The Search 2

»Wow, you look like – like something I`ve never seen before!«

»I consider this a compliment«, Tabea answered with a smile and dropped a curtsey that looked a bit strange in her new attire. Though parts of her outfit had been Predrag`s idea, he had never before seen it on her.

Once she had decided to become a part of the group of showmen, they had thought of what Tabea could do best. Of course, her black skin would make people look at her, but that would not make them pay. However, Tabea wasn`t an especially good dancer – and she had refused to put on some furs and to do some rain dance or other exotic stuff. Tabea had insisted on keeping some dignity.

She had her PhD in history, but though this would have enabled her to foretell the future, she feared that this would get her into the focus of the authorities sooner or later. Bahira had suggested she could strip and when Tabea had playfully tried to beat her, she had had an idea.

»Predrag, are you a strong man? I mean, could you bring me to the ground?«

The man had laughed and then, when Tabea had continued to tease him, he had attacked her. His first, rather playful attempt had been rewarded by Tabea dodging and kicking away his legs, sending him to the ground. Predrag then had tried in earnest, but again, Tabea had used her Karate skills and though he really was a good wrestler, he had not been able to get her down. So, they had developed the idea of presenting Tabea as some kind of »wild woman«: she would only surrender to a man who could defeat her. Of course, anyone trying to do so would have to pay in advance.

Predrag had liked the idea and Tabea had thought that he partially enjoyed the thought of someone wresting her down and showing her her place. But he had not protested when she had asked Bahira in designing her costume. It should be convenient for fighting, but also show the audience she was worth the effort.

Now, she was wearing white trousers that looked like pajama trousers and were slightly transparent, giving a glimpse of her shapely legs. Underneath, she was wearing an equally white piece of silk. Bahira, a skilled seamstress, had made her something like a bikini bottom. She had not understood why Tabea had wanted such a thing, but for her, it felt good to have something like panties again.

Her upper body was naked, except for a long white cloth she had slung around her neck, draped over her breasts and then knotted at the small of her back. Tabea had tested that this makeshift bra would stay in place, even if she moved around fast. She had considered tying her hair in a ponytail, but her black curls would look wilder if she wore it open.

»You will need some makeup, but all in all, it could work!«

Bahira, who was wearing her bright colored dance outfit, seemed pleased. Predrag now showed her the leather items he had made following Tabea`s instructions: it were two pairs of boxing gloves, since she did not want any of  her show fights to turn into a bloody melee.

»They are good«, Tabea said after she had put on one pair. Then, she climbed up the cart, sitting beside Bahira who was handing a wine hose to her. Predrag sat on the driver`s seat and soon, they were approaching the next village to see if their latest attraction would work.

***

Jelena felt that the quiet hours were over when she was doing the dishes of their breakfast. She was still only clad in the silk slip and the three men had not spared comments or occasionally touched her, though they had not been too offensive. However, though the meal had been almost leisurely, Jelena had felt that Goran and the others were planning something. And indeed, the brigands` leader now came over to her where she was crouching beside the pond, cleaning the plates.

»Get ready, girl!«

Goran sounded a bit harsh, but Jelena was sure he was faking. During the night, they had exchanged a few more kisses and she had been not too eager on keeping him from exploring her body with his hands. However, when his comrade had approached, Goran had risen, pulled her to her feet by her hair (though not too tight) and sent her to prepare breakfast with a slap on her butt. Now, he once again seemed to play rough and Jelena couldn`t resist asking:

»Shall I scream when you touch me? So, your friends will think you are a really hard man!«

With a swift move, he grabbed her chin and painfully squeezed her jaw. He looked at her with a grim expression whilst Jelena whimpered; then, he pushed her away so she landed on her backside. As he raised his foot, she instinctively twitched, but he just stamped his foot and said:

»Get ready!«

»If he is still faking, he is quite convincing!«, Jelena thought, rubbing her jaw. Then, she quickly dried the bowls and stowed them away. When she had done so, she could see that Goran had cut her dress into long strips.

»Kneel!«

Jelena obeyed and he used one of the strips to tie her wrists behind her back. The cloth wasn`t too tight and she wondered if she could free herself, but then, Goran took a piece of rope and tied her hands with that, above the strip. This time, he pulled the ropes tight and Jelena whimpered, understanding that the first tie had only been for upholstery.

With another strip, he then tied her elbows, taking care that the joints met. His grip was quite rough and she had to bite her tongue not to tell him he should not exaggerate things. Goran knotted the cloth and reached for the rope to enforce the elbow tie. Again, he pulled the ends tight and made her moan with pain, but in a quick move, he kissed her neck.

However, this small gesture was the only solace for the girl, as now, Goran once again pulled her to her feet by her scalp. He held her in a vice grip and now, his comrades came close. Jelena knew only too well what effect an elbow tie had on a buxom girl like her and she could not help blushing as they examined her ample, thrust out boobs. When one of the men touched her, she squirmed and looked pleadingly to Goran, but the man just tightened his grip and chuckled as the other one groped her breasts and kneaded them not too gently.

When the second one had touched her, too, Goran tied a rope to her right upper arm and wrapped it around her torso, pinning her arms to her upper body before threading it under her left upper arm and encircling her body a second time. He then knotted it off at her right arm and Jelena felt the rough hemp touch the bases of her breasts through the thin silk. In addition, she now felt even more helpless then before.

When he now turned her around and looked down on her, he showed an almost friendly expression. Jelena still burnt from the humiliation of having her boobs fondled by the other two thugs and she glanced at him with a mixture of hate and disappointment.

»Better stop crying, girl. You might choke on your gag.«

He said it matter-of-factly, but his look told her that he seemed really concerned. He wiped a tear from her cheek and Jelena now felt even more embarrassed than before. It was one thing to get humiliated by these men, but now, she felt her cheek burn from the soft touch of Goran`s index finger. From his caress.

»Oh my God, he is a criminal that has some fun with me and just doesn`t want me to get damaged! Besides, we are far away from Stockholm!«

She had read about the so called »Stockholm Syndrome« with disbelief, but now, she felt a wave of sympathy run through her body, just because Goran was a bit gentler than his comrades. Jelena sniffled and stared at the ground whilst she heard Goran rustle with some cloths. Then, she felt his hand on her chin. He made Jelena look into his eyes and he said:

»Kneel down again!«

»Or what?«

Jelena tried to sound defiantly and she hated how hoarse her voice sounded. Goran smiled and his hand brushed over her cheek and her neck. Then, he once again grabbed her hair and pulled. He did not actually hurt her, but she had to bend back her head and to get down on her knees again. With his free hand, Goran took a large cloth from his belt and balled it.

»Or nothing, girl. It will just hurt more.«

Goran dabbed the tears from her eyes. When he then held the wad to her lips, Jelena whispered:

»You could at least call me by my name!«

Goran suddenly turned his head and shouted something at his men, obviously ordering them to get the horses ready. Then, he turned back for Jelena.

»Well, what is your name – girl?«

»Jelena.«

After some hesitating, she added:

»My friends call me ›Nelly‹!«

She wanted to tell Goran that he could address her as »Dr. Horváth«, but now, he pressed the cloth against her mouth, stifling her. When Jelena clenched her teeth shut, he slightly increased the grip on her hair. With a groan and rolling her eyes in resignation, she opened her lips.

Goran did nothing quickly. Thoroughly, he stuffed the cloth into her oral crevice. When it touched the back of her throat, causing her to make a retching sound, he continued by puffing her cheeks out and soon, Jelena`s mouth was as full as it could be. Now, he reached for a long, narrow strip that had once been another part of her dress.

He placed the middle of the cloth in her nape and released her hair to take the ends in his hands. Then, he tied a loose knot over her open mouth and then pulled, taking care that the cleave gag pushed the wadding a bit deeper before he took the ends and knotted them at her nape before bringing them to the front again and tying the ends off with three tight knots between her lips.

»Mph!«

»Almost done, Nelly!«, he said with a smile and tied another cloth over her mouth. Then, he tied a noose around her neck. It was loose and tied in a way it couldn`t tighten, but when he used it like a leash, the girl had to follow Goran to his horse. There, Jelena could see that the others had already mounted their horses and one of them had tied the packing horse to his saddle.

»Today, we are not expecting company, so, you may ride with me – Nelly!«

He got into the saddle and then, once his feet were in the stirrups, he leaned down and grabbed her hips. Jelena screamed and flailed with her unbound legs as he lifted her from the ground and made her sit opposite to him, but he just forced her down. Then, he tied her neck rope to the saddle. If she fell off the saddle now, she would strangle herself.

Now, the man was as close as he had been when they had shared his blanket. Her thrust out boobs were pressing against his chest and when he reached for the reigns, she felt as if she was in a loose embrace. Then, she noticed something else: Having to sit in the saddle had made her slip slide up her thighs and she also felt something press against her middle. With horror, Jelena realized that she was sitting on the pommel and that the leather knob was trying to find a way inside her whilst gravity forced her downwards.

»Mhhmmph! Nnnnggg!«

Jelena shifted, trying to get away from the intruder. Goran looked down and saw the problem, causing him to chuckle.

»Fearing for your virginity?«

The girl fumed and Goran pulled her closer towards him. Jelena slid from the pommel, but now, she was wedged between it and Goran. She could feel the stiff leather between her buttocks and her naked middle now pressed against Goran`s manhood. Jelena could sense he was not indifferent towards that.

»Just remember that my men mustn`t notice!«, he whispered before he made the horse walk on.

***

Mira felt grateful when the horse she was tied to, bound gagged and with a sack over her head, finally stopped. The uncomfortable ride had made her feel sick and so, it was a great relief when the constant swaying and rocking stopped.

She could hear some distant noises: people talking, the sounds of animals and carts. »This must be Valjevo«, she guessed. A moment later, one of the men put her over his shoulder and then, she was carried away.

After some yards, the sounds of the outer world vanished and instead, she could hear the echoing steps of the two men and felt that it had become colder around her. Obviously, they were carrying her through a tunnel.

»So, this Milan they are getting me to does not want them to be seen.«

She had no idea who the man her abductors had talked about was, but it was clear that he was some brothel owner or a slave trader. In both cases, it was nothing pleasant waiting for her.

Now, the man put her down and held her upright whilst the other one quickly cut her bonds. They waited until they were sure she could stand on her staggering feet; then, whilst Mira was struggling to get the sack from her head, she could hear the sound of a door.

Mira found herself in a cell, though a quite comfortable one. It had only some five or six square yards, but it was clean and dry. The only lighting came from a barred hole some three yards above the ground, telling Mira that the only furniture was a narrow mattress and an iron bucket.

She undid her gag and hopefully looked if the bucket contained water, but it was empty. Now, she went for the iron door. It had a small lid in it, but that was closed and could only be opened from the outside. For a moment, she considered screaming and banging at the door, but instead, she sat down, realizing the mattress was surprisingly convenient.

After some time, she heard steps from the corridor and so, she rose and listened. The sound stopped, but she was sure that someone was standing just on the other side of the door.

»H-hello?«

She repeated her greetings in Turkish, but there was no answer. Mira knew that her guard was playing with her and so, she tried to fake coolness she didn`t feel at all:

»Well, thanks for your hospitality so far. I will take a nap, but after some two hours, you may get me some coffee and fruits. Besides, some fresh clothes would be nice!«

She was a little surprised when the lid was opened almost immediately. Mira expected to see someone looking inside or at least to hear someone shout at her that she could be glad to get some bread and water the next day. However, she just heard vanishing steps.

Mira went for the door and spied through the lid that had been only opened a little. She could see a dark corridor – big surprise. There seemed to be some lighting, however; not from a torch, but from a lit room quite close. From the direction of the light, she could also hear some faint noises.

Again, she called »Hello«, but there was no answer. So, Mira just waited and concentrated on the sounds that were somehow familiar: it was the noises of a kitchen. Then, the smell met her nostrils. A pleasant smell, and familiar, too: obviously, they had taken her order for coffee seriously.

»Add some sugar, please!«, she yelled. Now, the lighting increased as the kitchen`s door was opened. A man that looked tall and strong, but not like a typical prison`s guard, asked with a friendly smile:

»Maybe, you would also like some fresh bread?«

He presented her a tray with bread rolls and now, the scent of these mixed with that of the coffee. Mira gulped and felt she was indeed hungry. So, she agreed to the proposal and soon, the man had placed a plate with deliciously looking food on a stool close to her cell door. He then poured some coffee into a cup and indeed mixed it with some sugar.

Now, some steps could be heard and another man approached. He was an elderly man in plain, but good clothes and the guard bowed towards him. Obviously, this was Milan.

Mira thought that he looked different from what she had expected a criminal to look like. Besides, his smile was friendly as he said:

»I am Milan. What is your name, girl?«

»Mira, Effendi!«, she answered, dropping a curtsy. He smiled and said:

»Well, Mira, you may call me by my name, I don`t care much about these Turkish titles. But tell me, would you like some breakfast?«

Now, Mira noticed something lurking in his voice; of course, this man had not let some thugs get him a girl against her will just for being polite. However, she answered that she would indeed like some food and coffee. Milan nodded and then, he asked:

»Are you a virgin, Mira?«

She gasped, a bit overwhelmed by the unexpected question. Then, lowering her head, she whispered:

»Y-yes, Milan!«

Technically, it was the truth. Since Mira had only been interested in girls since she had developed any interests at all, she had never been with a man – and sure, that was what this man wanted to hear, wasn`t it?

»Well, there are ways to prove that, but for the moment, I intend to believe you, Mira. For if you lied to me, you will pay for it anyway.«

This did not help Mira to calm down, but now, he fully opened the lid in the door and handed her the cup. Mira shortly hesitated, but then, she took a sip from the coffee that tasted delicious. Milan took a cup for himself and in silence, they both drank. Then, putting away his cup, he asked:

»Do you think that I consider you pretty?«

Mira`s eyes widened. She knew that it depended on her answer how Milan would treat her. So, she thought for a few seconds before she said:

»You must have had a reason for ordering your men to get me here. And since we haven`t met before, it can`t be for my character!«

As she had hoped, Milan chuckled and Mira shyly smiled, too. Sure, this was a good sign! However, Milan`s next question also was a bit tricky:

»Do you consider yourself pretty, Mira?«

Usually, Mira thought of herself as quite attractive, though she also wasn`t too vain. But now, any answer she could give could be wrong, especially as there had again been the lurking undertone in Milan`s voice.

»I-I d-d-don`t know«, she stammered and Milan now looked at her with stern eyes. His smile had disappeared from his face at all.

»I don`t know either! And there is only one way to find out!«

He kept looking at her through the lid and Mira gulped. She had known that something like that would happen.

»At least, it`s only one man watching and maybe, he won`t do more than watching!«

Slowly, she opened her jacket and let it slide to the ground. Then, she undid her bootees. Since she had planned an undetected escape at night, Mira was wearing black trousers and a matching shirt. She took off both items, leaving her in a short, sleeveless tunic. Milan still looked at her motionless and with a sigh, she pulled the tunic over her head. Now, she was stark naked.

Still, the man showed no reaction and now, Mira got to her wit`s ends. What did he want from her? She placed her hands on her hips, straightened her shoulders and gave him a full display of her nude front. Then, she noticed a slight trembling of Milan`s lips.

»Well, I thought the only way to get a correct answer was to ask your greatest enemy whether you are pretty! But I must say your way to answer my question is – entertaining!«

He began to laugh and now, Mira felt humiliated. Blushing all over, she covered her bareness with her arms and wanted to reach for her tunic.

»Let that go!«

Milan`s voice now sounded strict and so, Mira obeyed. He ordered her to bundle up her clothes, together with the remnants of her bonds and gag, and to lie down on her mattress. As she had done so, the door was opened. Mira crawled to the wall, but the guard just got the bundle and took it from the cell before the door was closed and locked again. Then, again Milan`s face appeared in the opening.

»You still want your food?«

Mira resisted the urge to yell or throw her bucket against the door. Instead, she sat up, trying to find a position that offered a minimum of modesty, and said:

»That depends on the price – Milan.«

Milan looked at her for a few seconds before he answered:

»Well, I want you to help me with some of my studies. For any day you do willingly what you are told, you will be fed well. If we have to force you, you will be part of my studies, too – however, starving and with some bruises.«

Mira shuddered. He had told her what she knew already: if she refused to obey, they would punish her and sooner or later break her.

»What kind of studies are these?«

»That, you will find out soon, Mira. Either after breakfast or after my servant has dragged you to my laboratory. It`s your choice, girl.«

This could hardly be called a choice: either obeying that creep or being forced to do so. But Mira knew that, naked and imprisoned, she could not be picky.

»Let me eat first – please.«

***

The village was small. Tabea guessed it had no more than some 200 inhabitants, most of them peasants or shepherds. Some small huts and houses were gathered around a dusty place in front of a tiny withered church. There, Predrag stopped the cart. It had been followed by a bunch of kids since it had reached the village, since they had been attracted by the colored vehicle, Predrag`s announcing different attractions and Bahira dancing on top of the cart. On order of Predrag, Tabea was hiding inside, since she was one of said attractions.

Soon, most of the adults had arrived at the central place, too. Predrag started the show by telling the audience some stories of the strange world behind the hills. Tabea could hardly understand a word, but she had seen some of the paintings the man used to illustrate his stories: hardly realistic depictions of strange animals and monsters, together with foreign looking places and occasionally some nude women.

Obviously, the peasants either believed that the world was indeed peopled by dragons and other creatures or they simply loved a good story, for as Predrag ended, they applauded him. The good mood increased as Bahira once again danced whilst Predrag played his flute.  Her dress was just modest enough not to upset the priests and besides, the girl knew how to dance. Even Tabea, who was still in hiding, liked the show, though she was a bit nervous, since the next part of the show would be her.

Indeed, Predrag now announced her and Tabea could tell from his body language that he introduced her as something ferocious, half man, half animal. It hurt to see that none of these friendly peasants would consider her an equal human being.

»It might not be a picnic to be black in my time, but in comparison, I`d rather be back home!«

However, this would have to wait and at least, Predrag and Bahira were no real racists. Her blackness was just a feature that helped to make some money, just like Bahira`s dancing skills.

»Well, let the games begin!«

As Predrag ended his speech, Tabea jumped from the cart and the audience applauded. She did not roar or hiss, as Predrag had intended. Instead, she did some stretching, emphasizing her shapely forms and ample breasts. Then, she did a few Katas. A man rose, stepping forward with his hands stretched out. Obviously, he wanted to grope her breasts.

Tabea smiled at him and invitingly thrust out her bust. However, when he stepped closer, she jumped back and rolled over her shoulder, kicking some dust into his face. The man coughed and wiped his eyes and the audience laughed. Two more men came to their feet and now, Predrag yelled something. Bahira approached with a wooden plate and after a short discussion, one of the men stepped back whilst the other paid a small coin. Then, he went for Tabea, a lustful grin on his face.

Predrag now produced an hourglass and a small gong. Tabea fell into fighting position whilst the man flexed his fingers, anticipating putting them on her breasts. The rules of the game were simple: the man would have the time the hourglass gave him to wrestle her down. If he brought her to her back and had some time left, he could do with her whatever he wanted.

As Predrag turned the hourglass and hit the gong, Tabea noticed he had not made the man put on leather gloves. He jumped forward, quite fast, but without elegance, and Tabea had no difficulties in dodging away. With a curse, he attacked again.

This time, Tabea kicked his feet away. The man landed on his backside with a grunt and before he could react, she jumped upon him, sat astride him and pinned down his arms with her gloved hands. He struggled and squirmed, but Tabea just increased the pressure on his ribs and held her position. The man panted, but now, Tabea smiled down on him.

»You were good – but not good enough!«

Bahira had taught her that sentence in Serbian and she watched the man carefully. If he tried something like spitting her face, she would slam her forehead on his nose. But the man, a simple peasant, just grunted:

»I – I give up!«

Tabea smiled and went from his belly. He came to his feet, brushing the dust from his clothes, and Tabea caught Predrag`s look. His eyes sent a silent message.

»Is that really necessary?«, Tabea signaled with her eyes. Predrag nodded and with a sigh, the girl stood motionless with her hands down. Predrag now said something to the man and showed him his hands.

It was the consolation prize, so to say: any defeated opponent would be given the time Predrag needed to count down from ten to touch and grope her boobs.

»If these people pay just for getting beaten up, they become angry and will probably sent us away. We have to show them that everyone gets something for his money!«

And so, Tabea forced a smile on her face as the man now clumsily kneaded her boobs. At least, he did not hurt her or try to rip off her breast cloth. But anyway, these ten seconds fell very long for the girl.

To her relief – and to Predrag`s disappointment –, no other man wanted to fight her now. Obviously, the idea of getting defeated by a woman was too horrifying. Predrag shrugged and whispered to her:

»It was just a test, anyway. Tomorrow, we will be in Valjevo. In a real town, we sure will make a sum!«

At a corner, two men were leaning. They had watched the show and the taller one had been eager to try his luck in fighting Tabea, but Sanjin had held his comrade Sinisha back.

»Even if you win, how should we get her back to Goran? Now, we know where she is and all we have to follow them until there`s a chance to get her – and maybe, also the dancing girl. After all, they owe us something for lying to us yesterday! They stole our packing horse, together with our – guest, and so, we earn some compensation!«

Sinisha smiled. Not only had Milan paid them good money for the blonde girl – money Goran and the others didn`t know about. They had also found the missing Black and though they had just seen that the girl could fight, they were sure that they could overpower her once again.

So, they watched as the showmen now prepared for leaving. Most of them had paid for the show in naturals, offering them enough wine and meat for the evening. Predrag, who knew that they would spend the little money they had earned if they stayed for the night, decided to travel now and sleep in the cart. So, they could reach Valjevo before noon the next day and earn some money before the night.

Followed by the children, the cart slowly left and none of the three passengers noticed the two horsemen that followed it, always staying a few hundred yards behind. However, Sinisha and Sanjin also did not recognize they were watched as well.

»Now, Mathilda, what do you think of this?«, the man said, caressing his mule between the ears. He had seen the two men he recognized as part of the posse who had Jelena in their clutches and so, he had followed them, but hidden in the hills as they had entered the village. Using his spyglass, he had watched the show from a quarter of a mile`s distance.

»So, I`ve finally found you again, Tabea!«

Whistling a melody, he slowly followed the two riders, knowing they would lead him to the black girl he had been searching for some time now.

***

Milan hadn`t touched Mira during breakfast, he had just kept watching her through the door`s opening. The nude girl had fought down her embarrassment and stilled her hunger. Then, Milan had spoken again:

»Now, you might see why you are here, Mira. But first, put on this!«

Through the opening, he handed her a leather ball to which two straps were attached. She looked at him questioningly, but Milan just ordered her to take the ball into her mouth and buckle the straps at the back of her neck. Mira obeyed, trying to cope with the strange taste of the big ball in her mouth.

Milan now entered her cell, stepped behind her and shook his head. Then, he loosened the straps and pulled, forcing her to open her jaws more and to take the ball deep into her mouth. Then, he buckled it tight, but left the girl unrestrained otherwise. Instead, he gently took her hand.

»Please, follow me to my laboratory, Mira!«

***