"Thats so horrific," Dana said, looking over the ruins of the village. "War is bad, I always knew it somehow."
"But you wanted to be a warrior nonetheless." Tashmal answered, riding beside the blonde.
It was their third day on horseback, traveling through wartorn Plorgaust. It was the first destroyed village they encountered, the houses burned to the ground, people and livestock gone.
Up to now, their ride had been uneventful. They rode on smaller roads, avoiding towns were there would be troops.  In the night, they had made camp in the wilderness, always two guards awake during the night.
Plorgaust was mainly wood country. The forest around them was thick and covered with snow. It hadnt snowed during their journey, but the weeks before much snow had fallen already.
The group was tigthly packed into thick fur cloaks. They had 12 horses, purchased back in Norbein, 9 for riding and three for their luggage. 
"I was stupid," Dana explained to her lover. "I only thought of adventure and glory. A childs dreams. Now I have seen violent death, have delivered it myself. I dont like the memory of it."
"Yes, you now take much more fun in binding and gagging your foes. The bad girls just look so much better this way than maimed and covered in blood."
"Exactly," Dana said, not in the mood for jokes. Where did the inhabitants of this village go? How would they  live through the winter? she asked herself.
Megan joined them. She and Trish didnt wear their high conical hats since they were in the empire, as they were a sign of alboran witches, sinners, who didnt believe in the goddesses. The doranian reaction to this was negative, to say the least.
"What do you think, Tashmal, how long ago this place was destroyed?" the redhaired witch asked.
"Several weeks. No troops here now." Tashmal answered.
Rowenn, who had followed her witch, nodded to that.
"Thats my opinion too," she said.
Dana fumbled in her hip bag for her Laxagos, lusting for a smoke again. They had passed the village. The blonde mouthed a stick and searched for the matchbox in the bag. The filter between her soft lips increased her need for the smoke. She moaned softly.
Tashmal chuckled: "Your little weakness, my avid blonde beauty. Your lust for cigarettes grows just as fast and strongly as your warrior and dreamworld powers."
"Instead of mocking your love, you could supply her with a light!" Dana mumbled, moaning in need again.  
"Searching in my hipbag for matches? With one hand? I would fall of the horse." 
"You cruel little whore, you."
Rowenn, who had mouthed a cigarette of her own, leaned over to Dana with a burning match.
"Here, Dana, I understand you."
"MMmmh! Uff, thats good." Dana blew out smoke, sucked yet again on the blonde filter.
Tashmal giggled. "You sound like a woman getting her first smoke after being gagged for eight hours straight. But you had your last one only half an hour ago. This way, your supply of Laxagos will be depleted soon."
Dana tried to ignore the Achaian and enjoyed her cigarette. With being so much "natural born warrior", and her dream powers, she was entitled to the odd weakness, she told herself.
Rowenn, Tashmal and Megan discussed the probability of encountering troops of either side in the war, the favorite issue in the group.
Yesterday morning they had seen a formation of 12 fighter dragons flying west, but so far, they hadnt encountered any ground troops.
Trishs raven appeared from somewhere out of the grey sky and landed on the witchs shoulder. The whiteblonde witch seemed to listen to him, as Dana knew she really did, and then announced:
"A heavy storm is approaching."
"Damn," Tashmal made. "We will have a hard time outside here in a storm. We should take the risk and change to a bigger road, seeking shelter in an inn."
"You are right," Rowenn said. And so it was settled.
They rode faster, reaching a crossing with a larger way one hour later. Following the greater road eastwards, they made it to an inn after about three hours, as snow had already started to fall and heavy winds let their cloaks flutter.
After their horses were securely in the large stable, the friends entered the tavern hall. A large fire was in the fireplace, and everyone headed over to it to get warm again. The inn mistress, an older, well rounded woman, approached them, and Megan ordered rooms and meals for them, paying in advance.
They pushed two tables together and sat down, soon serviced by two maids with hot Kaff, and lit cigarettes. After the first smoke and the cup of Kaff everyone felt better. The storm outside had started for real, and the wind was howling. 
There was only a handful of other guests, mainly merchants and their guards.  The service consisted of two elderly maids and two collared slaves in long tunics, a Rondaka like Zusha and a Telestak. As they were in the empire again, Zusha  carried no weapons and wore a black tunic, simple flat shoes and woolen stockings and gloves. Her hands were manacled in front, there was a slave collar around her throat and she had to kneel beside the table. She held the keys for collar and manacles herself and had a knife hidden in her tunic. The Tra Ka Dar had had no problems with this arrangement, at least she had said that to Dana.
Zusha and the rondakian slave had exchanged a look, and the slave seemed to be nervous about something. She had shoulderlength hair in two ponytails, but otherwise similar features and build as Zusha, so she was of the same subrace, perhaps even of the same culture.
The friends chatted a bit, Tashmal giving an account of a mission in the empire to free an achaian noble girl - Achaia was a republic, but there where still nobles who owned much land and had a powerful position in the Sarell, the senate - from slavery, and she went into detail describing the bondage action taking place during the adventure.
After a while, their meals were brought - pork and cooked potatoes in a dark, thick sauce with carrots and beetroots. It tasted astonishingly well for a meal in a little road inn in the empire. Dana took no pride anymore in her home countrys cuisine, preferring the Achaian already, so she was surprised positively. 
Finally finished with filling their bellies, they lit the usual cigarettes and leaned back. 
Trish said:
"What do you think of a hot bath?"
"A wonderful idea," Tashmal exclaimed.
"And then, some pleasure in the sheets!" Marule added.
"But we should be careful!" Rowenn intersected. 
"Yes," Tashmal conceded, "no bondage games, and during the night, always two of us outside our rooms on guard. There are still enemies out there trying to abduct Dana, and some may be able to know our whereabouts through dream wandering."
Later, they used the four bath tubes of the inn to clean themselves and wash their hair. While Dana was in a tube, she noticed Zusha speaking with the other Rondakian. The other girl seemed in awe of the Tra Ka Dar. Zusha made a grim face, even darker than was usual for her.
As they all left the bath, Dana asked the Rondaka:
"Everything okay? Whats with the slave? Do you want to help her? Maybe we could buy her and..."
"She would have no chance to get through the empire to the rondakian realm." Zusha said with a flat face.
"Maybe she could accompany us..."
"No, Dana, there are thousands of rondakian slaves in this country. We cant buy and free them all and take them with us. It honors you that you are willing to do that, but its unrealistic. The girl must look after herself."
Dana sighed and nodded. She wanted to ask Zusha what the girl had said to her, but she refrained from doing so. It was none of her business.
Everyone retreated into their rooms, and Dana and Tashmal made love for about an hour, before they slept. Much later in the night, the two were awakened by Megan and Rowenn, who had had the watch before them.  The lovers dressed, took their weapons, and settled down in the corridor on the ground, their legs crossed, while Megan and Rowenn went to sleep. 
They didnt want to disturb their friends and the other guests, so Tashmal and Dana didnt speak, instead they practiced the sign language of the dark blades, which had more to it than simple commando signals.
Time passed, until Danas sharp Krosa ears heard the unmistakable sounds of a womans gagged moans in a room nearby. She signalled Tashmal about it, who shrugged and signaled back that it probably were other guests playing bondage. Dana couldnt help herself, and rose, headed over to  the door and spied through the keyhole. It was a pair of women she had seen in the hall at the evening, a pale brunette and a voluptous blonde, much like Tashmal and herself. The brown haired woman was tied with white rope and gagged with a silk scarf, and the blonde was busy arousing her with lips, tongue and a large black dildo.
Dana smiled and watched for a while, getting hot herself.
"Thats very naughty," Sirfs voice said in her mind.
"You are not asleep?"
"No, obviously so. You like to bitch over Tashmals manners, and now that, young lady. Your heat seems to thriumph over your education."
"I love bondage, and I love to see beautiful girls packaged and aroused by it."
"Is this an excuse? Well, you would make a good slave hunter."
"I dont think so. I would catch and package every beauty I see and afterwards free them again. I hate slavery. Everyone has the right of freedom."
"A woman with principles fitting for a Benit priestress. But do you really want to watch these two?"
Dana had to admit she didnt feel the slightest shame. She could barely hold back to not press a hand against her sex and start to rub through the trousers. Obviously, her immense heat was another of her weaknesses.
"You are on guard. As your Tashmal seems to tolerate your behavior, its my duty to call you to order."
"Very well. I guess you are right after all. I am on guard duty."
After a last look, she returned to Tashmal, who grinned at her.
"Hot?" she signaled. "Your cheeks are stark red, a sure sign your love tube is full of juice."
"Yes, they are playing over there. Wish we could do it too. I already miss our games." Danas fingers answered. 
"Not only an avid smoker, lusting for ropes and gag too, my blonde beauty."
"I am afraid you are right. Maybe I should become a pleasure slave instead of a warrior."

***

"Greetings, ladies."
"Greetings, mylady."
"Its seldom found on such a small road in winter, a travelling group. My name is Agadre Kispelast, as you can see, I make in slaves."
The blonde lady, clad in furlined fine clothes and long brown boots and gloves, looked back upon her column.
It were two carts closed with planes and drawn by four horses each, 6 guards on horseback, and about 60 rondakian slaves on two chains, connected by their metal neck collars. The slaves wore fur bags tied around their feet and were wrapped in thick furs tied about their bodies with rope. 
Dana could tell that under the furs all were strictly bound. All wore a hood, and their faces under it were all gagged, their heads closely encased in black latexa sheeting, their hair probably shorn.
The guards had whips in attendance, and seemed ready to use them. The slaves were breathing heavily through their noses, the Lady Kispelast had had obviously ordered a high marching speed.
"We are travellers on the way to Weidfeld. My name is Danadeva."
"I am going to Steiffhast, the mainbase of the alliance in the archduchessdom. They are strengthening the fortifications there during the winter, and I will sell these scum here to be added to the work chains. I obtained them at a very low price in the Kerkemark."
"So you buy from one side and sell to the other?"
"Correct, Lady Danadeva. Money knows no side."
"I see."
It was the 7th day of their journey, which had been after the snow storm had passed uneventful. They had met this column of slaves and their trader on another small forest road.
"I see you have a slave too, mylady. You are very kind to her, that she is allowed to ride, instead of going tied to your stirrup."
"We dont want to lose time."
"Ah, this must be the reason."
Lady Kispelast, her blonde curls falling openly on her shoulders, her pretty face frackled, stared at Zusha, who sat on her horse, a collar around her throat and manacles on her wrists.
"She too seems a bit proud for a slave. You should consider to gag her. This measure usually has the effect of softening even the most stubborn redskinns expression."
Dana said nothing.
"May I command her?"
Dana hesitated, then nodded.
"Splendid. Slave! Dismount, approach me. Yes, thats good. Now, kiss my boot. Must a command be repeated?"
Zusha stared at the slave trader with barely hidden hatred.
The blonde ex maid didnt like her too, but nonetheless she said:
"Obey, Zusha."
The Tra-Ka-Dar did so, kissing the dirty boot of the frackled blonde. A cruel smile appeared on Lady Kispelasts face.
"Well, a journey through the woods is dangerous. No witnesses if something happens. I have a surprise for you."
As she voiced the word "surprise", the plane of the first cart dropped, and six guards with heavy crossbows, aimed at the friends, were visible. At the same time, the woman drew her sword and put it to Zushas throat.
"So. I am looking forward to seeing you all on your knees before me. Helplessly bound and gagged. Lets waste no time. Drop your weaponbelts and dismount. Slowly so, my women have nervous index fingers."
Dana and her friends changed grim looks. Tashmal signalled behind her back with her fingers.
At first, they all disarmed themselves and dismounted. On a command from Agadre Kispelast they all went on their knees, putting their hands behind their backs.
The Kispelast and her guards laughed, and several guards dismounted and others came down from the wagon, no longer aiming with their crossbows. The women were carrying a good amount of ropes and gags with them.
"Well, nine beauties, among them a very rare Xishaika and a big boobed blonde. You will bring a very good price on the market. Dont worry, your papers and marks will be in order. You will be marked right here and now."
The woman was referring to the magical tattoo every slave got impregnated into her flesh at the hip. Zusha was still wearing it. The witches in Albor had offered her to remove it, but she had declined without explanation.
It were twelve guards in all. Three were still on the weagon with their crossbows, nine were approaching the friends to package them.  The two driver woman of the two carts had no weapons. The 60 slaves had their two chains fastened to the second wagon, but could theoratically reach the area where the group knelt in the snow.
Suddenly, Zusha issued a long, shrill scream and jumped at Agadre on her horse, pushing her sword aside easily with her forearm. The rondakian slaves, as if one woman, moved on their chains and stormed forward, ramming their bound bodies against the guards, burying them literally under a mass of slaves. 
This was the moment Dana and the others had waited for. Megan cried a spell, and a sphere of darkness fell on the heads of the three crossbow-women on the first cart. The others attacked the guards still standing. Dana put her left fist into the stomach of "her" guard, and as the woman bent over, she kicked her with her knee in the face.
The blonde looked around to see that the fight was already over. Zusha had dragged Lady Agadre from her horse and held the womans sword to her throat. Coldly the Rondakian said:
"On your knees, slut."
The frackled blonde gulped and obeyed, her full lips quivered.
"Well,"Tashmal said to her, "it didnt work out quite as planned, did it? Your career as a slave trader and hunter is probably at an end. You should get accustomed to the other side. You may start by stripping. I know its cold, but once you are bound and gagged, you will be draped in furs. One of the Rondakians will surely lend you hers."
"You cant mean to free the redskinns!"
"We will, and we will do even more. They may take your weapons and provisions to help them on their journey back into their realm. And furthermore, you and your minions will accompany them as their slaves."
"No, no! Please! Dont give me to these savages! I dont care about the guards, they may suffice. But I am a lady! You cant..."
"Zusha, please gag her, will you."
"With pleasure, Tashmal."
"No, wait, I ...mmmmpph! UMMPPHH!"
Dana didnt object to Tashmals decision, she herself had wanted to free the slaves. And the Lady Agadre and her minions - well, that was justice at work.
They went to work securing the guards and the two cartdrivers, while Zusha tied up the already gagged Lady Kispelast. 
Rowenn checked the second cart - it was full of provisions, as expected. After packaging the slavers, the friends started to free the Rondakas. The redskinned women, once freed, went, one by one, over to Zusha and kissed her hand. The Tra Ka Dar let this happen, her head held high, her face expressionless.
Tashmal said to Dana:
"I would really like to know who our Zusha really is. In any case, she is more than a young Tra Ka Dar warrior."
"She will tell us more when she feels ready for it." Dana answered.
Zusha finally addressed the former slaves, when all had been freed and hade made makeshift garments out of the furs. She spoke in another rondakian language than her own, so much Dana could tell. Tashmal translated:
"You must try to reach the rondakian realm. Keep away from roads and settlements. Stay in the forests as long as possible. You will organize yourself, elect a warleadress and so on. The captives are your slaves now. Do with them as you please. Kill them or keep them, its up to you. But they can be useful alive, for example as hostages if you encounter whiteskins. May the sun, the moon, and the endless sky smile on your endeavour."
The Rondakas looked strange, in the furs, their heads save for their faces still encased in black latexa.
When Zusha had finished her little speech, the redskinned women went to work on the struggling and mmpphing Agadre Kispelast, shaving her head and pulling a latexacap over the bald skull. The former slave trader/hunter was weeping and starred at her blonde curls in the snow, moved about by the wind.
It was payback time, and Dana tried to suppress her rising pity for the woman. She had deserved it and more.
The group mounted their horses again, raised their hands in greeting to the freed slaves, and continued on their way down the street.
Sirfs voice said in Danas mind:
"Somehow you seem to draw such adventures to you like honey the bees or a magnet iron. Thats statistically very unlikely."
"You were a scholar of mathematics in your time, mylord?" Dana thought.
"Sort of. I play Kerkor after all. Some say it has much to do with mathematics. By the way, I am bored. Interested in a Kerkor game in our minds?"
"AAhh, I must admit, I dont think I can manage a game without a board."
"Young lady, you simply have to visualize the position of the pieces on the board. A good training for your brain."
"Sorry, but I am not in the mood to train my brain. Do you think the Rondakas will make it? To their realm?"
"It is a long journey on foot, and they need provender which is not easily gained during winter in the forests. They will have to rob the odd village. And then, slave hunters and soldiers will hunt them down. Its not very likely that they will make it."
"Too bad."
"You and the others have freed them, thats all you can do. Try to put them from your mind. Well, if you dont want to play Kerkor, I will have to discuss the arts with Osh again."
"The snake is interested in human arts?"
"Yes, paintings and drawings mainly. He is an expert. Didnt you know that Megan paints and draws in her free time?"
"She hasnt done so on our journey. No, I didnt know that."
"She has made wonderful nudes of your Tashmal."
"Really?"
"Oh yes. Very detailed."
"I see."
"I thought you had gotten over the jealousy regarding Megan?"
"I thought so too."
"With whom are you talking, Dana?" Tashmal asked, riding beside her. Dana had said the last sentence aloud. 
"It is nothing, my mouse, nothing."
"Strange, Megan does this too sometimes."
Megan again, Dana thought. Jealousy is such a bad and wrong feeling. I must defeat it.
She smiled at Tashmal, who smiled innocently back.