head. He spoke like a parent scolding a young child. "You're mine now, and in time you'll learn to accept it." He slipped an arm around Blair's shoulders, and guided him over to the dressers.
"You know what to do," he said, smiling as his slaves nodded. "I'll see you in a few hours, little one," he said to Blair, patting him on the back before turning and exiting the tent.
Blair watched him go, then turned and looked warily at the three young men that stood before him. "Hey!" he yelped, as the two larger slaves suddenly seized his arms.
"Just hold still now," said one of the young men, sounding bored.
"What are you doing?" Blair demanded as his tunic was cut from his body. He tried again to struggle away from the two men holding him, and was yanked back and held fast.
"Relax," said the second young man.
"Stop it!" Blair cried as the third man stripped the ruined tunic off, then did the same with Blair's trousers. "What are you DOING?"
"Making you presentable," replied the slave who was stripping him. "If you would hold still, this would be a lot faster, you know." He reached calmly for the waist of Blair's shorts.
"Nooo!" Blair cried, closing his eyes as he was stripped naked.
As the sun dropped toward the horizon, Ellison rode hard across the desert. He had almost finished his sweep; all that was left was to check the small portion of Mendari's route that overlapped his own property. As he neared the crest of the dune marking the route, Ellison remembered that this was where he'd been when he'd first laid eyes on Blair. Little had he known then the impact the young man would have on his life....
"Watch out!"
Ellison snapped out of his memories in alarm as he nearly collided with the rider coming over the dune from the opposite direction. He'd been so caught up in thoughts of Blair, he hadn't heard the approach of the other horse.
"Excuse me, totally my fault...," the apology died in Ellison's throat as he recognized the man glowering before him. "Nedar," he said coldly, nodding his head slightly in acknowledgment.
"Ellison!" Nedar smiled widely, but inside his mind he was cringing. Oh hell, of all the times to run into the big do-gooder...,
"So," Ellison said with mock pleasantness. "What brings you to this part of the desert? Making another delivery to Mendari?" Ellison grinned as he heard the smaller man's heart begin to race. Looked like he'd hit the nail right on the head; Nedar was sweating bullets.
"Wh... wh... why do you s... say that?" Nedar asked shakily. He was tensed, ready to bolt.
Ellison looked at the cowering man curiously. Nedar was a seasoned abductor, and had never made any attempt to hide it. It was strange that he should feel so threatened by Ellison's simple statements. The man's pulse was racing, and Ellison lowered his eyes to see if he'd be able to see the outline of Nedar's heart against the skin of his chest. His breath stopped as a sparkle of silver caught his eye.
Blair's necklace, with its little sun amulet, was hanging around the man's neck. Ellison's eyes snapped up to lock with Nedar's.
The smaller man froze for a moment, then frantically kicked his horse, trying to escape. He was fast, but not fast enough. Nedar yelped as he was yanked off the horse and tackled to the ground by Ellison.
"WHERE IS HE?!" Ellison bellowed, moving his hands to Nedar's throat as he pinned the smaller man on his back in the sand. "TALK, YOU BASTARD! WHERE IS HE?!"
Nedar pried at the hands around his throat, trying to get enough air to speak. Ellison seemed to realize Nedar could not reply while being throttled, and loosened his grip.
"Mendari," Nedar wheezed. "I sold him... to Mendari." He cowered as Ellison yanked him to his feet with a snarl of rage and pressed him back against his horse.
"I can't waste time dealing with you at the moment," Ellison growled, breathing hard. "So consider yourself lucky to still be alive."
Nedar breathed a sigh of relief. He knew Ellison wouldn't kill him; the big Westerner was far too moral to....
"However," Ellison continued, leaning to hiss into Nedar's ear. "If anything's happened to him since you delivered him into the hands of that monster," Ellison moved his hands to Nedar's throat again. "You'll be getting a visit from me... very soon." Ellison smiled sweetly at Nedar, who was now whimpering with terror.
Nedar gasped as Ellison released him. He watched, one hand rubbing his throat as the big man mounted up and headed off, riding like the wind toward Mendari's camp. Nedar slowly mounted his own horse, and headed back to the city, wondering dazedly what England was like this time of year. He suddenly had the most powerful urge to relocate.
Ellison crept silently through the oasis at Mendari's camp. He'd secluded Cascade in a cluster of palms, far enough away from the tents not to be discovered. Now he was stealthily sneaking through the brush, weaving between the smaller tents, moving toward the large main tent where Mendari kept most of his harem.
From what he'd heard in the city, Ellison knew that the small tents were the private bedrooms of Mendari's favorite slaves, the ones he 'used' the most frequently. He'd check those later, but for now he was concerned with the group inside the main tent. He found a good vantage point in a small bush beside the oasis pool, and focused his superior sight through the opening of the tent.
A young, barely-dressed woman was dancing in the center of the room, long scarves flowing from her wrists, tiny cymbals clanging on her fingertips. Ellison slowly scanned the room, and bit back a growl as he spotted his enemy.
Mendari was lounging on his floor pillows, idly smoking a hashish pipe. His dark eyes were hot with lust as he eyed the young woman performing in front of him. His long, black hair was being brushed by a pair of boys seated on either side of him, and occasionally he reached a meaty arm back to fondle one of them.
Ellison continued searching the room. The group consisted mostly of young men, hardly more than boys, all sitting placidly on the floor cushions. Mendari's harem. A few of the young faces showed misery and fear, but most just wore the blank visage that came with hashish addiction. These boys had lost their will, had succumbed completely to the evil man who owned them. Ellison's stomach turned as he pictured Blair as one of them.
The sound of a struggle caught Ellison's attention, and he crept closer. At the far end of the tent, the captain of Mendari's guard was backing through the flap from the adjoining room. The struggling sounds were coming from the figure the thug was dragging, and as he turned to display his cargo to Mendari, Ellison gasped.
Blair!
The young man's Western-style clothes were gone. Blair was naked to the waist, wearing nothing on his upper body except a few gold bracelets, and a pair of matching gold armbands accented with tiny sapphires that hugged his biceps and sparkled in the firelight. A narrow circlet of gold crowned his head, partially holding the dark curls back from his face, and dropping into a V in the center of his brow. A teardrop-shaped sapphire dangled from the point of the V, and a large gold earring accented Blair's left ear.
He was barefoot, clad in long, deep blue trousers made of a silky material the same color as his eyes. The fabric billowed and flowed around him like water with every movement. The full legs were gathered in golden bands at the ankles, and slit in the front from the ankles up to the mid-thigh, leaving very little to the imagination. The trousers rode high on Blair's hips, the top seam edged with a wide border of the same golden cloth as at the ankles. The waistline of the garment curved gracefully over the tops of the hips, then plunged gradually into a V in the front, stopping a few inches below his belly-button.
Ellison just stared, slack-jawed. In that harem garb, Blair was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.
A sparkle of color where there shouldn't have been caught Ellison's eye, and he focused his sight to find another sapphire glittering in Blair's navel. The presence of that gem filled Ellison with dread. He knew from dealing with owners of sex slaves before that only the most privileged, favored slaves were adorned with such treasures. Mendari clearly had special things in mind for his newest prize.
Blair looked terrified, wide blue eyes taking in his opulent surroundings. Mendari sat up, instantly losing interest in the rest of his harem as he was presented with Blair. The captain of the guard held Blair's arms as Mendari stood to admire him. Blair whimpered a little as the evil man approached, and Ellison's heart ached at the frightened sound.
"I'll get you out of there.... Don't be afraid...." Ellison knew Blair couldn't hear him, but the words were a reassurance to himself. A sound to his right suddenly caught his attention, and he turned to see a lone guard striding toward the pool. Ellison smiled, and stood.
A few minutes later, the group in the tent was joined by another figure. He wore the same black robes, turban and veil like the other guards, and carried the same type of scimitar belted to his waist. But had anyone looked closely at the newcomer, they would have been shocked to see he had been mysteriously blessed with eyes as blue as the sky, rather than the coal-black orbs of the other guards.
Ellison moved stealthily around the tent, trying to stay unnoticed. He carefully adjusted the guard's black veil, knowing that if Mendari got a good look at him, all would be lost. He found a place to stand, where he could keep an eye on the proceedings and be fairly close to Blair.
The young man was now seated on a floor cushion at Mendari's side. From time to time, the large man reached out to fondle Blair's dark curls. Blair would wince, and try to pull away, only to be seized and held by the guard seated behind him. Ellison could see bruises rising on the pale skin of Blair's shoulders, from the rough handling. His anger intensified.
An hour or two later, most of the young boys had fallen asleep. Blair was still sitting bolt upright on his pillow, eyes wide with fear.
I'm here, young one.... I'm here.... Ellison watched Blair from his position against the wall. His stomach tensed a bit as he saw Mendari stretch, and motion to his captain. The thug moved to his master's side, and listened as the big man spoke into his ear. Ellison trained his hearing on them.
"Please escort my new treasure to his bedroom," Mendari drawled, gesturing with a long finger at Blair, who watched him with fear and loathing.
The captain of the guard nodded sharply, then leaned down and hauled Blair to his feet. The young man struggled, and was rewarded by a swift slap across the face by the thug. Ellison took a threatening step toward them, but Mendari beat him to it, surging to his feet.
"Do NOT strike him, animal!" Mendari growled, producing a dagger and holding the point against his bewildered captain's throat. "He is not to be harmed, is that understood? I do not want him marked, until I have enjoyed him." Mendari grinned, and ran the fingers of his free hand soothingly over Blair's face. Blair closed his eyes, trembling.
Ellison watched carefully, waiting for his moment, a chance to rescue his young friend. He started a bit as the man holding Blair suddenly motioned to him.
"You! Come help me with him!" snapped the captain of the guard as Blair continued to struggle in his grip.
Ducking his head to hide his blue eyes, Ellison crossed the room to take hold of Blair's right arm. The captain took his left arm, and together they moved out of the room and across the clearing to one of the small tents, Blair struggling between them with each step.
As they left the main tent, Ellison hand tightened on the scimitar at his waist. He was about to make his move, to take out the captain and escape with Blair, when three more guards suddenly came around the corner of the tent. The captain lifted his hand in greeting, and the other three guards fell in step beside him as they continued toward the tent.
Ellison cursed inwardly, and began to formulate a new plan of escape. He could safely dispose of one man without causing commotion, but not four. The trio accompanied them to Blair's tent, exchanged a brief salute, then dispersed into the camp. Ellison prepared.
They entered the small room, and Mendari's captain roughly shoved Blair forward. Ellison lost his grip on the young man's arm, and winced as Blair stumbled, falling to the floor with a muffled cry of surprise.
"Get up!" ordered the thug. He moved to stand over Blair, who cowered on the floor. "I said get up!" He reached down and grabbed a handful of the young man's hair, hauling him upward. Blair cried out in pain.
Ellison stepped forward and grabbed the captain by the shoulders, yanking him back and away from the frightened young man. Then he knelt, and gently helped Blair to his feet, unconsciously brushing a soothing hand over the dark curls.
"What do you think you're doing?" snapped the captain, rubbing his sore shoulders.
Ellison looked up to see the other man striding toward him, a look of outrage on his scarred face. Quickly, Ellison stepped in front of Blair.
"The master ordered you not to harm him," Ellison replied, standing his ground. "I'm just seeing to it that you obey his wishes." The big man folded his arms across his chest, fixing the captain with a contemptuous sneer.
"Really? And just who do you think you...," Suddenly, the captain moved closer to the insubordinate guard standing before him, and stared at the small portion of his face not covered by the veil. Blue eyes!
Ellison stiffened; he'd been made.
"Intruder!" the captain yelped, turning to run.
"Oh no you don't!" Ellison growled. He strode forward, grabbed the man's shoulders and spun him around. The captain's eyes widened right before Ellison's fist connected solidly with his jaw. The thug dropped into a limp heap on the rug, and Ellison turned to Blair.
Blair was staring at the unconscious man from the far side of the room, where he'd retreated during the scuffle. He looked up with wide eyes as the other guard approached him, fear building up in his chest. He was about to try and bolt for the opening of the tent, when the guard reached up and yanked his black veil away. Blair's jaw dropped.
"Ellison?" he breathed, hardly daring to believe his eyes. He hesitated only a moment, before running to be enveloped in the strong arms. "You found me," Blair gasped into the broad chest. "I can't believe it, you came after me...,"
"Naturally." Ellison sighed as he hugged the young man to him. "What did you expect?" he said softly, tilting Blair's face up to look into the smoky blue eyes. He gently brushed Blair's hair back from his brow, and lowered his face to kiss the full lips.
Blair's eyes widened in surprise at the kiss, then closed in ecstasy as he returned it, gently sucking on Ellison's lower lip. He wound his arms around the big man's neck as the kiss deepened, Ellison's tongue exploring the interior of his mouth. Blair moaned as he felt Ellison's hand weaving through his dark hair, pulling his head closer. After what seemed like an eternity, Blair pulled back and just gazed into the blue eyes.
"I love you," Blair said, gasping a little from the strength of the kiss.
Ellison smiled, and kissed the young man's smooth forehead. "I know," he replied softly. Suddenly, there was the sound of approaching footsteps. Ellison whirled and stepped protectively in front of Blair as three more guards suddenly entered the room. The thugs drew their scimitars when they saw Ellison's face.
Blair gasped as Ellison planted a hand on his chest and shoved him backwards, sending him sprawling into the pile of floor cushions in the corner.
"Stay put!" Ellison yelped at Blair as he drew his own blade and moved to do battle.
Blair watched in awe as Ellison fought the three guards. The blades clanked together, sometimes sending off sparks from the force of the blows. What had first seemed like insurmountable odds against Ellison quickly became a bit more fair as the big man neatly ran the first guard through with his blade. The two remaining guards began to move around, trying to surround Ellison.
Blair crept to his feet, then slunk quickly along the wall to a small table he'd spotted in the corner. On the table was a large, metal tureen, probably to be used for bathing. Blair picked up the heavy vessel and hugged it to his chest as he moved silently up behind one of the guards.
Ellison continued in his heated battle with Mendari's guards. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Blair moving up behind one of the goons with a large tureen in his hands. Ellison watched with wide eyes as Blair brought the vessel down on the guard's skull.
GONGGGGG!!!
The sound of hollow metal resonated in the room. Blair smiled in satisfaction as the large man crumpled at his feet. He lifted his head to smile at Ellison, when the last of the thugs suddenly turned and rushed at him. Blair gasped and drew back, raising an arm to protect himself as the man swung his scimitar. But before the blow could fall, Ellison had bowled the thug down with a elbow to the ribs.
"I told you to STAY PUT!" Ellison barked at Blair. He grabbed his gloating young friend by the upper arms and spun to toss him into the pile of cushions again. Then he turned to face the recovering guard. Their swords crashed together as they dodged and weaved across the floor.
Blair watched from the corner for a few moments, but then his excitement and urge to help his friend drew him to his feet again. He moved stealthily around the two fighters, trying to get behind the guard. He had to help Ellison, somehow. Blair was so engaged in stalking his prey, he did not notice the figure who stepped through the flap behind him.
Mendari, looking forward to trying out his newest slave, stared at the melee before him. He hovered in the doorway, watching in alarm as Ellison, that morale meddler, overpowered his guards. Then his gaze settled on Blair, and he smiled.
Blair was breathless as he watched the continuing struggle between his friend and the last remaining guard. Ellison was tiring, his blows no longer held the strength they had at the start. Desperately, Blair looked around for a weapon, anything he could use to help his friend. Where had that tureen gotten to? Ah! There it was....
Blair had just taken a step toward his target when he felt a thick arm slither around his waist. He gasped as he was lifted off the ground, turning his head to try and see his attacker. He caught a glimpse of thick, black hair. Mendari!
"Ell...!" The rest of Blair's cry was cut off by Mendari’s hand clamping over his mouth. The young man kicked, pulling at the hand muffling his cries as he was carried away.
On to Part 5