A designed collar
[10:54] Crow (melchior.wardell) chuckled. “It seems to be bread in thin slices and in between these slices you put butter, cheese, meat if you desire or even a girl spoke of ‘hag el slag’ No idea what it was but she told me it tasted like chocolate.” he now noted his girl arrive and lifted his mug with black wine – still steaming hot. “We are discussing Earth cuisine.”
[10:56] Haru (cecilia.ushimawa) slipped out of the tent and made her way over to the kitchenette. She worked quietly, her eyes flickering to the two figures by the fire. Of course, one took her eyes as it might be expected and when made her way over after a short moment, she held a black mug with gold filigree in the form of a crow. “My Master,” she purrs in her soft tones, clearly quite pleased to have him back and unmarked. Her gaze then turning to Alexander. “Tal Master.” She went to look to her master’s hands and tilts her head to the side. “Ah…..” Well, he had extra now. To keep him awake longer, of course.
[11:11] Crow (melchior.wardell) was a good listener and one with more knowledge than most might credit him for. He had nest trust had been on Earth and knew more than most could speak of. So when Alexander spoke of it he knew exactly what he meant. He had noted a gun once in Ar and at that time feared the blue flame instantly. “Such things seem dangerous and will cause a certain death I imagine.” he stated as if to down play whatever knowledge might be portrayed. “I can not phantom such a weapon.” he eventually concluded. As he drained his mug with black wine. he would look at his girl “Ah .. today we have an important mission.” he tells her. “We will unlock that thing around your neck and have it replaced by one made for you.”
[11:16] Haru (cecilia.ushimawa) would tilt her head, listening. She knew exactly what a gun was. The girl was a barbarian after all despite the overlying belief by most that she was Pani by birth. Sure, it had been a long time she had been on Gor; surviving much longer than many other barbarian slaves and slowly melding herself into things – but that knowledge remained. Still, the talk was between the two men and she knew well the dangers of speaking on such matters so she kept her mouth shut ‘like a good girl’. At least, until she heard her master’s follow-up comment, moving her gaze back from Alex and to him. “I…. My Master?” she squeaks, almost looking to him in a disbelieving manner. “A collar?” Her free hand comes up, the other still holding the second cup of black wine, to touch the thing around her neck that she had worn for longer than she could remember. “I… I do not know what to say, My Master.” She looked lost, excitement hiding in the back of her eyes but the girl trying to keep herself in check in front of another killer.
[11:28] Crow (melchior.wardell) knew that this must have come as a surprise. The collar one that was wielded and thus might still be a challenge was hardly ever discussed. The collar enough for him to leash her and as it gave nothing as to ownership he had let is simply be. But over time he wanted to have her fully known that he owned her. Even if it meant some damage to have a well designed collar around her neck. “But first … I we might need to find a skilled metal worker. One that is able to get that one off.” When Alexander spoke Crow could picture the way upon earth. He did not held them to a high standard. Their planet was polluted and most men weak. So when the topic was changed Crow arched a brow “I was not made aware .. This must be recent as I have not been disturbed in my hunt or kill.” he replied. “I knew there was change in leadership. Have they grown weary due to a murder?” he asks.
[11:32] Haru (cecilia.ushimawa) would swallow as her master mentioned the metalworker. She had worn the collar for so long that it was like a second skin; she had forgotten that it was welded and her face paled at the very thought. She knew just how dangerous that was. A single strike, a single blow, placed at just the wrong place or angle and it could all be over for her in an instant. She swallows. For all her bravery, Haru did not welcome the thought of her own death. “H… hai, of course My Master.” She wondered where they would go though at the same time was thankful for the other topic flowing around them that serve to semi-distract her from the potentially ominous thoughts.
[11:40] Crow (melchior.wardell) would inclines his head “Same story – told more than once. Indeed.” he would wish him well with a small gesture. “Be well.” before he would turn to his girl and change the mug she was holding with the one he held on too. “I wonder if there is a good metalworker near. Or perhaps we should question Scar as he forged the one around your neck – did he not ?”
[11:44] Haru (cecilia.ushimawa) would look to her master as he switches the mugs over, taking the empty one and placing it delicately between her thighs, keeping it from touching the ground beneath. “No, My Master,” she says in her soft tones. Scar had been her first owner in the caste, indeed, but “This is not his collar.” Her head shakes a little, the girl almost grimacing at that. Scar had been the first in a line of men to abandon her but he wasn’t the worst. “This was done by the court master in Tarn Ridge,” she says. “A man who took over when the ginger haired master abandoned all – and then he too disappeared the very next day after collaring me to that court.” Not even a full day and the man was gone. Never to be heard from ever again. “He said that he welded it ensure that I could never remove it and release myself from the caste.”
[11:46] Crow (melchior.wardell) would gulp down the black wine. “We will see Telnus and find a metal worker. But I will not go in black let me change for a moment.” he suggested. Prepare to go.” he commanded. “We will go by tarn.”
[11:49] Haru (cecilia.ushimawa) would move into the tent, quickly moving to pack things. She did not expect the trip to be long; not with Shriek taking them, so she kept things to a minimum. Her dark hues would watch Crow as she worked though, waiting to see what colour her master opted for and if he would remove his sash. She would, if given the moment, change to match, even if the same silks – the colour options he had provided her with were outstanding and flexible. Plenty of opportunity to wear more than just black.
[11:57] Crow (melchior.wardell) would change his way of dress. “Come mine. Let us see Telnus.” with that he would depart.
[11:58] Crow (melchior.wardell) would call upon Shriek and departed to telnus.
==== TELNUS ====
[12:03] Haru (cecilia.ushimawa) would toy with her master’s hair as they flew to Telnus, smiling ever so softly. “I’m not used to seeing it up, My Master,” she purrs. “It is a different look. I like it.” She let the long silken strands flow through her fingers. Enjoying the moment. When they arrived, she would let him help her down from Shriek, falling in behind him with a light step; both joy and yet nervousness showing in her motions. Most might not be able to pick up the latter but she had been with him long enough for him to learn the signs. Her movements slightly more jarring than they usually would be. Less fluid.
[12:07] Crow (melchior.wardell) too enjoyed the life in which he can just enjoy the finer things in life. Of course there was nothing more rewarding than completing a mission and yet he enjoyed when it was finished. As she toyed he allowed her. These were the moments in which she was allowed and could. When they moved through the city he knew where to be and did not linger. He wasn’t here to draw attention, but simply in hope to meet the blacksmith he had seen working his forge when he had been here previous. “Bah … just my luck. When one needs one he isn’t there and one doesn’t he shows up.” he replied and tells her.
[12:11] Haru (cecilia.ushimawa) had noted the lack of a smithy as well when they had arrived, and as he spoke she would slide her arms around his waste. “Did you not use up all of your luck in acquiring me, My Master?” she teases, a sparkle in her eyes. There were no bells to ring; no way to summon a smithy from what she could see and so as she held herself against him she would look up, her dark hues flickering over his features. It was a different perspective with his hair tied back; one she did not get to enjoy as often. “Are you able to do it, My Master?” she asks. She trusted him to all ends of the world and in all ways one could be trusted. “Or shall we try another?”
[12:16] Crow (melchior.wardell) would laugh at her suggestion of being out of luck. Surely he wasn’t. If he had been his life had been ended on any of the missions he had lived since owning her. Yet here he was – breathing still. He would look about himself. “Nothing lives for ever. Even a collar such as yours will eventually give in.” he replied to her. “So yes I think I can … but it is the tools that might be the thing … ” he would pull her with him inside of the smithy “Perhaps we can see if any of these might be helpful.” he suggested. “Of course when the smith announces himself we can always turn to him and pay him.” he replied.
[12:21] Haru (cecilia.ushimawa) would move in with him. Had she been able to read his mind she would have assured him that his survival was likely down to skill more than luck. He was good at his craft; she had observed it for a long time now and there was no denying how well trained he kept himself. But still, it was simply a tease; playing – a way for her to show her affections for the man she had come to give herself to completely. As they entered she was keenly aware that she was barefoot, picking her steps carefully that she did not step on any stray shards of metal. Haru had worked in a smithy before and was more than comfortable around such, though her own duties had been limited to sharpening and polishing. Cleaning the forge and surrounds. “What tools will be needed?” she asks. No sign of a smithy so far.
[12:24] Crow (melchior.wardell) pointed to the vice “Kneel there and place your neck on the metal screw. I will not use the screw but have it as a base for the metal being supported. He would take a chisel and a hammer from all the tools. He would weight them both in his hands as he would see if they were the ones he wished to use.
[12:28] Haru (cecilia.ushimawa) made her way to the vice as indicated, lowering to her knees and then stretching to place her neck on the metal screw. She had to shift some, her small frame not perfectly suited for such a position but she had to make sure she could hold herself steady for what was to come. Immobile. He was behind her now, the sounds of him testing the tools and weighing them audible but she did not dare turn to look, allowing herself to settle into position and close her eyes. Focus. Slow your breathing and focus. This was one of those moments and while she could be totally still as it was, the danger of the moment had her on edge even with the promises of what it would bring once complete.
[12:31] Crow (melchior.wardell) picked up a tool that was specially made for working metal. He looked around for something on which he could work the collar. He couldn’t do it if there was no resistance. He had her sit down near the vice. Not with the idea of using it as a vice, but as a support on which he could place the collar. He placed the chisel between her neck and the collar. The space was tight and he knew that with his finger he would increase the pressure on her windpipe. “Breathe in,” he said before he began his work. Then he began to strike with a hammer. Slowly but with the deadly precision that he also had in his work. He was strong and this allowed him to thin the metal. It wasn’t fast, but slowly but surely the metal tired under the constant pressure of the chisel and his force with the hammer.
[12:36] Haru (cecilia.ushimawa) would breathe in. Filling her lungs with air as he slid the chisel beneath the collar. This would allow her to slowly exhale; a calm action that would be jolted and jarred with each strike of the hammer. She kept her eyes closed; not for not wanting to see him but for not wanting to see the hammer come down. Ignorance helped her to stay still in the moment though she near jumped each time the vibrations from the hammer shook her body. But she trusted him. Trusted that he would work slow and take his time. Keep her safe from that one erred blow that could crush the very same windpipe in a single strike. Slowly, the metal thinned, her fingers curling behind her; bracelets to keep her hands away from the hammer’s arc.
[12:39] Crow (melchior.wardell) would let her go for a moment as to allow her to breath. The voices of the girls a welcome distraction for the work he was doing. “Greetings.” he offered. “You both know that curiosity killed the gianni ?” he teases as he winked to both. He would look to his girl again. “Breathe in again.” as he would again use the hammer to work the metal slow but with precision. He was careful not to hit anything but the chisel. He was very much aware that each blow was enough to harm her if he missed.
[12:46] Haru (cecilia.ushimawa) could hear the other girls approaching but she was not going to greet them. She would not speak, nor move – only to breathe and as he instructed her to breathe in again, she did so once more. A lung-full, the long, slow exhale that helped to hold her steady. Her life was in her master’s hands right now, and she wasn’t going to do anything to encourage him to miss – intentional or not. Would it take long? Or was this quick? She could feel the steel ring shifting and deforming as he flattened the one section – curing in her mind the man that had welded it long ago; who had felt it appropriate, not that she’d had any choice in the matter. The next. The replacement that was coming; that she could beg to be welded. To never be removed but such choices were in her master’s hands and his alone. No others.
[12:50] Crow (melchior.wardell) did not mind the curious slaves. In fact these were the rare occasions he enjoyed them. Their stories, their replies, their wisdom or even their sense of humor. He simply listens when the nine lives came to play. When both girls left he would again pause as to see if the collar was slowly giving in. “It gets very thin …but be watchful though. When it is thin it gets sharp too.” he cautions. “Breathe in again.” he continued.
[12:54] Haru (cecilia.ushimawa) was listening but not watching but despite her heightened senses that the physician had brought about, she could not pick up that tell-tale patter of feet departing. The hammer’s blows were ringing in her ears, half deafening her in such a manner that the quiet sounds of the environment were simply inaudible. Again she breathed in, not even daring to nod in response to her master’s words but instead tapping her nails against the chains of her silks. One, two. A yes. A positive response. Voices were heard; the familiar tones of Shelby’s mixed with that of one of the girls. Nine lives. Haru had heard it and couldn’t help but smile. What life was she on now? It was all his as well as any she had remaining. The feline-souled girl couldn’t help but roll the meaning around in her mind.
[12:57] Crow (melchior.wardell) would see the iron give in. With each blow it would loose its strength and when that final blow came in which it would be carved in two he himself would breath in. “Hold still.” he warned her further. With a pliers he would take in both sides and start to pull them apart. Both sides razor sharp and clearly able to cut through her skin if she ever dared to move. He would give it all his strength to pull them wider.
[13:01] Haru (cecilia.ushimawa) would go still as she felt the change. The hammer stopping. That clanging and jarring that shook her to her very bones halted as he took hand to steel and began to pull. She would whimper, involuntarily; a moment of weakness and vulnerability as she felt those sharp edges sliding and bending around her neck. Do not move. Don’t even blink. Let him do what needed to be done and give yourself to him completely; in his hands and at his mercy. Her eyes scrunched up, nose wrinkling a little as she waited to feel that final release from her old bondage.
[13:07] Crow (melchior.wardell) was surprised how easy the metal would give in. “Surely the man was all talk and no play, mine. This metal wasn’t that difficult to work on. As he slowly moved it in such a way that it would eventually fall upon the tiles in the smith. “Want to keep it for remembering it ?” he asks as he now would take the new collar from his belt. This one well designed and developed. This one would not be welded, but locked. Crow was quite particular when it came to these things. He always wanted to opportunity to unlock it and take it back if the girl would no longer honor him in that collar. The gold – was gold, the leather was quite well worked leather that was soft to her skin. “Stand if you will.” he demanded fully aware that she was uncollared for this brief moment.
[13:14] Haru (cecilia.ushimawa) would hear her master’s words, lifting to her feet as he commanded her to stand, breathing with an ease after the collar was removed. “No, My Master,” she says, shaking her head. “That is from a life past. My life now is with you.” Memories; that collar, the one removed, came with many painful ones. Sure, her master had tempered that but a fresh slate, a new beginning, that was what this all was in a sense; something to be filled with love, joy and adoration. Just don’t tell the world that; he had a reputation to uphold, right? She opened her eyes then, turning to look to her master, drinking him in. There were tears in the corners of her eyes. Tears of joy. Pride, even.
[13:18] Crow (melchior.wardell) had been working on the collar for a long time. Have it designed. Made with the best materials. He showed the gold, the marking that clearly represented him in a subtle way. The fine leather and the way it can be locked in place. “Take your hair up.” he suggested. If she would do so he would place the new collar specially designed for her around her neck. Lockign it in place with a small key he would put in a pocket on his belt.
[13:22] Haru (cecilia.ushimawa) went wide eyed as he presented the collar to show her, a small coo escaping her lips. “It is beautiful, My Master,” she purrs. She wanted to jump on him. To wrap her arms around him and kiss him all over to show her affections. Her appreciation. But she also knew the nature of the moment and kept herself in check, hands moving to lift her hair up from her shoulders, bunching it all at the top like some kind of tea bag; bare neck now on display – the most vulnerable a girl could ever be as her heart fluttered. She felt it wrap around her neck, the leather likely laced with steel but she would never know and prayed its strength would never be tested. His mark upon her; the same that was on the shield he bore on the hunt. “My Master…” she would whisper, her voice cracking as if she was about to burst into tears.
[13:29] Crow (melchior.wardell) would look at her seeing her enthusiasm and appreciation. He was touched by it. As their work was done he would now move from the smith. But only after leaving a few silvers in a small drawer of the counter. Surely the owner of the smith would find these. “Now … let us hurry back … and tell me when the collar might need adjustment to get it more tight.
[13:32] Haru (cecilia.ushimawa) would nod her head to his words, a couple of nods; extra energetic and the girl keen to go with him wherever he so wished. Even to the deepest pits of the salt mines if that was his chosen destination. A place Haru had only heard tales of but never ever seen. “Yes, My Master,” she purrs, her hands coming up to shift it around, feeling it pull in all the right places. Anywhere would be right, really. It was perfection in her mind and the only thing she would wear if she was permitted but one thing to adorn her flesh.
Crows Murder 
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