<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"> <html> <head> <meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1"> <title>The long journey home begins with more pain</title> </head> <body style="color: rgb(255, 204, 204); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" link="#000099" vlink="#990099" alink="#000099"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">PAULA CLOTHED AND ROBERTA STILL NAKED</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">It was dawn on a crisp and very frosty winter’s day. Paula was warmly dressed to protect her from the icy cold. The pair had earned plenty of money as a result of Roberta’s strength and will to work hard. Roberta was still naked, of course. They had spent the night under the stars with the hardy Golden Guard sleeping apart from her assistant, disdaining to take any advantage of the warmth of her body. Even after all this time Paula still marvelled at Roberta’s phenomenal powers of endurance.</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">Six months had passed since the sojourn in the bandit’s cave and nearly seven since Roberta had managed to defy the swirling currents and swim ashore from Hell Island. And the pair seemed to be no nearer achieving their aim of restoring Roberta’s reputation than ever. They kept getting distracted by one adventure after another and the one thing all these incidents seemed to have in common was that Roberta got punished for her obstinate refusal to wear clothes.</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> "I’m totally pissed off with this discomfort, Roberta and you don‘t look too happy yourself with all that gooseflesh! And at this rate we're never going to get back to the Palace and save your reputation. Come on, Roberta!" Paula wanted to cover the remaining few miles to the Palace and get all these adventures over and done with. The King remained in danger and all Roberta could do was get the two of them into one scrape after another! Although it was mainly - entirely - Roberta who suffered from all these diversions. Paula just got to watch in comfort as her friend faced danger and physical pain.</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">"I'm sure we won't be long now, Paula! I've got a good feeling about today! No more silly sideshows from now on! At least, I hope not. It's getting to be rather boring!"</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">Paula nodded her agreement. </span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">"That elderly mystic Philippa, six months ago, told me my future was one of great wealth and happiness, Roberta. Not much sign of that yet!"</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">"What did she say about mine?" Roberta wasn't really interested. Despite having been given such a painful lesson in good manners she still doubted Philippa's mystic powers.</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">"Lots of danger and a great deal of pain. She got that much right! You’ve had your share of both lately! How's the back feeling after your latest whipping? It looks just like it did when we first started living together - when the King gave me to you!"</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">"Fine, Paula! Now that my skin is getting hardened again I can cope just fine. That ritual whipping at the cave was terrible, though. I don’t mind admitting that it was touch and go whether I screamed out that day! That preparation they rubbed into my skin made sure I felt pain such as I’ve never experienced before! I shall remember that old bitch for as long as I live. And don’t look at me like that, Paula!”</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">Paula always looked shocked at Roberta’s scoffing disbelief. In spite of being horribly punished for it the girl still persisted in her wicked sceptical ways! </span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">Roberta resumed. “That was the worst, though. After a few days my skin was getting harder and the six floggings I've been given since that terrible ordeal have been much easier to bear!"</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">"Is it only six whippings you‘ve had since then! It seems so much more somehow. Over time one flogging seems to merge into another. But you should know, I suppose! You do ask for it, Roberta. You must realise that! But, having said that, I feel the way you got the first ones after we left the bandits behind was the most utterly unfair of them all. You hadn't a lot of choice, though. Not that time. You couldn't possibly have left those poor people to their fate."</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">It was late in the day and the girls decided to rest for the night. In the morning they would complete the journey and Roberta would hopefully win back her good name. Either that or go back to Hell Island and be flogged to death in front of all the other convicts as an example of what happens to escapers. And they would make no mistake this time. By the time they’d finished with her, she’d be dead right enough!</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">As she sat and went over the events of the last six months, Roberta relived the adventures that had befallen since her innocence was so eccentrically and painfully established - after the seer Philippa had made her mystic incantations, chanted in a reedy elderly voice, over a goodly measure of Roberta's painfully shed blood.</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">*******************************************</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">Adventure the First</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">Roberta and Paula left the bandit lair with all the brigands waving them farewell and wishing them Godspeed. Even the still vindictive Philippa hobbled out, taking time out from the preparation of whatever disgusting potion she was brewing up, to wish Roberta a successful defence of her good name. How sincere this particular benediction was, neither girl could be quite sure! Paula suspected that Philippa still had designs on Roberta’s hide!</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">By mid day they had covered twelve miles across not terribly easy terrain and Paula's feet were giving her trouble. Roberta had no trouble stepping on thorns and razor sharp rocks, but Paula would never have such hard feet as her Mistress. Roberta made her lie down and put both feet in the air. Then she licked the torn soles, gently sucked out the bits of grit and generally soothed the pain out. After a few minutes of this treatment Paula agreed that she might be able to carry on for a mile or two longer, but it soon became obvious that the pair must rest for the night, even though several hours of daylight were still to come.</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">Paula soon fell asleep and Roberta left her and went to look around. She was still more than a trifle upset with her so-called assistant after the way she had so openly exulted in her torture. The dominance between the two seemed to be tilting away from Roberta and towards Paula. Paula might still be nude but Roberta could see that she would sooner or later get dressed and stay that way.</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">Roberta was about to go back and lie next to her friend when she saw three women coming up the hill. They were pushing a heavy wagon, full of fruit and vegetables. Below them was a series of fields and trees. Above was the hilltop village where they lived. All three women looked exhausted. Roberta decided to lend a helping hand.</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">"Can I help with that, ladies?" she asked, as they came up to her. "You seem to be having trouble!"</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">"You also seem to be having trouble! What are you doing walking around without clothes? Have you been robbed?" asked one of them, a woman of about forty and taller than her two companions who looked a lot younger.</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">"I am always naked. My body must never be covered. It is a life I have chosen." Roberta hesitated to announce herself as a Golden Guard. Her name had been pretty well known even before her disgrace, imprisonment for life and escape. She saw again the folly of not wearing clothes. If she had any sense she would disguise herself again and avoid this kind of embarrassment. But Roberta lacked sense these days and in any case she had made up her mind once and for all. Her body would never again be adorned by anything but the weapons and equipment of a Golden Guard.</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">"You could get into deep trouble in these parts by showing yourself so brazenly! Immodesty in women is always severely punished in our village. But you look very strong and we desperately need to bring supplies up to the barns quickly. We have so little time to gather our winter produce.</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">All the crops left in the fields by sunset are to be given to the Lord Gerald. Our men are all away in the Lord Gerald's service and working in the gold mines. Goodness knows when they will be back. Not in tome to harvest the crops - that’s for sure. We will starve if we can't get more up to the barns than this. We are desperate and we gladly accept your help, shameless naked harlot though you may be! Beggars can't be choosers."</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">Roberta suppressed her anger. How dare this insolent peasant woman refer thus to one of the King’s elite Golden Guard! But she could not stand by and see a whole community suffer deprivation when she was in a position to help. Roberta was kind hearted girl. She seized the shafts of the wagon and began pushing it uphill towards the hamlet. As she moved away she turned and spoke to the women.</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">"Go and help the rest of you pick more fruit and dig more vegetables. I'll get twelve wagon loads up the hill by nightfall. Never mind how full the cart is! I am incredibly strong and can lift three wagons like this off the ground at once!"</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">This was a bit of an exaggeration, of course, but Roberta knew her promise to deliver twelve loads to the barns was not. The women, released from the need to transport their produce, worked hard to denude the orchards of fruit and dig up and harvest every vegetable and every blade of wheat. By nightfall there was little, if anything, left for "Lord" Gerald and his band of bloodsuckers to steal from the hardworking villagers.</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">Roberta knew all about "Lord" Gerald, who was no lord at all but merely a gangster and a thief who would one day be destroyed, just as soon as the festering rebellion in other parts of the country could be eliminated. She had itched to be sent to deal with this evil man when in her first year‘s service, but the war against the rebels had been too fierce at the time. And she would not be able to deal with him now.</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">With only herself and Paula and a few womenfolk, Roberta knew she had no chance on her own of doing anything about the so-called lord the time being. But she could work until the sweat poured off her body and every muscle cried out in pain in order to deprive him of the fruits of other people's toil.</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">As soon as the work was done, Roberta found Paula and roused her and they both went into the village to brave the curious appraisal of the inhabitants. The villagers stared at the couple in open mouthed amazement. It was obvious that nothing like this had ever happened here before. There was a mixture of curiosity and shocked disapproval.</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">The children all came excitedly to see the two strangers, but pretty soon they were hurried indoors to shield their tender young eyes from the sight of those four bare breasts and two exposed pussies (especially Roberta’s cunt which was very visible, despite her immensity of blonde pubic hair) Paula was offered something to wear and she looked about to decline, but accepted after Roberta explained to her that nudity was particularly disapproved of around here and it would be safer for her to be covered.</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">It would be safer for both to be covered, but Roberta had given her word and would never break it. But Paula was a different case and her Mistress knew she would be in plenty of trouble of her own before long. Having Paula dressed would mean she had only herself to worry about.</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">The couple were given the use of one of the unoccupied houses for the duration of their stay in the village. The women advised Roberta not to stay too long. It would be hard on her if the men returned and saw her like that.</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">Paula put on the clothes the villagers had found for her and looked at her friend anxiously. Roberta was looking more nude than ever these days - if that were possible!</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">“What about you, Roberta? What will they do to you? Not that they could do much. You are too strong and they all look exhausted anyway.”</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">“These women will not harm me. They are all too grateful, but when the men return it will be a different matter. Maybe we should leave in the morning or as soon as those feet of yours have healed.”</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">But Paula’s feet had not recovered sufficiently in the morning. Roberta’s healing tongue had not caused those cuts and blisters to disappear. The little girl would need several days of rest.</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">The grateful villagers willingly provided her with shoes and other clothing. Roberta was once again offered much finery to cover her own nudity but she refused with as much grace and gratitude as she could muster. There was obvious disapproval and Paula hoped she would be fit to travel before the men returned. Although Roberta was a very strong young woman, even she would be helpless against a score of armed men.</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">Three days after Roberta had helped so successfully with the harvest, Paula felt able to continue. But, as Roberta had feared and almost known, it was too late! As the pair made their way out of the village they saw a bunch of tired and dishevelled men coming up the hillside towards them. Surprise soon turned to anger as the men realised the naked Roberta, whose very presence constituted an affront to decency, had recently been in their village.</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">They forcibly stopped the two girls from going further. Roberta offered no resistance and told paula not to do anything. She saw claealry that she had mortally offended them. It was clear that, from these people’s point of view, Roberta had been corrupting the morals of their children and women folk by being in their village. Roberta could see a very fearful retribution written in those angry faces! Her recently healed back started itching as if in anticipation of more pain to come! But she would not resist, as this would most likely be useless and might harm the husband of one of the women.</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">One of the women, Frederica, ran out of the village and shouted at the men to allow the couple to pass.</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">“They have helped us avoid starving. Without the nude giantess we would have gathered less than half what we needed. She worked herself into the ground to help us. I know she is wrong to be naked but we owe her everything!”</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">Marcello, the leader, was not impressed and Paula was obliged to watch her Roberta, firmly held so that even she saw the uselessness of resisting, being dragged away to the council hall. It was there, explained Frederica to an anxious Paula, that the Golden Guard was shortly to be tried for immorality. Since the offence was nudity and the evidence would be standing before her accusers in plain view, Paula was pessimistic about the verdict.</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">“What will they do to her!” she asked Frederica.</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">“Our laws are harsh towards shameless women. One who refuses to cover any of her body will be treated with no mercy. You should have left days ago. I’ll try to do what I can. The men listen to me and I’ll tell them how well your friend has served us. I am sure they will spare her the worst that they could do to her. But it won‘t be pretty to watch, I‘m afraid. A thing like your friend‘s immodesty can never be allowed to go unpunished.”</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">“Can I come and see the trial, Frederica?” asked Paula. She had a shrewd idea what they would do to Roberta after they had found her guilty of being naked. It was not exactly a difficult case to prove! Paula had seen the children, especially the growing boys, staring admiringly at her Amazonian friend and her succulent genitalia and guessed that they were seeing things that ones so young ought not to be exposed to! The idea that children should grow up with a total familiarity with the body had not so far penetrated into this unenlightened spot!</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">“Only members of the village can be present, apart from the accused.” </span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">Frederica promised to tell Paula what the court’s findings and sentence were as soon as she knew herself.</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">An hour later Frederica came to tell Paula what Roberta‘s fate was to be.</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">“Your friend has been found guilty. I think our words of support may have had some effect. But it will still be unpleasant for her. She will be whipped out of the village in the morning. This is a very bad experience, Paula. I hope your friend is strong and brave, because she will need to be. So much more than whipping will be involved! The lashes she will be given will sap her strength with every cut, but she will need all that strength and need it for a very long time. If she weakens they will show no mercy.</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">Until then she will be tied down on the ground in the village square. You are not allowed to speak to her until you are both out of our parish. I am sorry. Her help to us deserves more gratitude. But our men are miserable cowards. They work for the Lord Gerald, that thief, and have no stomach for a fight. Roberta has shamed them by rescuing us all from starvation. They should have been working in the fields instead of the mines and they know it. </span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">Perhaps it will not be too bad for her. She seems to be able to withstand pain and torture. From her appearance, I should think that tomorrow’s whipping will not be her first!”</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">“It will certainly not be her first! She’s received hundreds - thousands - of lashes in her time! And I fear it will not be her last. Can I really not speak to her until after her beating is over?”</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">“You would suffer the same fate as your friend if you even get close to her. My advice is to stay indoors until we come to escort you to your whipped and exhausted friend in the morning! She is going to spend a very uncomfortable night and at dawn the men folk will whip her from the village. I think they suspect your friend to be a Golden Guard - possibly the traitor Roberta whom the King‘s soldiers are looking for. They won‘t hand her over, in view of the help she gave us. But since she refuses to cover herself she must be made an example of. If she had at least agreed to hide her pubis beneath a small loin cloth they would have sent her on her way with thanks. She is a foolish girl to insist on total nakedness. I guess she must be a renegade Golden Guard who is too proud to cover herself.”</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">“She is indeed the same Roberta that the King is hunting. “ replied Paula. “But she is no traitor. We are on out way to the Palace to unmask the real traitor and foil a continuing plot against the King. At first , after her escape from Hell Island, she did wear clothes to disguise herself, but she hated it so much that she has renounced all bodily coverings for ever. It was a sacred oath, Frederica. Nothing will change her mind now.”</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">*********************</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">After the trial and inevitable verdict of Guilty and sentence to expulsion from the village by whipping, Roberta was led out of the council chamber and told to lie on her back in the middle of the square. There she was tied to wooden stakes driven into the ground, her mighty arms and legs outstretched. She knew that she could pull these puny bits of wood out of the ground at any time, but lay still all night and made no effort to avoid her flogging in the morning. If she tried to escape she would be running and she had never run away in her life, except for the time she escaped from Hell Island.</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">And if she tried getting away she might leave Paula in their hands. So she stayed where she was and tried to sleep, despite the discomfort. This was not the first night Roberta had spent knowing that she face punishment in the morning and it wouldn’t be the last. In the journey back to the Palace there would be more incidents like this. She faced disapproval, beatings and even imprisonment in the coming weeks and months but although she could avoid it all by compromising with the world, she had made up her mind.</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">Despite her dread of being whipped yet again, just as her wounds had healed from the last time Roberta fell asleep and woke when shaken by the rough hands of the village elders.</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">“For the last time, Roberta. Will you agree to cover at least your womanhood? If you do we will not whip you and will reward you for the work you did for our womenfolk. We are not monsters! We do not wish to hurt you.”</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">“Then don’t hurt me! Let me leave with my friend.”</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">“You are afraid of the pain?”</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">“Of course not! What an insult! I am afraid of nothing you can do to me!”</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">Roberta was untied and taken to the cart that she had pushed up and down the hill so many times. They tied her hands to the shafts and told her to push it up the hill and down the other side to where the boundary stone was situated.</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">“The faster you push it, the fewer lashes you will receive. Don’t look so relieved! The cart will be loaded before we start to flog you!”</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">Three women were told to climb into the cart. Two lines of men formed, lining the route the wagon was to follow. All these men were armed with whips. As soon as the signal was given Roberta pushed at the wagon and it started moving. It had not moved an inch before the first two lashes fell! The two men who had given her the first cuts moved to the end of the line and waited for Roberta to reach them before lashing her back again. </span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">The ground Roberta was having to pass over was rough and stony. Every so often the cart would come up against an obstacle and Roberta, the sweat pouring off her muscular body in streams before she had gone twenty yards, would have to heave more than once to get the contraption, together with its load of women, moving again. When ever she was forced to stop for even a few seconds, she would get several cuts from the pair of men level with her before she could move on and be whipped in turn by the next two. Long before she reached the crest, her arms and shoulders were aching from the effort and the muscles in her arms stood out like ropes.</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">By the time she had reached the top of the hill she must have received lashes from fifty men on one side and fifty on the other. One hundred lashes so far and still she was keeping the wagon moving. The men were looking tired and the women in the wagon were looking the other way, ashamed of the shameful way their saviour was being treated.</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">The boundary stone was half way down the hill, a distance of several hundred yards and Roberta found herself having to pull hard to stop the wagon getting out of control and sending the unfortunate women flying downhill possibly being badly injured - or worse. Far from moving more quickly, she was having to move terribly slowly. She knew enough about elementary mechanics to realise that if the wagon picked up too much speed, even her great strength could not stop it getting out of control.</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">“Go faster Roberta. They will kill you if they whip you much more!” shouted one of the women, tears streaming down her face.”</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">“Either all three of you jump out or shut up!” shouted Roberta. “I’m not risking your lives to save my hide a bit of a tickling from these weak arseholes!!”</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">At this insult, the force of the lashes, which had been lessening, increased and Roberta felt blood trickling down her bottom and thighs as the leather cut into her. But she kept the wagon firmly under control and the boundary stone was reached without injury to the three women.</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">She was freed from the wagon and told that Paula would be along to join her shortly. In a few minutes the little girl appeared, looking at one and the same time anxious for her Mistress and annoyed to have missed all the fun!</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">“How was it, Roberta? Was it right up there among the really great whippings of all time? Or just a minor affair. Judging from the back I’d say it was a pretty tame affair this time!”</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">“It started to hurt quite a bit after a while, but they had to keep on the move like me and as often as not they mistimed their lashes. It wasn’t too bad. Now let’s get on our way! I wish the women well. They are a fine set of people and carry more than their share of the burden. But the men deserve to be exploited by that rat Gerald. Spineless bastards! Although they did offer to let me off the whipping if I agreed to cover my pussy. One should be fair, I suppose!”</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">Paula handed Roberta her sword and belt and bow and quiver. She gave no sign of the pain she must be in as she put them on.</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">They had hardly gone two yards when a commotion came from the village. </span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">“It must be Gerald and his men come to steal some of the food we helped gather.” said Roberta. “I won’t stand for that!”</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">“You helped gather, Roberta! I was asleep when you doing all that hard work!”</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">“We must go and help them Paula! Those men will let them take away as much as they like. I can at least try to help. Maybe I can shame them into making a stand at last!”</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">Despite Paula’s reluctance to see Roberta risk getting more punishment she obeyed and soon the pair were back at the village. The men, all looking somewhat sheepish were lined up on one side of the square and the women being forced to load a large wagon the produce they needed for the coming winter. Roberta took an arrow and fitted it to her bow. One of the robbers dropped like a stone as the arrow hit him. Before any of the others could react, two more had fallen. Roberta covered the distance between herself and the remaining four at lightning speed. She dropped one with a quick thrust of her sword and then stood facing the remaining three, none of whom looked all that keen to face this Amazon’s wrath any further.</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">“Drop your weapons if you wish to live, you scum!” Ordered Roberta. They obeyed.</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">“Remove your clothing - all of it, shoes as well! The men of this village need armour and weapons and you can provide them! Strip those dead filth of theirs. At once unless you wish join them!”</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">Soon three naked robbers were making their way back to their chief to tell him of this defiance on the part of a usually peaceful village and of the terrible woman who had routed them. It would take them a week, naked and footsore, to reach the Lord Gerald. By then Roberta hoped to have trained the men to fight back.</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">She was right about shaming them into being real men at long last. But she was not right about obtaining their gratitude. Resentment at being shown how to defend themselves and their women and children by a woman, however splendid a woman she might be, was deep inside all these trainee warriors.</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">And the children had ample opportunity to see every delicious inch of Roberta’s very feminine body during the days that followed. She was everywhere at once - or so it seemed. She organised the women to erect fortifications and she drilled the men. It was a very intensive course, but Roberta was a good teacher.</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">By the time Gerald had sent a force of thirty brigands to subdue the village, Roberta had drilled the inhabitants, male and female into an effective force. She had shown them how to make the place almost impregnable and how to fight with the sword and use a bow. The attack, when it finally came, was driven off with twelve lying dead, most slain by Roberta but some by the villagers. Only one of the villagers lost his life.</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">Before leaving them, hopefully for the last time, Roberta addressed the victorious villagers.</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">“Gerald will not be back again. And if he is, you will deal with him as you did today. Now it really is time for me to leave you - this time finally.”</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">But Roberta was not to leave so easily. The men now had their chance to express their resentment and outrage. Against all the pleas from the angry women, the same process was repeated. Once again she was dragged to the council chamber. Once again she was condemned and tied down overnight. And, in the morning following a victory she had made possible, she was whipped out of town a second time. This time five women were made to get into the wagon and when Roberta finally made it to the boundary stone, she was close to collapse.</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">“Would you help those ungrateful people again, Roberta?” asked a horrified Paula. She had been allowed to watch this time and had enjoyed it up to a point. Roberta’s hardihood and capacity to soak up punishment always turned her on! But the ingratitude of it all made her weep.</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">“If necessary. “ said Roberta after giving the matter some thought. “But it won’t be necessary! Gerald will leave them alone in future. He won’t risk losing any more men and there are plenty of easier pickings for him. I only hope I don’t fall into his clutches, though. He’s bound to realise who I am and be looking for me. I’ll be food for the vultures soon enough if I do!”</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">“That’s true. He’d have you flogged to death, or killed by some other form of slow torture. I think a detour might be advisable, Roberta. The direct route to the palace is right through the middle of his territory. I gathered that much from our stay with those bloody ingrates.”</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">“Don’t blame them too harshly, Paula. They have their rules and I have mine. I was a guest in their village and I broke their rules twice. I am happy enough to have been punished twice and there was a rest between the two floggings.”</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">“You’re a lot more forgiving that I would be. They owe you so much, Roberta. I think their rule is a stupid one.”</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">“I didn’t see you too anxious to join me, Paula! You were happy enough to wear the nice clothes they gave you!”</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">“Well, I’ll take them off now!”</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">“No you won’t. You stay dressed, Paula. It’s best that at least one of us keeps out of trouble! And, lets face it, it seems to be the rule that I get all the stick and you keep yourself out of it. You really do know how to avoid pain!”</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">Paula did not disagree. In any case, it was getting cooler this last few days. Roberta was more than welcome to brave the coming icy cold of winter alone. Paula recalled the last winter, when she had determinedly stayed nude through the coldest weather. Never again! She guessed her Mistress might well wish to use her for night time heating when the winter really set in!</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">Not that Roberta needed any kind of heating in the Winter. She could happily sleep out in the open with a hard frost on the ground beneath her. What a marvellous set of women the Golden Guard were! And to think that these hardy girls all died young. Paula guessed that Roberta, if she were not killed in battle, would be able to live until she was a hundred! But she would be killed fighting for her King and would thus die a happy woman.</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> </span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">“I haven’t always avoided pain, Roberta. “After you had been sent to Hell Island I was still an auxiliary Golden Guard and the Commandant had me punished loads and loads of times until the King put his foot down and stopped it.”</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">“You mean you were whipped!!” There was fury in Roberta’s voice. Her darling Paula being flogged. How hateful!</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">“Not whipped, Roberta. Just caned on my sweet little arse! I quite liked it as a matter of fact. And the bruises faded away in a week or so.”</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">“You liked it? That’s not so bad, then. I can understand you liking it, Paula. It brings back some happy memories of my own! But the Commandant shouldn’t have ordered it. I’m glad His Majesty stopped it. Do you ever miss being caned?”</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">“A bit. In fact I miss it a lot. It’s like a drug. But I don’t need to tell you that! You enjoy your whippings don’t you!”</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">“In a way, Paula. But I think caning is more fun. When we were being trained from the age of twelve to eighteen, we were punished with the stick. We’d examine each others caned backsides at night and I was the envy of all the others on one occasion when I got thirty all in one go! No one had ever got that many before. Happy days! We'd be bent double over a rail and our hands tied to our ankles. Then the swishing would start! Woe betide a girl who cried! She'd get double for that!”</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">Roberta looked into her friend’s brown eyes with her blue ones. An idea was forming!</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">“Would you like me to spank you, Paula? On your bare bottom? I’d only do it lovingly and I’d stop as soon as you asked me to.”</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">“I’d much sooner be caned, Roberta. And we’d agree a number of strokes beforehand. I want you to give me them all, really hard, as hard as you possibly can, and ignore any pleas to stop. But we don’t have a cane.”</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">“We’ll keep a lookout as we go on our way. As soon as we find something suitable, I’ll give you your first caning! Look! We’re coming to a village. We will go and buy one together! You can choose the one you prefer. You still have some money from the women we helped. We’ll buy food and a nice swishy stick for your darling little behind!”</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">If only Roberta had known that she was walking straight into her next spot of bother she might have avoided that particular hamlet and postponed Paula’s craved for caning for a few more days. But Roberta was not endowed with prophetic gifts and strode blithely on, an expectant and an already sexually excited Paula by her side.</span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">Philippa, sitting crouched in her gloomy cave, gazing into her crystal, laughed evilly as she saw the unbelieving Roberta approach fresh trouble, fresh danger, and above all, more pain! She was going to enjoy this show and hoped there would be no atmospheric interference to mar the transmission! </span><br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <br style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> </body> </html>