The hunting party's leader, Caleb.

The hunting party’s leader stood before them giving them both a sidelong glance before looking over the camp. He was Karlik’s head of guard, Caleb. A broad-chested man, with sharp features, his balding head shaved close and his beard short and neatly trimmed.

“Ciri, come,” he ordered as he walked towards where his tent was set up. Ciri followed.

The tent was larger than the rest, tall wood posts held up walls of heavy canvas, unlike the other tents meant for little more than sleeping you could stand in this one. There was enough room for multiple men, chairs and a travel table, a local map stretched out over its surface. Behind it his bed, a decent sized mattress sitting on a few wood planks to keep it off the ground. The only proper bed in the whole camp.

Ciri glanced at the map, showing the local topography, a few hundred yards from here there were marshlands and a small river, between there and the camp an open meadow, soft fertile lands.

“We’ve set up the traps here,” Caleb pointed towards where the meadow would be, “like you said.”

Ciri nodded in reply. “With the tracks we’ve found it looks like this is its hunting ground. They’re most active during dawn, that’s when it would hunt.”

“Good, then we wait.”

Satisfied with that Caleb pulled out a small case bound in leather, two straps with steel buckles held it tightly closed. Ciri stared as his fingers unwound the straps.

“How do you feel?” he asked without looking up at her.

It was an odd question she thought, why would he care, they were here to do a job.

“You’ve been arguing with the men again.”

Her eyes narrowed slightly. The men. A worthless group they were she struggled to even consider them that. She wasn’t sure how to respond.

“You know they will punish you for that,” Caleb said pulling a small vial from the case, the liquid inside it was clear. “I wonder if the effects are wearing off or you simply enjoy being punished.”

Ciri’s brow furrowed, what did he mean by that. “What--” she began only to stop when she realized he was standing in front of her. She stepped back reflexively then flinched as he brought his hand up to her cheek, almost tenderly caressing her face.

She felt ill, wronged, so she pulled away. Caleb smiled and shook his head. “Open your mouth,” he ordered.

He had a look in his eye, a look Ciri knew too well, he wanted something from her, demanded it. Would he fuck her right there Ciri thought, **** her to her knees, take her throat before taking her cunt? Would she cum loud enough for the other men to hear? Ciri winced at the unwanted thoughts coursing through her head.

“No,” she offered in an uncharacteristically meek whisper, this wasn’t right. She was on a job, a hunt, to trap a monster not too-- Ciri paused, why would she want to drink that. Why would--

“No?” Caleb repeated almost amused, the small stopper popped up and she saw him shudder, then she felt a familiar heat wash over her, comforting, soothing, she closed her eyes with a sigh and let it flow through her, her previous thoughts quickly faded.

He lifted the vial to her lips and she parted them for him, the liquid was warm on her tongue and that warmth spread throughout her body as she drank the tiny amount down.

“Fucking hell,” Caleb muttered seeing Ciri’s eyes open, she looked at him in an almost daze, her pupils blown so wide her eyes were nearly black.

“We hunt in the morning,” Caleb said, and Ciri nodded back at him. “Tonight you entertain the men, do you understand?” she nodded again and began to turn. She looked at him unexpectedly, “not yet, I get you first.”