EMMA - Chapter 3

I waited, unsure of where he was, in the main part of the house. My natural curiosity getting the better of me, I lifted my head and took a look around my new home. The hardwood floors were polished and made of pine, there was a pot bellied stove that stuck out from one of the walls and a tea pot sat empty on top of it.

The rug that I sat on was thick and hand woven, with swirls of bright color through it. I found it luxurious and much more comfortable than the woven mats I grew up on. The ceilings were beamed and the furniture was all hand carved in simple designs. In one section of the room, where the house was supported by some columns, were the thick furs and couch where “Emma” had lost her virginity.

I scanned around the room some more, there was an area full of books and a desk, then the dining area with its oaken table.

The books meant that my Master was educated. I had never learned how to read, it was just something that women in the River Lands were not required to know.

The door opened to the front of the house. “Ah good, come along Emma.”

“Yes, Master.”

I rose and headed outside per his command. I was not sure what I was looking at. It was a cart; however it was smaller than a normal cart, consisting of a seat and some storage area in the back. The wheels were a little bigger. There was no horse or dog in site.

“Stand here Emma.” He said pointing to an area between the handles of the cart. It occurred to me that I was the pony.

“Master…I”

A look from him silenced me. I didn’t see how I could pull the cart and him, but “Emma” did what was commanded of her. I stood in place quietly and after the problems earlier in the morning, I dare not press him on anything.

He looked at the cart for a few minutes as if making some decisions, then attached a cuff to my right wrist. A chain ran from it and to the shaft of the cart and then he did the same to my left. He buckled me in tightly and run some straps between my legs. Finally he runs a thick leather belly band across me and attaches that to the cart as well.

“Lean into it” he commanded.

I did as commanded and was able, to my surprise, to move the cart about easily. Then as I feared, he got into the cart and sat down. I was to be his horse it seemed.

He went through some simple commands and I was starting to hate him. We started into the city of Ish with a simple “Let’s go Emma.”

Luckily he didn’t live far from the city center. The streets were paved with brick although they were uneven in places I was able to pull him and cart easily. Now and again he would call out right or left to get me to turn in that direction and punctuated that with a sharp crack of the pony whip that he carried, he had yet to strike me with it although now and again he grazed my back and ass with it. He used it more as a warning than threat. He would crack it in my right ear and yell out left, and I would turn to the left. He did the same when he wanted me to go to the opposite side.

“Emma” turned as commended and I knew that I was being trained just like an animal and I started to worry that maybe that was all my owner thought we were. After a few minutes of travel I realized that he had already trained me, the crack of the whip on the left meant that I turned in the opposite direction. Simple really.

I didn’t know how big the city of Ish was, I knew it was three days sailing from the River Lands that I grew up in. I knew it was proud of its independent streak and diversity and had easily resisted the army of its larger Northern neighbor. Indeed I saw many different men and women, both free and , setting up the market with food and spices that I had only dreamt of. I breathed deep, taking in the smells of clover, cardamom, cinnamon, and hundreds of other pleasant things that I had no name for.

“Left” he bellowed and the snap barely grazed my right buttock and I turned left, into another part of the market now. Colorful birds that likes I had never seen before tweeted chirped and even talked from various hanging cages!

Even though I was naked and pulling a cart, I was enthralled.

We moved past merchants selling rugs, speaking two or three different languages at the same time. We moved through crowds easily as they parted before me. So many people! Ish was surely one of the greatest cities on the planet!

“Stop Emma”

I did and half tempted to bray out my dissatisfaction in not being allowed to continue to explore the city. Even though I was chained to a cart, naked and owned, this was the first time in six months that I was able to see the city of Ish, and I wanted to continue to do that!

“Ah Joseph, there you are! We need to talk about this last shipment”

“Hup let me take care of this girl first”

I could not see whom my Master was talking to…but his name was Joseph. I filed that away.

“Is that why you’re late?”

I felt a strange hand reach over and squeeze my ass. “She’s a looker, Joseph. Good in bed I’m guessing! Why else would you be late!” The man called Hup laughed heartily at his own joke.

“Hands off, Hup.” My Master said in a mock warning tone, he was in front of me now, undoing the cuffs and Hup came into view. He was a short man, maybe just a tad taller than me, he had a rumpled like the papers he carried in front of him and had a wide toothless grin. His brown eyes seemed to have a perpetual squint but were playful enough. He seemed kind and I liked him immediately.

“Make yourself useful for once you tiny dwarf and find Maryanne for me.”

Hup chuckled at the playful insult and shoved the various documents he carried into my Master’s chest. He hobbled off into the storefront that carried wines and bottles of liquids. I assumed my owner, Joseph, owned the shop.

“You bellowed father?”

The woman named Maryanne and my owner embraced, he kissed her lightly.

“I was hoping that I could get some training in today on this new girl but that doesn’t seem likely now.” He nodded first to the papers and then looked in my direction, and again I wondered if I should kneel now that I was free from the cart, but I stood still head bowed slightly and listened.

They talked about the store and shipments and other things that I was completely lost in, however it seemed that whatever my Master read on the documents required his attention now, and that Maryanne was in charge of me today.

“Yes, Dad.” She said. “I’ll take good care of her.” With that she started heading down the street and I fell in behind her.

“Yea, don’t spend all my money! AND I want the receipts!” he called after her.

“So, Emma” she said. “I’m Maryanne. Have you eaten yet? Because I’m starving!”

“No, Mistress.” I said, and then I corrected myself. “My Master fed me a bit of apple and I had a small bit to eat. “

“Pastries and tea it is then. However first, we are going to the public bath. You need a bath.”

“Yes Mistress.”

What more could I say? However it was true, I was bathed for my sale and that was over a day ago and after being marched through the streets as a naked pony I was covered in sweat and dust.

The small bathhouse was not far and she paid for the bath. I was given 10 minutes to wash my hair and bath. The water was lukewarm and the soap was harsh, but I enjoyed a few minutes alone. However the same feelings of missing home came flooding back in and I felt like crying again, and indeed a few other slaves were crying…but I that feeling down, dried off and returned to Maryanne.

She was talking to one of the bathhouse assistants as I approached who quickly left her side. It was the first time that I got a long serious look at my Master’s daughter. She was tall like he was, dressed in a light yellow full length dress. She wore a matching head bonnet and a few tufts of brown hair fell out of it. She had the same ice blue eyes of her father and again I shivered for some reason, like her dad those eyes were used to being obeyed. Her face was soft and warm. When she smiled, a slight gap in her teeth appeared.

“Inspection position Emma. Let’s see what my father has bought.”

I went into the inspection position, spreading my legs slightly and pushing my chest out as I stood flat footed, my fingers interlocked behind my head. I stared into the distance.

Maryanne walked around me. “Yes, I see why he purchased you. You are a lovely girl.”

I blushed slightly as she inspected me, then suddenly she was in front of me. “You are from the River Lands right?”

“Yes Mistress”

“I thought so. It’s your accent. OK, let us eat.”

The small Café that the Mistress picked was not far from the bath. The smells of roasting meat made my mouth water and we settled into a round table. I knelt at her feet like I had been taught and the Mistress ordered for us both. The woman that served us didn’t look to happy to bring food for a , but she did so anyway.

“Eat Emma.”

I bit into the meat pastry with gusto, letting some of the hot juice run down my chin. Maryanne reached in and gently grabbed me by my hair, pulling me forward. She licked the juice from my chin.

I wasn’t sure on how to react.

She went back to eating. “After this, we are getting you some clothes. It’s not proper to run about naked all the time, although I’m sure my father would love that!”

“Thank you Mistress.” I stated. In the six months since I was taken from the River Lands, trained in the various duties of a and then sold, I had been kept naked. The idea of wearing clothes again seemed both odd and thrilling to me at the same time.

I wanted to ask her more about my Master Joseph but I knew it was not my place.

“Then I think I will enjoy your body myself.”

I did a double take, looking at the Mistress. Her eyes have the same resolve that her father’s did the previous night, and I resigned myself to the fact that I am just property to these people. That they would use me as they saw fit. “Emma” just smiled at her Mistress.

“So what do you think of your new owner so far Emma?”

I looked at her with a little bit of suspicion, not being really sure on how to answer such a question. She must have seen that in my face. “Don’t worry. Anything you say about my father, negative or positive, will go no further than us girls. You have my word upon the Sea God and the Mistress of the Winds.”

“That is a powerful pledge you make indeed Mistress. Do you worship the Sea God?” I asked.

She chuckled. “The people of Ish worship nearly every God. The Sea God and the Mistress are for those that travel by water. We have a temple to the Sun God over that way, another to the old God before the demise of the Road Builders just over that hill Emma. Our town is built upon trade and commerce…so every God must be honored.”

Her answer didn’t settle my question, but what choice did I have. I had to trust her but be careful at the same time.

“My Master, your father, seems like a good and kind man.” I answered.

Truthfully he had been kind to me so far, even when he had me, even when he made me lick his boots or pull him into town like a pony. Things, I knew, could have been much worse I had heard stories of how a could be killed for some minor offense and in the house I was trained in, I had seen some horrid things.

She laughed lighly, “A fair answer girl.”

She took a bit of a drink and finished her meal. She waited for me to finish mine in silence and I thanked her for the meal. I was grateful. I was not sure what or when I would eat next.

“He will eventually whip you. He may eventually sell you….” Her voice dropped off. “I grew up with that man Emma, “she said with a sigh, “My brother and I grew up prevailed and with a full house of servants. He is stern but fair. Treat him well and you may live a long and good life. However, a is all you will ever be in that home.”

“Yes Mistress.”

She smiled a sad smile. “Let’s go shopping.”

And so we did, I marveled at the fact that she was willing to buy finer cloth than I would have ever had as a pleasant girl for “Emma.” We chatted about the city of Ish, her taking great pride in the city as we tried on various outfits for me. Dresses that had slits up the leg and would only go down to the knee, another very basic dress that was the unofficial garb of the female ; it was a light mint green in color which tied in the front and back. Maryann had bought underwear and a few cosmetics for “Emma” as well.

“Emma, try this on.”

Maryanne handed me a gossamer dress. I gasped at the lightness of it, and how beautiful it was. There was no way that a mere would be allowed to try on such a thing. Much less wear it.

Seeing my , Maryanne told me it was alright.

I slipped it over my head and the girl in the mirror was a princess. The dress was see through and highlighted my body natural curves, but was colorful as the rainbow and sparkled slightly in the light of the store.

“Yes, my father will love you in that.”

The Mistress paid for the various outfits and gave instructions to where they should be delivered. She placed the receipts that her father, my Master, had demanded into a pocket in her dress. I could not help but hug the Mistress.

“Thank you, Thank you!” I repeated. Even though I was a , I didn’t feel like one. I had new clothes and makeup, of a quality I would never find in the River Lands. I was even allowed to wear a dress from the store. It was a grey color that looped over one of my shoulders and tied on the side. A simple sash tightened across my belly and showed my figure. The length of it was slightly above my knees.

I was even allowed sandals.

In the back of my mind though I knew this was not so much for me as it was for him. Under the law, I was property; and could own nothing. Not even my name. “Emma” was the .

Maryanne just laughed and proceeded to head back the way we came, I quickly fell in behind her with a smile on my face, it was also getting near mid afternoon judging from the sun, and as I had hoped, the Mistress turned towards another café.

I was wrong. It was not so much a café as it was a tavern. Some musicians sat in the corner, playing lightly. A sand pit was in the center of the room where a bored looking black man sat cross legged and honed a steel blade. A few other couples sat about the room and a quiet light buzz of conversations filled the air.

“Ah Maryanne!” the hostess called out to her. “Table for you and your new girl I see? I have to admit I’m surprised you bought one.”

“No, she belongs to my father. However I will need use of an alcove in a bit. I’m also going to need some mead and some baked chicken.”

She looked at me. “Emma? Chicken acceptable for you as well?”

I was a bit taken aback. “Yes Mistress and tea if possible.”

The hostess repeated the order and then said alcove number 3 would be ready within the hour. I had no idea what that meant. We settled in the corner opposite the musicians and a lovely girl with the same mint green dress that we had just brought for me came forward with our drinks. She had long, straight and dark hair and paler skin, her eyes were dark and her face was flattened somewhat. She was very graceful as she served my Mistress her mead, and then poured my tea. She floated away never saying a word to either of us.

“That,” Maryanne said, “is Mia. She is from the lands further east than the River Lands. I understand it takes months by boats to reach it. A land they call Chin I believe.”

“Pardon my staring Mistress; I’ve never seen such an exotic women before.”

“Emma, you will see and learn much. Sometimes even wonders will appear ordinary in Ish given enough time.”

A moment later the girl named Mia brought the food, and we ate in silence for a bit.

“So, Emma, you were trained on how to please a woman?”

I had to admit I was taken aback by her bluntness and I nearly choked on my chicken before answering.

“Yes Mistress, we were trained on how to please both men and women.”

I did not tell her how I hated that part of training. It seemed unnatural to me to kiss a woman with passion, or to touch a woman the way a man does. The trainers of course, saw this and made sure that I learned my lessons well. I tried not to let the Mistress see this in my face or voice.

“Good.” Maryanne looked at me for a moment. “I see our alcove is ready so once we finish our lunch, we will see on how well you were trained.”

“Yes Mistress.” What more could I say? It would not end well for me to disobey, and since this woman was my Master’s daughter, it would be best for me to provide her the best service I could.