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Subject: {ASSM} Amanda's Choice 17/19 (MF FF bd oral)
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<1st attachment, "Chapter17.txt" begin>

WARNING: This is a work of erotic fiction. It contains depictions of
nudity and graphic sex.

Author: A Strange Geek
Title: Amanda's Choice
Summary: A 14-year-old girl with a troubled home life is swept away to
another world by an older female lover, where she must make the
ultimate choice between love and freedom.

Part: 17 of 19
Keywords: MF, FF, bd, oral

Note: Story codes are for this Chapter. See Chapter 0 for complete list
of codes

Copyright A Strange Geek, 2005

Feedback welcome! Please email me at astraYOURngegeek@comMINDcast.net
( lose YOUR MIND to email me )

Or to send anonymous feedback, use the form at bottom of HTML version:

http://www.asstr-mirror.org/files/Authors/A_Strange_Geek/www/novels/AmandasChoice/Chapter17.html



---------------

Amanda was having a dream.

She was running through the gardens of the Manor, Roquan in slow
pursuit, a Trainee collar dangling from the chain that he held in his
hand. He walked behind Amanda at a leisurely pace, in no need to hurry,
for no matter path Amanda picked for escape, it curved back and brought
her back to Roquan every time.

Amanda ran again, and again, and every time it was the same. Finally,
when she again turned to run, there were no more paths. She was trapped
in the Circle with him. Yet when he advanced on her again, a figure
stepped out from behind the trees. Suddenly, the chain in Roquan's hand
was a snake, and he dropped it in alarm. It hissed and bared its fangs
at the Overlord, and chased him into the brush.

The man turned and stepped out of the shadows.

Amanda gasped. "Father!" she cried. "Oh, father, thank you!"

Amanda stepped forward to embrace him, and her foot came down on
something that shattered underneath her, causing her to cry out in
pain. She looked down to find she had stepped on a glass liquor bottle,
which had broken into shards under her now-bleeding foot. She raised
her eyes, and the entire clearing was littered with more of them.

Amanda looked up at Frank, stricken. He stepped further from the
shadows, revealing the collar around his neck. Another figured stirred
in the shadows behind him, emerging into the light, holding the other
end of the chain in one hand, and another chain and collar in the
other.

"It's time to come back to the home now, Amanda," said Joan Mallard,
her eyes glittering.



"Amanda?"

Amanda awoke with a start, jerking at the touch to her shoulder, heart
fluttering until she turned over and her bleary eyes managed to focus.
"S-Sirinna," she said, breathing a sigh of relief.

"I was going to let you sleep a little longer," Sirinna said softly.
"But you were whimpering, and I wanted to make sure you were okay."

Amanda nodded and sat up in bed. "Just a bad dream, that's all."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

Amanda looked at Sirinna. She was no longer looking so peaked and
bloodshot, but it was clear that she was not the same person Amanda had
known from a day before. Her eyes were dull and listless, the tiny
smile on her lips forced, her face a mask of melancholy, her voice weak
and sad.

"Sirinna, are you all right?" Amanda asked.

Amanda knew it was a stupid question the moment it was out of her
mouth. Sirinna just gave Amanda a wan smile and nodded slowly. "I'm
fine," she said. "I'm sorry for getting so hysterical last night."

Amanda knew Sirinna was still upset, but there was no point in pursuing
it. Sirinna would just keep denying there was nothing wrong. She turned
her head and looked out the window, blinking at how bright it was
outside. "Did I oversleep?"

"A little," Sirinna said, sitting down on the edge of the bed. "I
already fetched us some breakfast, but ... um ... on the way back, I
was told that Master Roquan wants to see you when you awaken."

Amanda sighed and covered her eyes with her hand. "What did I do now?"

"No, no, Amanda, it's nothing like yesterday," Sirinna said, her voice
cracking a bit. She paused and took a quick, deep breath. "I think he
just wants to discuss something with you."

Amanda threw the covers off and hopped out of bed. "If he asked me
anything more about anything I saw or heard in this place, I'm just
denying everything," Amanda said sullenly. "I'm not going through all
that again!"

Sirinna sighed and placed a hand on Amanda's shoulder. "I think he just
wants to talk to you about the Portal. I think he's going to ..."
Sirinna stopped for a moment when her throat threatened to close up on
her. In a very soft but very emotional voice she continued, " ... open
the Portal tonight."

"So what does he need me now for?" Amanda demanded.

Sirinna swallowed. "I imagine he wants to ask you what you decision
is."

"Now??"

"Well, if ... i-if you decided to stay, what's the point of energizing
the Portal?"

Amanda glanced at Sirinna and quickly looked away. She could not stand
to see the defeated look in Sirinna's eyes.

This was the ultimate in torment for both her and Sirinna. She had an
opportunity to get both of them away from Roquan and and still stay
together as they wanted, yet she was going to be forced to make Sirinna
believe she wanted to go home. She had to tell Roquan she wanted to
leave, if he were to power up the Portal and allow Yanna to spirit them
away to Master Rennis' Manor.

"Sirinna," Amanda began, but closed her mouth quickly.

"Yes, love?"

Amanda bit her lip. No, she couldn't tell her, if for no other reason
than what she did not know would not get her in trouble with Roquan.

Amanda shook her head. "Nothing. I'll go see Roquan now and get this
over with."



Roquan said nothing for nearly a full minute after Amanda had walked
into his quarters, staring at her with a hard, even gaze. Amanda stood
with her hands folded demurely in front of her, trying not to feel
affected by this last attempt at intimidating her.

It was with relief on her part when Roquan finally spoke. "I suppose
that this is largely a formality," he said, folding his arms. "I
believe I can guess what your decision is after recent events."

Amanda's lips tightened, down-turning into a small frown.

"Nevertheless, I will ask it, since if you happen to surprise me, it
will save me from having to open the Portal. So, Amanda, have you ..."

"I've decided I want to go home, Overlord," Amanda said a little
loudly.

Roquan's face was stone. She had interrupted him. Again. "I suppose
that is for the best," Roquan commented in a carefully neutral tone of
voice. "For all of our sakes."

"All?" Amanda asked. "Yourself included, Overlord?"

"Especially me, Amanda."

"And here you were so hot to collar me yesterday. What happened?"

Amanda was not sure what made her decide to be cheeky towards Roquan
again. Perhaps it was resentment over forcing her to make this decision
now just because he wanted to save his own precious time. Perhaps it
was a last parting shot, knowing she was going to be gone one way or
the other by nightfall.

Whatever the reason, Roquan chose not to rise to the bait. He remained
calm as he leaned back in his chair, regarding Amanda with a look that
was almost one of amusement. "You do not like what you see here, do
you?"

Amanda paused. "Come again?"

"Few outworlders get a chance to see what you have seen from a
perspective unaffected by the Draught," Roquan said. "And I am sure
Sirinna did her best to put the very best face upon it. So tell me,
Amanda. Despite all that, you still hate what you see? Do you still see
no merit in all of it?"

Amanda looked at the Overlord for a few seconds, eyes narrowing. "Do
you really want an honest answer, Overlord?" she asked. "Or do you want
another excuse to spank me again?"

"I wish an honest answer."

"Actually, Overlord, I discovered that being a slave is not quite as
bad as I had thought after staying here a few days."

Roquan raised an eyebrow. "Indeed? So it is not slavery you dislike?"

"No." Amanda gave Roquan an icy look. "It's /you/ I dislike."

"Then you must dislike all Overlords," Roquan said. "For the others are
no different."

Amanda shook her head. "No, I think that some of them probably are."

"In what way?"

"They actually listen to people other than themselves."

Roquan paused. Anger flickered in his eyes. "Were you to stay, Amanda,"
Roquan said brusquely, "I sincerely doubt I would give you any more
reason to like me, for I am convinced you would earn yourself nothing
but punishment for all your time as a Trainee. If you ever came out of
training, that is."

Amanda chose to be defiant to the last, and she retorted, "Don't be so
sure, Overlord. I've been told several times now I'm rather clever. I
just might have surprised you."

And to Amanda's surprise, the anger vanished from Roquan's face. "You
know, Amanda," Roquan said softly. "You might have at that."

Amanda gave Roquan a non-plussed look.

Roquan smiled enigmatically. "Good day to you, Amanda."

Still a bit stunned, Amanda hesitated a moment before finally turning
and walking out the door.

Roquan watched her go and shook his head. "If I didn't wind up wanting
to auction you off at the first chance I had," he said tiredly.



Amanda and Sirinna remained silent through much of their breakfast,
their appetites fueled only by the fact that neither of them had had
much to eat the night before. Halfway through the meal, however, their
initial hunger sated, they returned to picking idly at their food, each
glancing up occasionally at the other, as if each was daring the other
to speak first.

Finally Sirinna broke the silence. "So, um ... is Master Roquan going
to be powering up the Portal today?" she asked in a ridiculously false
upbeat voice.

"Yes," Amanda said listlessly, her voice barely above a whisper.

Sirinna just nodded. "I, uh, guess it's for the best, right?"

Amanda looked up. "Don't make me answer that, Sirinna," she said
flatly.

Sirinna's eyes glistened and she nodded again silently, taking a deep
breath to try to keep her composure from shattering. Yet she almost
lost it again when she said quietly, "I'm going to miss you, Amanda."

Amanda heaved an emotional sigh and reached out to Sirinna. They
embraced, nearly up-ending the food platter between them. Amanda closed
her eyes tightly. "I'll miss you, too," she said in a weak voice.

They remained like that for a long time, hugging each other, neither
one wanting to let go. Finally Amanda edged herself back from it and
said to Sirinna, "Can we spend the day together, Sirinna? We only have
..."

Sirinna was already shaking her head sadly. "I have to go to the Circle
after breakfast, Amanda," she said despondently.

"Why? Oh ..." There was a hard edge to Amanda's eyes. "Your
punishment," she said tersely.

"I'm really sorry, Amanda," Sirinna said, her eyes shimmering.

Amanda did not want to see Sirinna cry again. She could not stand it
anymore. She was already causing Sirinna enough pain by not telling her
of Yanna's plans. "We'll be together again one more time before I
leave, right? You'll come to the Portal to see me off?"

Sirinna nodded, managing a weak smile.

Amanda had a flash of insight. "So ... what does this Portal look
like?"

Sirinna described it. She told her of the golden energy column, and the
crystal sphere and the glittering red dewomer within. "Oh, that sounds
interesting!" Amanda said brightly. "I'd love to see it before the
Portal opens."

"Slaves are generally not allowed in the Portal building without Master
Roquan's permission, love."

"Oh, but he wouldn't object if we just showed up a little early, would
he?" Amanda persisted. "Maybe like around twilight? Surely that would
be okay?"

"I'm not sure ..."

"Please? If he asks, we can claim we just got there ahead of him. Or
that I was so eager to get away from Roquan that I couldn't wait to get
to the Portal. Or ... "

"Okay, okay," Sirinna said, chuckling softly. She actually smiled.
Despite how painful it was going to be to see Amanda go, she was very
happy to have known her. Amanda was unlike anyone else she had ever
met. No other girl or boy her age had ever been as mature and as caring
as she was. Compassion was such a vital quality for a good slave to
have. It was truly a pity that she would not put it to use in that
manner.

Sirinna quickly shook off these thoughts, knowing they would make her
slide into depression again, and she could not afford to do that. "I'm
done with breakfast, love," Sirinna said, lightly stroking Amanda's
hair. "I wish I could stay with you, but I can't."

"I know. Will I see you at the midday meal?"

"Oh, yes," Sirinna said as she stood up. "And ... I wouldn't mind you
coming and finding me now and then. I know you probably won't like what
you see, but ... I-I'd appreciate the support."

Amanda stood and gave Sirinna one last quick hug. "I will."

Sirinna gave Amanda another wan smile and walked out.



The respite from the tropical heat was brief. The coolness of the night
was quickly banished by the bright morning sunlight. By the time the
sun had risen into the cloudless blue skies above the Manor, it's rays
already began to bake the ground, quickly drying the remaining puddles
from the storm, sending tiny thermals shimmering into the air.

It took only moments in the sunlight to make the already listless Yanna
walk with an increasing tired and slouching gait, as if wilting in the
heat. Several times, Hiatha snapped the chain to make her walk upright,
and by the third snap, she simply gave up, sighing to herself. She
looked over to Garas, who walked steady and with his head held high,
like a proper slave. He had vastly improved since that incident in the
Circle, and even more so since Hiatha had been given Yanna. She
suspected Garas was showing off a little, proving that he was the much
better trained slave of the two of them.

Hiatha might have chided him for his smugness if he hadn't been so
right.

It was very clear from the start that Hiatha would not have much better
luck with Yanna with her training that morning, either. Hiatha had
continued the exercises she had started the afternoon before. Thus
Yanna stood for long periods tensing her sexual muscles to hold weights
of increasing heaviness in her tunnel, and she could barely manage half
the time or a third of the weight as the day before.

Yanna's sexual pleasuring skills left much to be desired as well.
Hiatha first had her pleasure Garas with her mouth, and even allowed
her to use more than just her tongue. Her performance was very dull and
unimaginative, not much better than a first-day Trainee, and she let
far too much of Garas' seed for Hiatha's liking leak from around her
lips when he reached orgasm.

Hiatha stepped forward and sighed. "Surely you can do better than
that," Hiatha said.

Yanna paused as her Trainer helped clean her face. "I'm sorry,
mistress," Yanna said in a somber voice, her eyes downcast.

Hiatha looked up, her attention momentarily distracted. Near the other
side of the circle, Sirinna knelt in the grass before one of the older
male slaves. A small smile played at his lips as his cock slid in and
out of Sirinna's mouth. Between Sirinna's parted legs, a female slave
was busily stroking her pussy, driving her again to the unbearable edge
of an orgasm that stayed out of reach.

"Yanna," Hiatha said. "Look over to Sirinna."

Yanna blinked and looked up.

"Now watch her, Yanna."

Sirinna's body trembled with frustrated denial, yet her mouth continued
to work at the other slave's cock, drawing it in and out slowly and
sensuously, pausing to turn her head and stroke the underside with her
tongue, lick him from between his balls slowly up to his head, and then
lap at the sensitive spot just behind the head before taking him back
inside. She quickened her pace, sending him upwards slowly but surely.

"She's being punished," Hiatha explained. "She's going mad not being
able to cum. Yet look how she pleasures him. All her concentration is
on it."

"Yes, mistress," Yanna said tonelessly.

"That is how I expect a well-trained slave to behave. Now, let's try
this again ..."



Amanda tried to return to bed. She was still rather tired, not having
had enough sleep the night before. When she tried to lay herself down
on her bed, however, her mind raced too fast and her stomach churned to
much for sleep to come to her.

She restlessly paced about the quarters, and when this became too
confining to her, she donned her gown and headed outside. The heat hit
her at once, making her briefly consider leaving her gown, but she
quickly decided against it. Going about nude had lost whatever small
appeal it had had for her, and the day was not nearly as humid as it
had been anyway.

Amanda considered going to the Circle, but could not bring herself to
see Sirinna. Not yet, not as agitated as she was feeling at that
moment.

To Amanda, it felt as if she were back in time, waiting in the house
with the storm threatening and her father nowhere to be found. She felt
just as helpless and just as alone. Everyone she could turn to was lost
to her. Sirinna was being punished. Yanna was being trained. Vanlo
still seemed too aloof to her. There was no one to tell her what to do.
There was no one to tell her what she should believe, or who she should
believe.

Amanda was having second doubts about Yanna's plan. And her story.

She wanted to believe Yanna. She wanted to believe that Rennis was
indeed a "kinder and gentler" Overlord. Surely if he were as
compassionate with Sirinna during her deflowering as she was Amanda to
believe, what Yanna told her could make sense, but only if the rest of
Yanna's story were true.

Amanda wandered the gardens, all the while making nervous glances
towards the trees in the distance that enclosed the Circle.

Yanna had told her she would speak with Rennis again that day, or
"Farview" to him, assuming Yanna was not making that up as she had
suspected at first. Yanna had told her specifically to come during the
afternoon. But that would be after Yanna had spoken with him. Amanda
wanted to see for herself. She wanted to talk to Rennis herself. She
would have to catch Yanna before she started Farviewing, and make her
let Amanda speak to him herself. If Rennis really wanted to have
Sirinna back that badly, surely he would not mind.

Amanda turned, and started towards the Circle.



Yanna did not improve one bit as the morning wore on.

Hiatha tried her with another male, and then two females, and in each
case, Yanna's performance was no better than a native Narlassi with
more hormones than brains. Finally, Hiatha grew frustrated enough to
pull her up onto her feet and take her off to the side.

"Yanna, what is the matter with you today?" Hiatha said in a voice that
was both annoyed and concerned. "You did better than this yesterday."

Yanna let go with a long, exhausted sigh. "I'm very tired, mistress,"
she said in a hollow voice.

"Did you not sleep last night?"

"I was very restless, mistress," Yanna said, her gaze dropping. "I ...
I was quite ashamed."

Hiatha raised an eyebrow. "Ashamed?"

Yanna swallowed. "Yes, mistress. Of ... o-of what I did. What I
became."

Hiatha cupped her fingers under Yanna's chin and lifted the slave's
gaze to hers. "Well, Yanna, I misjudged you," Hiatha said with a small
smirk. "There just may be hope for you yet."

"I need rest, mistress," Yanna said in a weak voice. "I can do better
if I had a little more sleep."

Hiatha paused, and then nodded slowly. "Very well. I can excuse you
from training for the afternoon."

"If I may ask, mistress, may I be allowed to rest during the midday
meal? I am not very hungry."

Hiatha considered for a long moment. "You really ought to eat
something."

"I just need sleep, mistress," Yanna said. "Please."

"Well, all right, Yanna. I'll save a little for you from the meal. But
after you have had your rest, I will be expecting much more from you
than what I saw today."

"Yes, mistress," Yanna said with a small smile. "Thank you, mistress."



Amanda quickly grew so frustrated she wanted to scream, both at herself
and the situation.

She visited the Circle several times that morning. Each time she saw
Yanna in training and Sirinna in punishment. Neither looked ready to
stop anytime soon, and the intensity of the sexual activity flustered
her so badly she had to leave out of embarrassment. She had hoped she
had grown inured to seeing such things, but her worry and anxiety made
it impossible for her to exercise any willpower. She felt like she was
wandering on the set of a porno movie.

She wasn't even sure what she was looking for. She knew Yanna had to be
alone in order to Farview without rousing suspicions. She thought
perhaps she would find a way to have Hiatha let her go off by herself,
realizing only now that this was a dumb idea on her part. Yanna was a
Trainee. Sirinna said they never were allowed to be unescorted.

Unless Hiatha was in on it somehow? No, then she wouldn't have needed
the unlocking spell.

What if she used the unlocking spell in the Circle? No, not in front of
everyone else.

What if Hiatha had taken her away to use the sanitary she already
Farviewed with Rennis and she missed it? That was the most frustrating
thought of all, which made her want to chastise herself for not being
able to better stomach watching the others.

On her final visit, she thought she might have stumbled onto something
when she saw Hiatha leading her two Trainees away, until she saw
Sirinna sitting on the grass, beckoning for Amanda to come to her.
Amanda glanced up at the high midday sun, and realized that the morning
had slipped away from her, and it was the start of the midday meal.

Amanda dropped into the grass beside Sirinna with a sigh of total
defeat.

"Something the matter, love?" Sirinna asked.

Amanda turned, her eyes darting over Sirinna's body. Her eyes looked
tired and pained. Her shoulders were tensed, and she sat slightly
hunched over. "I might ask you the same thing," Amanda said. "Are you
all right?"

"Spending much of a morning never reaching orgasm is not very much fun,
that's all."

Amanda felt guilty for thinking of her own problems. "I'm sorry," she
said in a more contrite voice. "I tried to visit you, but ..."

Sirinna smiled tenderly and stroked Amanda's arm with her fingertips.
"I saw you. Thank you."

"I thought you'd be upset I could stay and watch for very long."

"I'd prefer you didn't enjoy watching me be punished, if it's all the
same to you."

Amanda managed a small smile. Hearing that had made her feel a little
better.

Few more words passed between them as the other others arrived for the
meal. Sirinna seemed to be content with just being in Amanda's
presence, even though Amanda's mind was on everything but the meal. She
glanced up briefly as she saw Hiatha return with Garas in tow, the two
of them taking their usual place just across the Circle from Sirinna
and Amanda. Very soon after, the serving slaves brought food and drink.

So used to seeing Hiatha and Garas together in the Circle at the midday
meal that it was not until Amanda started eating that it finally dawned
on her. Yanna was missing.

Amanda jerked her head up and from side to side, scanning the entire
clearing. Yanna was nowhere to be found.

Sirinna looked at Amanda curiously. "Amanda? What's the matter?"

"Sirinna, this is going to sound like a strange question, but ... do
you see Yanna anywhere?"

Sirinna looked immediately over to Hiatha. "If she would be anywhere,
it would be with her Trainer."

"But she's not!"

"Yes, I just noticed that. She must be back in Hiatha's quarters,"
Sirinna said casually.

Amanda's eyes widened. "Why would she be back there?"

"To sleep, I imagine. I noticed she was looking terribly exhausted when
I saw her training earlier."

Amanda's mind raced. Yanna was back at Hiatha's quarters. Alone.
Everyone in the Manor would be at the Circle.

Sirinna gave Amanda an odd look. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Fine! I, uh, have to use the sanitary!" Amanda bolted up and fled the
Circle before Sirinna could say another word to her.



A few seconds, a click, and Yanna was again free of her collar.

She was going to be very glad to rid herself of the infernal thing once
and for all that night. She had no intention of staying in the Manor
once she delivered Sirinna to her master. With that little trinket,
Yanna would buy her freedom from her true master as well as her
pretenders.

Yanna moved quickly. She had only the time that the midday meal
afforded her, and she was sure her master was impatient to speak with
her. She bolted out of bed and reached around outside her window,
pulling the shutters closed and latching them. She then sprinted out of
her bedchamber and then out of the quarters proper, emerging into
bright sunlight.

She looked down the path in each direction just to be safe before
walking around the side of the building, behind Hiatha's bedchamber,
and then towards her own before turning off to the side, finding a
small niche in the dense foliage that she had spotted from her window,
plunging her into the deep shade of the trees that rose above her. Not
far past the line of trees, the forest beyond rose with the low
cacophony of chirping and chittering of wildlife.

She looked around. She should be completely hidden from anyone passing
by on the path from here.

Yanna paused a moment, her heart beating fast. It had been a long while
since she had spoken with her master. She had forgotten how she felt in
his presence. The other slaves though they knew what it was like to be
subservient. They truly had no idea!

She placed the pearl onto the ground before the niche and stepped back.

"I call my master," she said, her voice shaking a bit.

The pearl began to glow brightly.

After a few long moments, an image began to form, shimmering and
indistinct at first, but quickly resolving itself into the shape of a
tall, imposing figure of a man, resplendent in a long, flowing cloak of
dark purple that swirled about his feet for a moment, as if he had just
stepped up to her from the forest. The rest of his attire bespoke of
great wealth, dark blue silks with bright gold trim, rings with large
jewels graced his hands. An older gentleman, his pate was largely bald,
save for two patches of hair around his ears. He held himself with a
regal bearing, his eyes harder than Roquan's, and nowhere near as calm.

Yanna dropped to one knee and bowed her head reverently. "It is Yanna,
master," she said in a low, submissive voice.

The man's lips thinned and he breathed a heavy, disdainful sigh through
his nose. "I can quite see that," he said in a sharp, clipped tone of
voice. "Though I might have forgotten, considering how long it has been
since you deigned to contact me!"

"I beg forgiveness, master," Yanna said, her eyes downcast. "I have
done much for you, and your plans are ready to bear fruit, master."

The man frowned deeply, the hook in his nose making him look like a
hawk. "Rise," he said with another sigh. When Yanna was again standing,
he continued, "You had better be sure of this, Yanna. I have heard of
the rift between Roquan and Rennis. You have moved too soon, you
foolish girl!"

Yanna's cheeks burned. "Master, I beg your time and patience," she said
carefully. "I have moved because I felt it was right. A most fortuitous
opportunity had presented itself, master, and I availed myself of it."

"And you did not think to contact me with this information?"

"There was little time. I had to move quickly. And now, master, I will
have a second prize to deliver to you as a result!"

The man paused, looking intensely thoughtful. "Explain," he said
tersely.



Amanda was winded and sweating by the time she spotted Hiatha's
quarters from around the bend up ahead of her. She had to backtrack
from the Circle to Sirinna's quarters, both to avoid raising suspicion
and because it was the only way she was sure she would be able to find
the right path.

She had to stop to catch her breath as she came in sight of the
entrance, but she only allowed herself a few moments. She had to talk
to Yanna quickly, before Sirinna grew curious about Amanda's extended
absence. Already it had taken her longer to get here than it would have
for her to use the sanitary and start back to the Circle.

Amanda took one last deep breath and started cautiously towards the
front door.



"And outworlder girl?" the man said incredulously. "At Roquan's Manor?
And she is not a slave?"

"Yes, my master, a most curious situation," Yanna said. "Sirinna was
not supposed to bring her back, yet she did. I believe she is in love
with the girl."

The man made a noise of disgust. "And how is the girl of consequence to
my plans?"

"With her help, I rent the alliance in two, as you wished. And with her
help, I shall deliver Sirinna to you, master. Sirinna /and/ the
outworlder girl."

"Why would I want her?" her master snapped.

"Sirinna believes she would make an excellent slave herself, master,"
Yanna said with a sly smile. "And if Sirinna is indeed in love with
her, what better way to make her do your bidding than to trade her
loyalty for the girl's safety?"



Amanda stepped through the doorway and paused, but heard nothing save
for the breeze through the trees behind her. "Yanna?" she called out
softly. There was no reply.

She stepped further inside, glancing behind her first. She wandered
through Hiatha's bedchamber. "Yanna, are you here?" she called out
again.

She continued straight towards the back, entering one of the adjoining
chambers. Her eyes fell on the bed, and immediately spotted the open
collar.

"Yanna?"

Amanda did not understand where the girl was. She stepped over to the
sanitary and glanced through it, then continued on into Garas'
bedchamber. She sighed in frustration and headed back into Yanna's
bedchamber.

As she entered the room, she glanced towards the window, and spotted
movement through the gap between the bottom of the shutters and the
window frame.



After considering for a long moment, the man said in a lower, more
thoughtful voice, "How can you be sure you can get her to come through
the portal with Sirinna?"

"Because, master, Amanda is also in love with Sirinna," Yanna said, her
eyes glittering. "She is desperate not to be separated from Sirinna. I
daresay the girl is foolish enough to willingly become a slave if it
meant staying with her."

"And do you believe that Sirinna can train this girl?"

"Amanda would be a challenge, master," Yanna said. "But Sirinna is very
good. She has trained the best. It is why you wanted her."



Amanda crept over to the window. She tried to peek under the shutters
to see more, but all she could make out was vague movement. There was
definitely someone standing out behind the Hiatha's quarters, however,
that much she was sure. Something else appeared to shimmer in the air
near the figure, and on the ground between the two, something glowed
very much like the small pearl that Sirinna had held in her hand that
night she brought Amanda to Narlass.

As she stood close to the window, she could hear conversation as
muffled noises. Her eyes glanced down and spotted the latch for the
shutters. Very carefully, she lifted the latch and opened the shutter a
crack.

Now she could see that it was indeed Yanna standing just at the edge of
the foliage, and an ethereal figure before her, the glowing pearl at
his feet. She could not see the man clearly. Only the tips of his feet
and part of his cloak were visible to her, the rest hidden behind a
tree.

" ... Portal carry all of you?" she heard the man say. "Q'yros did not
balance it for three."

"Mage Q'yros is quite skilled at his ..." A raucous cry from the forest
drowned out Yanna's next words. " ... if it were not safe for one
more."

"Hrm. Yes, true. So he has completed the adjustments to Roquan's
Portal, has he?"

"Yes, master. It is ready to be opened to your palace this evening."

Amanda was confused. Was the ghostly figure Rennis? It did not sound
like the man she had seen in Roquan's quarters. And what was this about
a palace? Just another name for manor?

"When?"

"At twilight. That is when I have instructed Amanda to take Sirinna to
the Portal building."

"And are you sure this girl ..." another distant cry partially muted
his words " ... willingly enter the Portal with her?"

"Oh, yes, master," Yanna said. "I'll see to that."

Amanda felt her heart pounding. Something was wrong with this. Who was
Yanna talking to?

There was a pause. "If you succeed in this, Yanna," he said cautiously.
"I shall insure you are rewarded for your efforts."

Yanna smiled hopefully. "Do you mean my ... my freedom, master?"

A pause. "Yes, Yanna. Your freedom."

Yanna dropped to her knees. "Thank you, master!" she gushed. "Thank
you! You are so kind to me!"

"Take heed, Yanna," the man said warningly. "Just because you will be
free, does not mean I will not expect your loyalty."

Yanna raised her head, her eyes bright. "You have it, my master! Now
and always, I will be a loyal servant of my master, the great ..."

A high-pitched keening bird-call garbled Yanna's words to Amanda's
ears.

Amanda clenched her teeth in frustration. She had said his name! What
was it? She had missed the first part of it. Something-house. One thing
for sure, however: it was not Rennis' name Yanna had spoken.

Amanda gave a start when the man abruptly vanished, the glow dying from
the pearl. It was not until Yanna bent down to pick up the pearl that
she realized she as in great danger if she were discovered.

Amanda quickly fled from the window, racing across the quarters. She
glanced out the window above Hiatha's just as she got to the front door
and gasped as she saw Yanna coming around the side of the building.
She'd never get far enough away from the place in time to hide from
Yanna.

She quelled her rising panic, thinking furiously. She picked the only
plan she could think of, no matter how stupid it sounded to her. She
turned herself around and started walking away from the building
backwards.

Yanna came around the side of the building and into full view. Amanda
froze in her tracks.

Yanna flinched as if struck, and hid the hand with the pearl behind her
back.

"Oh, hi, Yanna," Amanda said, hoping to God that Yanna did not hear the
quaver in her voice. "I, uh, was just coming to see you."

"I told you not to come until the afternoon!" Yanna snapped angrily.

"Oh ... yes, I forgot, sorry ... I'll come back later."

"No." Yanna swiftly walked up to Amanda. It was all Amanda could do not
to bolt. "Actually, you're just in time."

"I am?" Amanda asked nervously.

Yanna smiled. "Yes. I just finished talking with Master Rennis."

"Oh, um, is that so?"

"You'll be happy to know that Rennis would be delighted to have you
come to the Manor with Sirinna. And no worries about being made a
slave. You'll get to do what you want when you want it."

"Oh, that's great!" Amanda said, trying to sound enthusiastic, forcing
a smile. "Thank you, Yanna."

"You better get going before the midday meal is done," Yanna said. "Now
remember, Amanda. Get her there at twilight. No later. Wait until night
and Roquan will find out."

Amanda nodded quickly.

Yanna smiled. "Good girl. Run along, then."

Amanda forced another smile and walked away quickly.

Yanna watched her go, her eyes narrowing suspiciously. When Amanda was
out of sight, she dashed back inside and hid the pearl under her bed
again. She picked up the collar and was about to slip it around her
neck when her gaze fell on the open shutter.

She glanced back towards the door and frowned.



By the time Amanda finally made it back to the Circle after going the
wrong way in her initial excitement, she discovered that she had
arrived in time to see the end of the midday meal, the serving slaves
clearing the empty platters and goblets. Sirinna was rising from the
grass along with Tanyee, who apparently had eaten with Sirinna in
Amanda's absence.

"Sirinna, there's Amanda now!" she heard Tanyee call out, pointing in
her direction.

Amanda rushed over to them, but was unable to speak until she paused to
catch her breath.

"Amanda, where did you go?" Sirinna asked in alarm. "And what have you
been doing? You look like you've been running!"

"I have ... I have to ... t-talk to you ... " Amanda panted.

"It will have to be later, Amanda," Sirinna said with chagrin. "The
meal is over and I have to stay in the Circle for ..."

Amanda did not listen. She grabbed Sirinna's hand and started dragging
her out and towards the path back to their quarters.

"Amanda!" Sirinna cried, yanking her hand from Amanda's grip. "I
can't!"

"Sirinna, I have to ... talk to you!" Amanda cried. "It's very
important!"

"I'll come back as soon as I can, Amanda, certainly by the evening
meal."

"That's too late!" Amanda cried. "Please, Sirinna, I really need you
right now. It's not something I can discuss out here!"

Sirinna sighed, flustered. "Amanda ..."

"Please!" Amanda begged.

Sirinna exchanged a look with Tanyee, who was just as confused as her
former mistress. "All right, Amanda, but this better be quick."

Amanda took Sirinna by the hand and started leading her from the
Circle, but they had barely gone two steps when a loud voice sounded
behind them. "And where do you think you're going, you naughty girl?"

Sirinna stopped abruptly, forcing Amanda to turn around.

Hiatha stepped over to them, giving Sirinna a sly smile. "Have you
forgotten something?" she said sweetly.

Sirinna gave Amanda despondent look before turning back to Hiatha and
lowering her eyes. "No, Hiatha, I haven't. I just need ..."

"It's what I need that matters. And what I need is your sweet little
face on my nice wet twat."

Amanda flinched. She squeezed Sirinna's hand.

"Or are you going to be a bad little girl again, Sirinna?" Hiatha said
with a wicked grin. "You wouldn't want me to tell Master Roquan that
you passed on your punishment, now would you?"

Sirinna uttered a forlorn sigh. "No, Hiatha, I ..."

"No more than you'd want us to tell Roquan that you kept Sirinna from
seeing him!" Amanda suddenly blurted.

Both Hiatha and Sirinna fell silent, the latter gaping at Amanda in
total disbelief.

Hiatha recovered first. "I beg your pardon?" she said in annoyance.

"Roquan says he needs to see Sirinna right away. You're keeping her
from him. I don't think he'd like that. Do you, Sirinna?"

Sirinna opened her mouth and closed it several times before she finally
croaked, "No, he wouldn't like that at all."

"Oh." Hiatha said, still a bit bewildered. She paused once more,
looking oddly at Amanda. Ultimately, caution won out over suspicion,
and she backed off. "Okay, I'll catch you later, then, Sirinna. But I
have first pick on you when you're done with Master Roquan."

"Yes, Hiatha, of course," Sirinna said as she was dragged away from the
Circle.

She jogged along behind Amanda willingly until they were out of
earshot. She then drew up short and forced Amanda to stop. "Amanda,
what was that all about?" she demanded. "You blatantly lied back there
to Hiatha! To a Trainer!"

"Oh, yeah?" Amanda said indignantly. "Well, there's been a lot of lying
around here lately. I'm just going along with the latest fad!"

"Great gods, Amanda, what are you talking about?"

"I don't want to discuss it out here. I'll tell you everything when we
get inside."



Sirinna sat in stunned silence after Amanda finished telling her about
the nocturnal visit from Yanna.

"Well?" Amanda finally demanded impatiently.

"You were absolutely right," Sirinna said, her voice deadpan. "Amanda,
Yanna is lying."

"About what specifically?"

"Everything!" Sirinna cried. "I can tell you right now, Amanda, Master
Rennis would never break with tradition that blatantly. Yes, Master
Roquan is more conservative than he is. But there are certain things
that no Overlord would do, and even if he had, there was no way he
could keep it quiet. Nothing Yanna told you makes any sense."

Amanda sighed. On the one hand, she was devastated. It had been her
only hope to stay in Narlass with no strings attached. On the other, it
was a relief to no longer keep this secret from Sirinna. "Sirinna, I'm
so sorry," Amanda said in pained voice. "I've been very bad towards
you."

"In what way?"

"All that I said this morning about wanting to see the Portal. That was
just a trick to get you there early, to do what Yanna told me to do!"

"It's okay, Amanda," Sirinna said. "You did the right thing in the
end."

"But only because of what I saw during the midday meal! If it hadn't
been for that, I might have still done it!"

"Wait, what did you see? Why were you gone so long?"

Amanda told her about what she saw Yanna doing, and what she heard.

Sirinna was quite taken aback. "A Farviewer!" she exclaimed. "Having an
unlocking spell was bad enough, but a Farviewer?"

"I take it that's bad?"

"Amanda, slaves are /forbidden/ such things! No exceptions! A slave
caught with that is severely punished and sent to auction right after!"

"So you think the same that I do?" Amanda asked. "That she was talking
to someone other than Rennis?"

"Master Rennis would never give a slave such a thing, which is the only
way he could be Farviewed."

"I don't understand."

"When I was in your world, Amanda, you had that strange device called a
telephone," Sirinna said. "You could call anyone anywhere. Farviewers
don't work like that. A Farviewing spell is tied to one person. You can
contact that one person only with the Farviewer."

Amanda nodded. "So then who gave her that pearl that had the spell on
it?"

Sirinna shook her head. "I don't know."

"I heard part of a name. Yanna called him something that ended in
'house'. Does that sound familiar?"

Sirinna paused, then shook her head again. "I know of a few Overlords,
and none of their names sound like that."

"You think he was an Overlord?"

"I can't see who else it could be. She's a slave. She has to have
someone as an owner."

"But we don't know which one." Amanda sighed in exasperation. "Sirinna,
what are we going to /do?/ Yanna is obviously up to something. And I'm
supposed to go through the Portal later. I was supposed to go to Earth
at first. Then I thought I would be going to Rennis' Manor, instead.
Now I don't know where I'll wind up if I go!"

Sirinna reached out and placed an arm around Amanda's shoulders. "We
... we should go to Master Roquan with this," she said, though there
was little conviction in her voice.

"Sirinna, you know we can't do that!" Amanda exclaimed. "He won't
believe us. He'll just punish you again. Or he'll punish me again. Or
just make me a slave right then and there!"

Sirinna knew, but she had to say it. Her loyalty had demanded it. "Then
we're going to have to get Master Roquan some more proof to back up our
story."

"How?"

"Easy. We go to the Portal at the time Yanna said."

Amanda gaped at her in disbelief.

"Amanda, she's a slave, and a Trainee," Sirinna said. "She's not
supposed to be uncollared. And if I find her uncollared, then I can
punish her on the spot. As a Trainer, I have that privilege, even with
a Trainee that is not mine directly."

"But Sirinna, what if ... what if she's dangerous?" Amanda said. "What
if she has a weapon?"

Sirinna smiled. "She's a Trainee. She's naked all the time. Where would
she hide one to take it into the Manor, or Hiatha's quarters for that
matter?"

"She got the pearl in all right!"

"A pearl is small enough to be hidden in her vagina, Amanda."

Amanda's cheeks grew pink. "Her /what?/"

Sirinna was always secretly amused by Amanda's bouts of embarrassment
when things like this were mentioned. "Her vagina," she repeated. "As a
slave, she'd be no stranger to that, especially when part of muscle
training involves holding weights inside you until ..."

"Okay! Okay! I get the picture!" Amanda cried, her cheeks flaming.
"God, everything comes around to sex in this place, doesn't it?"

Sirinna chuckled, and gave Amanda a brief kiss. "I better get going."

Amanda wanted to protest, but she knew better than Sirinna did that the
best thing now was not to arouse any suspicion on Yanna's part. Best
that she thinks she has the advantage over them. "All right," she said.
"But I'm going to be really nervous about this until it's all over."

Sirinna did not want to think about that. She knew that once it was
over, Amanda would truly be gone from her life. "I know," she said
quietly. "I'll be back in time for us to have dinner before we head
over."

She turned and headed out the door.



Roquan stood just inside the doors, his hands on his hips, attempting
to remain patient, or at least look as if he were, and failing
miserably at both. His eyes darted back and forth between his Healer
and the golden column of light that held the Portal dewomer. The ringed
pulses of energy that rippled out from the crystal chamber holding the
dewomer thrummed in his ears, having become quicker and more powerful
since the early morning.

Finally, Roquan could restrain himself no longer. "Well?" he asked in
more of a terse voice than he had intended. "Are the Portal energies
aligned, Vanlo?"

Vanlo hesitated a moment as he finished examining the jewel as it spun
within it's cage, stroking his beard and muttered to himself. He
straightened up and faced his Overlord, clasping his hands behind his
back. "It appears to be so, your Lordship."

Roquan nodded in relative equanimity, but inside he was quite relieved.

"Realize, however, that my expertise in these matters is limited to
what I can sense of the magical energies radiated by the device," Vanlo
continued. "I have no insight into the inner workings of such things."

"I trust your judgment in these things, Vanlo."

Vanlo smiled mildly. "That would make one of us, your Lordship. Surely
you have much more faith in me for these things than I do."

"I only wished to know if the alignment has been repaired."

"I believe it has. Did not Q'yros tell you this?"

Roquan bristled. "He did," he said in a clipped voice. "But everything
that has happened these past few days has bordered on insanity, Vanlo.
I would not have been the least surprised to find the Portal
malfunctioning again."

Vanlo stepped away from the Portal and towards the Overlord. "Your
concern is understandable," he said softly. "Everyone, it seems, is
rather desperate for a return to normalcy."

Roquan raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

Vanlo hesitated, as if debating whether to share his thoughts with the
Overlord. "As a Healer, my patients tell me many things," he ventured.
"The specifics I generally keep to myself, I'm sure you'll understand."

Roquan simply nodded quietly, knowing there was more.

"But I can tell you that many of the other slaves are a bit on edge."

"And why is this?" Roquan demanded.

"They were rather surprised ... no, shocked ... when they heard of the
punishment you bestowed upon Sirinna."

Roquan frowned. "Vanlo, I do hope you are not going to do as the
outworlder girl did and question my decisions regarding discipline?"

"Heavens, no," Vanlo said with a quick smile and a brief chuckle. "That
is not my venue in the least, any more than I would expect you to tell
me how to treat an injury. I simply convey what I have heard, nothing
more."

"None of the other slaves should be questioning it either!"

Vanlo said nothing in response, and simply maintained an even gaze with
his Overlord.

"Perhaps, then, some good has come of this after all," Roquan said
coldly. "Perhaps the others needed a reminder as well as to whom their
loyalties lie."

"Oh, I can safely say you have little to worry about in that regard,
your Lordship," Vanlo said. "I do not believe you have any disloyal
slaves in the least."

"Yet they question the wisdom of Sirinna's punishment!"

Vanlo paused for a long moment, then responded in a low voice, "With
all due respect, your Lordship, disagreement and disloyalty are not the
same thing."

For the first time since he could remember, Roquan D'ronstaq was struck
speechless.

"I will be in my office if you require my services again." Vanlo slowly
strolled past the stunned Roquan and out through the open doors into
the afternoon sunlight.
<1st attachment end>


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