"Fuck," I said.
My nose was wet. I could hear someone dip something in the water. Whatever it was, it started dripping as soon as they took it out. Then I saw it, it was a towel. They left it on my nose. The water was cold and refreshing. It seems a girl was tending to my wounds. I could only see that she had long silver hair, and her skin was pale like snow, with a subtle purple pigmentation. She was sitting on the floor, diligently replacing the towel once it dried up, I don't think she knew what she was doing.
The rugs on which I was lying were really soft. It reminded me of the ones I owned back at my villa. When I tried to stand up, the girl who was sitting next to me panicked. She almost jumped backward and kicked the water bucket with her feet. The water splashed over my tunic. My armor nowhere to be seen.
"Calm down," I said. "Why are--"
She was an elf. I never had seen one before. I crawled closer and stared at her, deep into her bright, purple eyes. She broke eye contact and blushed. Then her toes sank on my left cheek as she kicked me away.
"Ouch," I said. I was left staring at the ceiling of the tent. Maybe she doesn't speak Latin.
When I looked back at her, she was scared for her life. Her pupils were smaller than just a second ago, but she wasn't looking at me. When I stood up, a barbarian girl entered the tent. Her sharp nose, violent green eyes, and long, red hair radiated an essence of authority.
"I see you are awake, I am your new master." The ginger said, "If you refer to me as Frea, you will be punished."
Her voice was the same as the one I heard in the slums. Is this what she meant by collection.
"So wha-"
"Silence, I have not ordered you to speak." Frea said. "You see that elf piece of shit?"
I just nodded.
"Look at her, she is the daughter of an Egyptian king," She said. "But look at her now, isn't she cute?"
I looked at the elf girl, and she had peed herself.
"Now, I have important things to attend to," She said. Then she undressed in front of me, exposing her big breast.
"Barbarians girls were truly gifted." I thought. She then changed into something more fitting for a queen.
"You are not to leave this tent unless ordered to do so. Don't even think about running away, you won't be able to make it far without shoes or a horse." Frea Said. Then she left the tent.
I had nothing to do with the tent; I thought about boning the elf girl, but what if I get caught? Besides, is not like she looked any attractive right now.
Hours passed by, and I was yet to be fed. The elf girl had regained her composure and changed into clean clothes. Was this something that happened frequently?
I really needed to pee, but Frea never returned. I am sure she won't mind if I leave the tent for a bit to pee. These rugs are rather expensive, and I would kill my slaves if they dared to ruin them. Besides, I was a civilized Roman, not a dog.
I disobeyed Frea's order and left the tent. Outside, I saw the barbarian encampment. All the tents were white and grey, except the one that I just left. Purple? Was she barbarian royalty?
I looked for a splendid tree to pee, but the vegetation was lacking. The soil was bare. It was a wasteland, maybe a drained swamp. It was difficult to walk through it without my boots. The trees didn't have a single leaf on them, what they had were people. Men and women alike hanged naked on the branches of every tree. Their hands were tied up, and their necks were tied to a noose. Some bodies were dirty, likely they were dragged to their deaths, the ones that put up resistance were beaten and bloodied.
Were those dead men legionaries or barbarians? It was hard to tell, the Roman army nowadays was a joke and there was no difference. I wonder if Manlius was among the dead. Did we win? Did we lose? When are my fellow Romans going to show up with my ransom?
After I was done with my deed, I walked back to the tent but got punched in the face and tackled to the ground. I crouched, but I was getting kicked by multiple people.
"I told you, that I would punish you for this," Frea said. I got dragged around, I was too weak to raise my head. I stared at the ground as I got handled like a doll. Then I felt a hand pat my head. It was Frea's. She pulled my hair and raised my head upwards. I then saw some gallows. Four women and one man were restrained, hands and feet tied like the way poachers tie pelts, their bodies looked sweaty and bloodied but they were still alive. The barbarians pulled down one of the women. She made no effort to stand up and allowed herself to be dragged like a commodity.
I was too badly beaten to defend myself, my tunic was removed, and they tied me like the woman was. My heart pounded, thoughts of dying crossed my mind.
"This should teach you some modesty," Frea said. She started whipping me. I counted the hits. She started whipping me harder until my grunts changed to screams. She didn't stop, I counted the leashes, but before she was finished I passed out. The following morning I was too badly beaten to move. While the elf girl tended to my wounds, Frea laughed at me.
"Look at you, you look so cute too," She said. "As I said, don't you ever dare leave my tent."
That night, hungry and unable to move, just like the elf girl, I peed myself too.