The Paga Diaries (42)

 

42. Risto And Encounter

I watched the small shadow racing on the ground far below me as I turned the tarn around for another pass at the target.  I took my eyes off of the moving winged shadow and directed my attention to the overstuffed rep cloth bundle on the ground ahead of me.  This was my fourth pass, my three previous attempts to land the capture loop on the bundle missing the mark.

Trem told me that using a capture loop on a ground target was all about tarn handling and finesse with the six control straps.  I was learning that finesse was something not easily acquired; obtaining it required countless hours of practice.

The capture loop rope hung below and slightly behind the tarn.  I could only see it if I leaned out and looked underneath and behind.   It was very difficult to know when to pull on the one-strap for ascension, making sure the loop was at the right height and angle for capture.  If I had to make slight right or left adjusting corrections to the tarn’s flight path, I needed to account for the capture loop’s lateral swing.  Sometimes this swing rotated the loop so that its opening was no longer perpendicular to the target, resulting in the rope bouncing off the target, instead of enveloping a snare.

 

The tarn, Risto, was an experienced hunter who quickly acquired targets and set an intercept path for the motionless bundle on the ground.  His experience greatly aided my efforts and I normally did not have to make lateral adjustments, but I did have to know when it was time to make the tarn pull up from the dive.  If I waited too long to pull up out of the dive, he would extend his talons and snatch the target from the ground, which is what happened on my first pass, despite Trem’s prior warning to me about this.

 

After completing my turn, bringing Risto to bear on the target, I guided his entry into a shallow dive of about twenty percent gradient.  The bundle approached quickly with the acceleration of the dive and at the right moment before contact I pulled on the six-strap, bringing us up.  I looked back and the target was gone!  I had snared the rep cloth bundle and I saw it swaying on the rope beneath us.

 

Trem swooped in close to me on his tarn and shouted congratulations.  We landed and reset the target bundle and capture loop.  Trem showed me how to check the special knot on the rope.  The configuration of this knot was key to using the wind to keep the loop perpendicular while in flight.

 

After flying twenty passes on the target we left the open countryside pastures and flew back to the city tarncot.  While flying, I thought about today’s practice.  I only had success on three of my passes and was wondering how much of it was luck.  I was happy though, flying a tarn is a thrilling, magnificent experience and I looked forward to the next time I would get to improve my success ratio.

 

Risto set down on the dark tem wood ramp extending out from the tarncot tower.  Jesop came out to greet me and assist with securing the tarn.  He was full of his usual bright eyed curiosity, asking me numerous questions about Risto, my flight, and what I had seen in the countryside during my session.

 

Earlier this week, when I had first returned to the tarncot after my absence with Mena, he had besieged me with questions.  “Did you bring me something? Where have you been, what have you been doing?” He asked rapidly.

 

I gave him some pieces of candy and said, “I have been busy with my new kajira.”

 

“A kajira! Is she pretty?  What does she look like?  How much did she cost?”

“Yes, she is pretty with auburn hair. She cost two silver tarsks,” I said.

 

“Two silver tarsks,” he said pausing in wonderment, then, “Where did you get her?”

 

“At auction, she was Free Woman, Scribe. She teach me Gorean now.”

 

“Did you brand her?” he asked.

 

“Jesop, enough questions, and address Rykart properly! Now take this gear to the locker,” Trem scolded.

 

“Yes Master,” the young teen said glumly and picked up a load of saddle gear.  I didn’t mind the questions and his uninhibited curiosity, nor his failure to address me as Master.  It was hard for me to think of the boy as a slave.

 

Risto was a seven year old dark green tarn with brown mottling.  He was spirited, feisty and dangerous, but Trem had thought I could handle him.  Risto had been stabled in the city tarncot by a private owner who had not returned.  The city confiscated him for overdue livery fees and Trem told me he would make inquiries about purchasing Risto himself, and then sell him to me, a barbarian with no Home Stone.  He told me that I should ride him often and form a rider tarn bond. 

 

My first meeting of Risto was terrifying and it is very difficult to hide terror from tarns.  They sense these things like a shark senses distressed fish.  When we entered Risto’s cell, his fierce gazing eyes intimidated me.  I was startled when he hissed at Trem who was in front me.  Trem approached him with a tarn goad extended in his hand.  Unexpectedly and lightening quick, Risto had slashed out at Trem with his unfettered talon which came into contact with Trem’s extended tarn goad.  The goad flashed bright blue and repelled the talon, but Trem was thrown off balance by the surprise contact.  Risto took advantage of Trem’s stumble and slashed again.  I stepped in with my goad to protect Trem but he had quickly ducked and rolled away.

 

When my goad contacted his talon and flashed, Risto pointed his beak to the ceiling and shrieked the most terrifying sound I have ever heard.  My hair stood up and a sharp chill went down my spine as I lost control of my bladder, urine running down my leg.  But I knew not to run, mostly in fear of turning my back on this angry apex predator.

 

I came to the tarncot now every other day, using Risto to make dung runs from the tarncot to the farm outside of town.  Trem also had me practice the whistle return.  I was given a whistle that had a special frequency that was matched to Risto; a response to come to the whistle had been engrained into him through intense training that began as a young hatchling.  Tarns have great hearing and respond to the whistle return from an amazing distance.  He would only respond to this whistle’s frequency.

 

After the tarns were put into their cells and fed, Trem and I left for some paga at The Feasting Tarn.  Jesop had sensed we were going, and begged to go with us, but Trem sent him away.  Inside the tavern at the Top Perch we were met by the short, sweet hipped, brown skinned Ria, Trem’s favorite paga slut.  She gracefully served us paga and I watched Trem’s eyes gaze at her backside as she walked away.

 

Trem’s eyes returned to his paga and he said, “I don’t know what to do about Jesop. He is smart, seems happy most of the time and is a great assistant. He has a healthy respect for tarns and shows no fear around them. He has flown in the saddle with me many times, now I wonder if it was a mistake to have him fly with me. Lately, he has been nagging me about teaching him to fly. I think he would make a fine tarnsman, but that will never happen as long as he is a slave. I don’t know how to tell him. He is not taking slavery well as he gets older. He is a spirited boy, a teen intent on being free. He frequently mentions that he will not be a slave for long. I don’t want to whip him, or break his sprit. He is mostly obedient and works hard.”

 

“Why can he not learn to fly?”

 

“I know that on his first solo flight, he would fly away, never to return. And I would be in serious trouble, responsible for a lost tarn and slave,” he said.

 

“I will buy him and set him free,” I said, the solution to this problem coming to me suddenly.

 

“What? You are an odd man Rykart, but I like the way you think. It would be unusual for the city to sell him, there would have to be a compelling reason. And you buying a city owned tarn and slave would be hard to present. This war is making everyone suspicious, the timing is unfortunate.”

 

“But you just told good reason, compelling, for Jesop to be sold. Do same thing for Jesop as for Risto. I give you money and you buy. Then you free him?” I suggested.

 

“That might work, let me think on it.”

 

“Maybe say free Jesop to become apprentice, work in city tarncot with you? I know Magistrate, maybe approach him?” I said.

 

“I like the apprentice idea, it helps to make the matter compelling. But don’t go to Julian, I doubt he trusts you yet. I know you are sword training with the city guard, but you have not sworn to our Home Stone. Let this be my doing.”

 

We finished our paga and Ria brought us another.

 

“There will be another tarn race very soon. Probably the last one until the war is over. It is rumored that the Ubar will be in attendance. The Ubar loves to gamble on the races,” he said.  I remember how Trem had given me very lucrative gambling advice at the last race.  It had seemed too lucrative, and I didn’t want to ask why, but I had an uneasy feeling about placing any bets at this next race.  Trem was very passionate about racing and we talked about some of the teams that would be there.

 

From our lofty rooftop position on top of the tavern, I noticed a man below, walking down the seating stairs in the stadium.  The multi stories of The Feasting Tarn were built into the walls of the stadium with exits that provided access into the stadium.  Usually the stadium was empty, but sometimes small events would take place utilizing the seating or expansive grounds.  But a single man walking the stairs seemed odd.  I pointed the man out to Trem, who also thought it odd, but his attention was on Ria, who he took to the nearest alcove.

 

I took a petite blond to an alcove.  I tied her wrists to a slave ring.  Despite being restrained, she proved to be very talented and I was surprised how fast she brought me to climax with her hips and enthusiasm. I lay next to her catching my breath; her arms still lay above her, immobilized with the bond.  She moved her legs slowly, rubbing against me seductively.  I don’t think she had climaxed and was in need of relief.  I looked at her small, firm, well shaped breasts and stiffened nipples.  Her skin was flushed and her eyes begged for attention.  I sat up a bit, admiring her beauty.

 

“Please don’t go Master, this slave is in need and begs your touch,” she pleaded passionately.  My loins began to stir.  I untied her wrists and as soon as they were free, she sat up and moved, fast as a cat, placing her lips on my stiffening member.

 

Having been thoroughly pleased twice, I left the alcove and went to find the paga attendant to pay for my paga.  I wondered if I needed to pay twice for the use of the girl, then realized I didn’t know her name.  I did consider that I had ordered two pagas, and that the price of paga included the use of the sluts.  I paid the attendant and for an unknown reason, I looked over the wall at stadium and noticed the lone man, walking on the ground in the center.  I had an odd feeling about this man, that perhaps I knew him.

 

I watched him for a bit, and noticed that he appeared to be taking measured steps or paces.  He was armed with a sword and a leather satchel hung from his shoulder.   I descended the large central staircase of the tavern and went to the first floor.  I went to the exit that accessed the stadium at ground level.  The man was now much closer to me, and I stayed in the doorway, not wanting to be seen.  He continued to come closer and I finally recognized him.  It was Lenious, the master of Tina, formerly Five, the blond coin girl I had called Penny.

 

I watched him walk about the stadium for a few more ehn and then he exited the stadium onto the street.  I waited a bit and then went through the exit to follow him.  I don’t know why I followed him; mostly out of curiosity perhaps.

 

 He walked down the street for a bit and then turned onto an alley.  I followed at a distance, not wanting to be known.  The alley turned a couple times and I came around a corner and did not see him.  I had lost him.  I backtracked in the alley and came to a junction with another alley that I had previously passed.   It was narrower than the other alley I was on.  I went down this new alley and came to a turn, where I heard voices.  I recognized one of the voices as being Penny’s.  They talked for a bit, Lenious mentioning that the stadium was large, with many exits.  They stopped talking and I waited a bit, listening for movement or continued discussion.  Everything was quiet, so I slowly stepped around the corner and noticed the two of them at a wooden counter, under what appeared to be an abandoned vendor’s stall, tucked into a small recess in the wall.  There was an awning shade that partially concealed the recess and vendor stall.

 

Penny was standing next to Lenious, who was hunched over a large unrolled scroll which lay on the counter.  He appeared to be writing on the scroll, which I thought was odd, as Penny had told me he was illiterate.  Penny was looking about the alley, appearing to be on guard and she turned, noticing me as I was quietly backing away.

 

“Master Rykart is here, Master,” she whispered and dropped to her knees.  Lenious turned abruptly and drew his sword.