[mention]TayDay95[/mention], [mention]Caesar73[/mention], [mention]wolfman[/mention], [mention]Beaumains[/mention], [mention]slackywacky[/mention], [mention]banshee[/mention], [mention]NotSeen[/mention], [mention]FabianStr2016[/mention], [mention]Red86[/mention], [mention]Boundcurious[/mention], [mention]Nainur[/mention], [mention]RopeBunny[/mention], [mention]Damsel-Dilara-Dee[/mention], [mention]Jake78045[/mention], and [mention]Bandit666[/mention]
You have posted comments on one of my stories. That is appreciated very much. Please tell me what you think about the
Tale of an Archer. If you would like your tag added or removed from this list, send me a PM or a post with that request.
-----
Chapter 17 - Jordan shows Muddy the Workshop
By @GreyLord and @Nainur
Muddy had just removed her dress. For a hundred heartbeats, Jordan admired her beautiful body. She had pert tits on a prominent rib cage. Her belly was concave. He didn't think the Creeks would starve her, but they sure hadn't overfed her either. And a seven-out-of-seven-days work schedule made it difficult to gain weight as well. "Turn around and cross your wrists behind your back. Hold your arms off of your back."
With very light rope, he took two horizontal turns around her wrists. He followed with two turns perpendicular to the first two. Then two turns between her arms, cinching everything he had done so far. He knotted his tie at the top of her wrists.
Next, he took a slightly heavier rope and looped it around her arms just above her elbows. He put enough pressure on her arms that she would know the rope was there but light enough that it should not be a problem for Muddy to be tied that way for the entire night. He cinched her elbow tie, so the rope between her elbows looked like one big, braided rope.
“Lay down on the bed, on your belly." She did, and Jordan tied her legs in three places; above her knees, below her knees, and her ankles. As with her wrists and elbows, he tied her firmly but not overly tight. When he finished, he bent her feet close to her butt and lashed her ankles to her upper thighs.
Then, he doubled a rope and formed a lark’s head noose connecting Muddy's ankles and wrists. Jordan pulled it tight enough to anchor her hands at her butt and tied it off. If she relaxed, the ropes should only strain her slightly and not be painful. His last step was to stuff a scarf in her mouth and tie it in place with a bandanna. Checking all the bindings, he ensured she could not escape, and none were restricting her circulation.
Muddy was surprised. Doubly so. Or even thrice. The Colonist did not jump on her to have his fun. She would not have minded too much if he did – he was handsome enough for a Colonist, she thought - but she had not been eager as well: after all, he was a Colonist! This man was a riddle to her. She sensed he had a hunger inside and wanted her yet kept himself at bay. This befuddled her, but she liked it.
His tying was not bad as well, to her additional surprise. Not cruel but effective enough. She believed she might undo it, but only after much effort. Since it would not be unnoticed with him close by, she decided not to try it. She would try it only once: the day she would run. Someday.
Her bondage circle and a few more had tied her up. She had enjoyed it mostly. Being tied up wasn't necessarily a bad thing in Bandit culture. At the moment, she felt desirable and worthy. She liked that, too.
And she would sleep on this soft 'bed,' as he called it. She would sleep deep and safe. Not bad, as well. She fixed the Colonist with her dark eyes. She thought he would be even more handsome if he were not so sad. He missed his Maddie, for sure. For a moment or two, her eyes widened. Because she understood suddenly and she knew why she had been taken to this place. Recognizing the sadness in his face, she understood he was in mourning still. He was split between two minds.
Looking at her, Jordan thought she would be more comfortable if he turned her on her side. He did and moved a pillow under her head. That left her eyes and nipples looking at him. He let the temperature go down to 18 degrees at night, so he pulled a big blanket up to her waist. He would be getting under the blanket as well.
Jordan tested the firmness of her breasts by cupping them and seeing how they manipulated. This, of course, was not having sex. This was just a little foreplay. He did not continue that activity long as he was starting to get worked up. He had said no sex tonight. Muddy had to be able to depend on his word. So he slid his legs under the blanket, pulled the blanket up to their necks, ordered the lights out, and tried to go to sleep.
Finally, he did. But not before his mind turned again and again to the beautiful bound woman laying beside him. Her breasts were amazing. They were soft and firm at the same time. They were large enough to fill his hands, but she would not sag as she aged. He longed to fill his mouth with those tits. His erection throbbed, but he willed himself to leave it alone tonight. Sleep, when it came, was a relief.
Muddy had been passive. Not because she did not like it, but because she felt this Colonist had to find the right way for himself. But she enjoyed it very much. It was entertaining. She stayed awake for quite a while and listened to his breathing. Like Jordan, Muddy had much to think about. Earlier that evening, when she was too restless to stay put, she had walked around and found a picture in a frame. A smiling woman with dark brown hair was held in place by two thin braids starting at the temples and pulled back: a strange fashion, Muddy thought, but it did the trick. She had learned this was the late wife of his, Maddie.
“Maeh'deeh--or maybe even: Mae’aed-dee." she repeated the name in her mind. She wondered, he was given a proper name, Shordan Archah, and his wife had one, too. Why was that while she was just 'Muddy'? But she thought she was a friendly-looking woman, probably a few years older. Too young to die.
She was also curious about what she was to learn the following day. There had been so many wonders today. Perhaps the biggest surprise of all, she saw that Shordan Archah was not soft. He was kind and considerate but not soft at all. A decent man, she judged. Moreover, a decent man who was lonely but not lonely by nature. Bad luck. She almost pitied him. Almost. He simply should had stayed on his star. Then she fell asleep without even a brief attempt to get free.
Jeeves woke Jordan with his selection of music. This morning, Jeeves had picked the Irish Rovers singing "Drunken Sailor," a rousing sound to begin the day. It was followed by The Killdares singing "Whiskey in The Jar." The room temperature was coming up to normal. Jordan pulled the covers off of Muddy and freed her from her ropes. He picked up his clothes and hers and rushed Muddy to the bathhouse. If Muddy decided to stay, he would have to add indoor plumbing to the house.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cf0E_PJ ... JohnKenton
The Irish Rovers sing “Drunken Sailor” – Irish Rovers concert in Toronto June 19, 2009
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TD2Niae ... illdaresTV
The Killdares “Whiskey in the Jar” Live at the Granada Theater February 12, 2011
In the bathhouse, he used the outhouse and then took a shower. Naturally, the doors were locked so that Muddy could not escape. He did not give Muddy any orders but left her to decide her actions.
Those sound bewildered Muddy. What was a sailor? She didn't know about music, but it was rousing and hypnotic. And washing – again? She felt totally clean, but she washed her face and hands a bit and was waiting dressed before Shordan had finished his shower. She had thought about it all and said, "It is not necessary to bind me. A neck-rope will suffice, surely. But I won't run, anyway." She added silently, "Not today." Then aloud, "I am very curious about what you want me to do today."
Jordan made a decision, "Alright, first we eat breakfast." He used his internal link to tell Jeeves to unlock the doors.
Jordan told her, "Then I think the next thing we will do after breakfast will be to get you some additional clothing. After that, I will walk you through my workshop. You will be spending a lot of your time there helping me. By then, it will be lunchtime. This afternoon, I will show you our fields and pastures."
Breakfast was laid out. They had eggs scrambled with cheese, bacon, toast with butter and jelly, and grits. To drink, each had a glass of water, a glass of milk, and a mug of hot coffee. “Have a seat, Muddy, and dig in.”
Muddy asked, “I don’t know how I am supposed to address you. Do I call you Master or Chief or Sir?”
When they were seated, and Jordan had taken his first sip of the coffee, he said, "You are welcome to use my name, Jordan, or as you say, Shordan."
Muddy looked at him with a blank expression, keeping her silence. She was used to listening more than speaking. The 'bondage circle' had been a special exception, for she tried to hide her thoughts and feelings. And her emotions were in turmoil, and admitting or showing them meant revealing her vulnerability.
All these things appearing and disappearing were pure magic. Right, if the Colonist liked to name this kind of magic 'technology', she was happy with that, but 'magic' it remained. The prospect of being served by this magic was so strange to her that she was quite unable to enjoy this luxury. 'Luxury' was a word she did not even know. And she had no idea why he had told her about more clothes. Her dress was new and well made!
She welcomed, however, the announcement of helping in the workshop. It contained the word 'work,' so surely there was work to be done, wasn't there? Her face lightened up as she heard it. Being useless was not in her book, and she even deemed it dangerous. Expendable. She had received shelter, protection, clothing, and food from the Creek because she was working, after all. Also, he mentioned fields and pastures. She was good with a hoe. Finally, she had to ask. "What is a 'bot' Shordan, or did you mean 'boot' or 'boat'? Are those fields on an island in the river?"
She made a face. This drink called 'coffee' was very strange, very bitter. Very much not to her liking. How could he enjoy this bitter medicine?
Jordan tried to answer, "It is going to be easier to show you a bot than to explain one. You will meet Joseph in a few minutes. They are machines and are made in many shapes. But they can think, almost like a person, maybe better."
Muddy did not say anything. But her eyes were big, and Jordan could tell she had doubts. Even more: 'Goliath' and 'Joseph' must be the very demons she had heard of!
After they finished breakfast, Jordan took Muddy to his office. It was not large but had a fine desk he had constructed. Behind the desk was a well-padded office chair. In the front were two equally well-padded chairs for guests, so far unused. The desk was placed so that Jordan could see out the window while seated at the desk or look at a large monitor that could be raised at the front of the desk. He could see an even larger wall monitor while seated at the desk. With a slight turn of their chairs, guests could also see the wall monitor. He sat Muddy in a chair in front of the desk and sat in his desk chair.
Jordan told Jeeves verbally, "Jeeves, open my desk console, display on wall monitor as well. Show women's clothing, casual and work. Two arrays of pictures appear on the monitor. Casual clothes are to the left, and work clothes are to the right." A message at the bottom of the screen said that Joseph needed to take measurements.
“Who is Jeeves, and where is he?" Muddy thought. "This house is full of tekk-now-logee magic! Measurements? How? When? By whom? Why?" Muddy's mouth was wide open in amazement. Her dress was very new! She needed no other!"
Jordan sensed her uncertainty, smiled at Muddy, and said, "I should have told you about 'coffee.' Coffee is a drink that helps people wake up and stay alert. Most people come to like the taste. Next time, try putting a spoon of sugar in the coffee and a little cream. Remind me, and I will show you how. Now, your question about bots is very important. Robots are intelligent machines that we often call bots. Some are designed to do very specialized functions. Some are more general purpose. For example, Jeeves is the house AI. He does the cooking in addition to our planning. He is very good at it. He keeps the house clean and oversees security. But Jeeves does not have a body. He would not be able to make new clothes for you.
“I have two general purpose bots. One is large, bigger even than our horses. He goes by the name Goliath. The other one, Joseph, is smaller and shaped somewhat like a mythical creature called a centaur. Goliath is powerful and takes care of mining, construction, and farming. Joseph is strong too, but can also do delicate work, such as sewing.
“Come in, Joseph. I want you to meet Muddy. Muddy, prepare to meet Joseph." The bots were in constant communication with Jeeves and already understood Muddy's status. They were eager to determine if Muddy was the woman that Jordan needed.
Muddy seemed to be befuddled at first, then almost terrified, especially when she heard the sounds of the approaching bot. She rose from her seat, prepared to flee. But there was no way out other than the direction from which this ‘bot’ approached. She thought, "What might happen if the Colonist got mad at me? Would those strange creatures tear me into pieces?" And then, 'Joseph' entered. Muddy squeaked. A sound she did not know she had in her repertoire. She was close to passing out and starting to feel not like a bandit but like a mouse hoping nobody would step on her to squash her. This was very annoying, and she kept pressing her fists on her mouth to subdue more of the squeaking sounds.
“Muddy, Joseph will not harm you. Joseph is brilliant. You can talk to him if you wish. He would like to be your friend. He is more intelligent than most humans. He will take your measurements and can do that without touching you. Please don't be afraid. You are safe here with me. And you are safe with Joseph. He will protect you just as I would."
Muddy trembled all over, watching this creature approaching her. Nervously she looked around, gulped, and said: "J--Joseph?"
“Hello, Miss Muddy. It is a pleasure to welcome you here to our small plantation. If there is anything that I can do to assist you or make you more comfortable, please let me know. And Master Jordan is correct. We will protect you." The bot spoke in a very mellow voice.
This tekk-now-logee was almost too overwhelming! Behold! A golem! An actual golem out of the stories told by the old folk to the kids, and, mind, not all those stories were nice. They were frightening. And here was such a—such a creature and its voice was friendly. Welcoming. Very confusing.
Jordan could read the turmoil she was in by looking at her face, but after several seconds she collected herself just enough to reply, "He-ello, Joseph! Thank you." She looked at the man the Creek called Shordan Archah. How very apt that name was, she thought in awe.
Jordan told Muddy, “You will need to remove your dress for him to measure, Muddy.”
That had to be repeated before Muddy understood what was demanded and why. Then she obeyed, gulping. She stood there naked, looking at that 'creature,' not knowing what she could do but obey. Jordan could not help but notice that she trembled along her whole body in her nakedness. He also saw that she also tried so hard to be brave.
Joseph answered calmly, "No, Muddy. I will not hurt you. My arms will come about a meter away from you but no closer."
Jordan explained, "You are being courageous, Muddy. Everything is alright. You can see Joseph's appendages measuring you – they won't come closer than half a meter. It is almost over. There! It is done."
Joseph withdrew his arms and said, "Muddy, I now have all the measurements I need to sew clothing for you that will fit perfectly. Thank you for your cooperation."
“Good, Muddy, you can dress now,” Jordan told her. “Let’s look on the monitor so you can pick what you want.”
Joseph said, "I suggest you start with two pairs of jeans. Here are some styles for those." The monitor display a row of women in different styles of jeans. "Then you will want shirts to go with the jeans. You will probably need four to six of these for now." The monitor showed a second row of women in tee shirts, sweatshirts, and frillier things like camisoles. "You will also want some leisure wear, maybe four sets of these." A third row appeared, featuring shorts, slacks, tank tops, halters, and the like. "And finally, I suggest some sleepwear." A fourth row showed pajamas and nightgowns.
A fifth row showed Muddy some options for footwear.
Muddy gulped, "This golem, it speaks to me like a confidant," she thought. "But also kindly in a friendly manner. Is it possible that it really would protect me?" She was almost frozen, unable to make a choice.
“Joseph, would you pick out a few essentials for Muddy. We are going to the workshop. Muddy, it’s okay. Sometimes our emotions can overwhelm us. It is natural for you to be shocked by what you have just seen. I think going to the workshop will make you feel better. You can see things there that you can understand and that you will be able to do.”
He was thinking that she might react to crying in front of him. The Creek, and probably other Bandits, did not believe in showing their emotions in public.
We walked out of the house and over to the workshop. This building was a good bit bigger than the house. The first room that I take Muddy to is the woodwork shop. "Muddy, there are a lot of machines here. Promise me that you will not try to use a machine until I show you how. Used correctly, they are safe. But used incorrectly, they can be very dangerous.
“Here are two tables I am building. I have finished one. The other is almost finished. These are tables that might sit beside a chair or a sofa in a den. Notice that both have very smooth surfaces. But the finished one has a much deeper polish. That is because I have hand-polished it.
“I will show you how." I take a can of linseed oil and spill a few drops of oil out of it onto the top of the unfinished table. Then I spend ten minutes rubbing the oil into part of the table top with the palm of my hand, making small circular motions. When I took my hand away, A small patch of the table surface was shining just like the finished table.
“This comes from a combination of things, the linseed oil, the heat from my hand rubbing it, and I think there are some oils from my hand too. Tomorrow, you can start helping me by finishing this table. Then, I want the stocks of the crossbows I am making polished this way."
Muddy, totally confused, tried hard to recover. She discovered that the overwhelming flood of information caused her state of mind. She could hardly grasp it all at the velocity it was presented to her. But she still had a desire to find a haven. What kind of a bandit was she? She knew now that she would not kill this Colonist. How could she? He was a kind man and had been extra kind to her. Angela and Sheilah had been right. Again: how apt his naming was! She might run. Yes, she might. But certainly not while she was so curious about everything!
"Yes, Shordan Archah!" she replied. With awe, she stared at the strange surroundings. She could not say it, but for the moment, she was just too scared to touch anything, so she replied quite meekly by now. "Yes, Shordan Archah! I promise!"
These tables, however, she could understand and touch. She had watched the first such things, or similar, arrive. Once or twice, she used a quick opportunity to look at them in the village while helping out at Samuel's, for example. She looked at the polishing and asked, "May I just try to polish it right now? Just a bit?"
“Of course, you may, Muddy. I have some work to do on my crossbows. If you have any questions, you can ask me anytime."
Jordan had fifty crossbows in various stages of completion. Troublesome times were ahead. He had learned from his internal comm link that Joe Houston, the Colony's Commander, had issued a warrant to hang Lou Harriman. This would enrage the Bandits, and if the Colonist captured Lou, it would be war.
Fortunately, Houston was incompetent. There was a good chance he would never get his hands on Harriman. If he were competent, Jordan's communications to the Colony would have been cut. Most Colonists would view him as a turncoat. But to Jordan, the Colonists were the interlopers. Newhome was the Bandit's planet. The Colonists came uninvited. He would do what he could to help the Bandits and, specifically, the Creek. Maddie would want this.
Muddy had calmed down and did a carefully, thoroughly job polishing without saying another word. She fixed her dark eyes on the point she was polishing. A trance-like state of mind, for she was one of the people who found it relaxing and satisfying while working in the field, a garden, or a shop. Jordan had even given an order to stop working and to wash her hands carefully.
They returned to the house for lunch. At the table, Jordan said, "You did very well, Muddy, and it's time for a break. Instead of coffee to drink, for lunch, we have iced tea. Most people like it sweet. The covered white bowl on the table is the sugar. Watch, and I will put a spoon of sugar in my tea. Now I will use this long-handled spoon to stir the sugar to mix it with the tea. You try; you might start with two spoons of sugar."
Muddy looked at this white material with small, distrustful eyes. Jordan soon discovered that Muddy had a sweet tooth, for after obeying his advice to the letter – she measured the spoonful of sugar twice with the concentration of someone very eager to master a new experience – and tasted the drink, her eyes lit up. She added a third spoonful, and her face brightened even more. Adding a fourth one put Muddy in heaven! That was better than the small measures of honey she could get in a Creek hut!
“What a delightful drink!" she exclaimed. "May I ask a question? – other than polishing wood, what is expected of me when this giant, Joseph, and Jeeves are doing all the real work? I want to have something to do on my own, to show you what I can do! Maybe my own little garden?"
“When I decide to run, that could help me," she thought. "Besides the fruits, I could need certain plants and herbs. Shordan can keep the rest. That'll do him good."
“Yes, you can do things on your own. I suggest you wait a few days to see what I will have you doing before you decide. You just saw a little of what you will be doing in the workshop this morning."