The slaves attract attention.

The coffle was led out across the open thoroughfare in front of the slavers guild. In the time the mistress and her charges had spent within the guild the streets of Al Areth had grown far busier. Now Rezma had to wend this way and that and pause often for space enough to allow the coffle to proceed. The crowds hemmed in the collared and bound girls much more tightly than before, often rubbing shoulders as they passed.

To the Akkadian's annoyance he learnt that many free citizens considered near naked **** girls fair game to be pawed and petted in the street. Of course just the morning before he would have seen nothing wrong in such action and acted just as many of those passing the slaves now did. Though he twisted his body at each touch the Akkadian had little freedom to evade the wandering hands of passersby. His bared breasts and barely covered rump were the prime target for the strokes, slaps and pinches. Though he hissed, swore and made dire threats to those that casually molested him his impotent cursing was met only by laughter and a sharper pinch or slap. Mistress Rezma glanced back occasionally when the Akkadian berated his abusers, but merely chuckled at his plight.

The assassin was so concerned with his largely unsuccessful effort to avoid casual molestation that it took him some time to realise that the coffle was travelling a different route than the one they took on the outward journey. The street they were now in was well known for the number of blacksmiths and leatherworkers who had tanneries or forges in this quarter. Armour, horse and camel tack and **** bindings were the prominant trade items purchased from the artisans here. Rezma halted the coffle outside a forge and led the girls beneath the awning fronting the workplace. The Akkadian as the leading girl was secured to a hitching rail by the leash attached to his collar. A water trough was beneath the rail and the assassin surmised the rail was used both for beast of burden and slaves.

"Rest a while sluts. I shall be but a few ehn inside." The Shemite commanded. "I have some purchases to make."

Tzu-Tzi once the mistress had slipped into the dark interior of the building took the opportunity to slake her thirst. The Khitain **** with hands bound behind her dropped to her knees and bent forward to lap water from the trough much as a beast would. The Akkadian resisted briefly, but his throat was parched due to his profussive sweating as he was branded. He dropped to his knees beside Tzu-Tzi and lapped at the water just as she had. The water was cool in the shade of the awning and tasted freshly filled at least. Visha fell to her knees at rest, but seemed less thirsty than her fellow coffled slaves and did not stoop to drink like a beast as they did.

"Well isn't this a pretty sight boys?" The voice came from behind and above the Akkadian as he knelt over the trough. "Pleasure girls from some whorehouse by the look of them. Maybe their owners left them as free samples."

The Akkadian turned to see three beardless youths, in their late teenage years and full of the swagger and bravado common to that age. They wore cheap leather armour and short swords at their hips, crude shortbows on their backs. To the Akkadian's experienced eye he knew their sort. Country lads, second sons unlikely to inherit and instead given the bare minimum of weapons and pushed from their family homes to seek their fortune in the city. Their sort was hired as untrained war fodder by mercenary companies and half would die in the first battle they fought in. Usually such youths would have stepped aside as he passed and gazed at him in awe hoping to emulate him in time.

"No whorehouse boys, we bear the mark of Trimon." The Akkadian spoke, hoping to cow the young men with the name of the warlord. "As obvious warriors I am sure you know of our master?"

"Shit, these are Trimon's sluts." One of the youths exclaimed. "Hey Rorg, we should seek amusement elsewhere maybe?"

"Why should we Trant?" The lead and largest youth replied. "Near naked sluts left unattended. Nobody will care if we have a little harmless fun. A feel or taste of their cunts or perhaps a suck of our cocks. As long as we don't fuck them then there's no real harm to Trimon's property."

"Sure boys, no real harm." Visha's sly voice tempted. "**** girls get fingered and licked by everyone else, why should you be denied? Have you even had your cocks sucked by a trained pleasure ****? Minaja here was of the whores guild and Tzu-Tzi is skilled in the pleasurecraft of Khitai."