Branding

I had headache. I felt it clearly. It was dark around me and cold. I knew that the darkness would go away if I would open my eyes. I did not remember where I was. It was colder than in the common room of the nest. The bed was rougher than the soft grass, on which I had spent some days sleeping.


Suddenly, I remembered everything. I was in the kennel in the Tuchuks' camp. I opened my eyes and sat up quickly. I hit the wooden ceiling of my cage with my head. The cage was very tight. I was sleeping with lifted to my breasts legs. I examined my head and I realized that probably I had hit my head during the night, when I change my position sleeping.


Examining the lock of the cage, I realized that I could open it. I heard voices from outside of the kennel wagon, so, I opened the door of the cage and I climbed out. I walked to the grid of the kennel wagon. The grid was closed. I beheld the Ubar and an unknown girl near the fire. The girl was naked and she sat on the Ubar's thighs. They were far from me to hear my greeting, but the sharp eyes of the Ubar found me. He left the girl and came to me. He opened the door of the wagon and accepted my greetings.

I followed her to the fire, around which he sat back to his place and took the girl to him. I asked for permission to greet the girl. They were speaking each other, so I learned the girl's name. Her name was MistyRose. I greeted her using her name. It was the common habit in this camp. Kajira was allowed to call other kajira by her name.

The girl looked at me strangely and asked how I could know her name. I sit frozen. She did not even greet me. She attacked instead of greeting. Fortunately, the Ubar protected me resembling this girl that he had just mentioned her name during their conversation.

The girl talked to me, but instead of my name, she called me just kajira. I was confused. I thought that she might have not been a kajira. Yes, she was naked. But we were alone in the camp and I was not familiar with having love men and free women. Maybe, she was a free woman, I supposed. I asked if she was a free woman. She had been prideful. Now, she became prideful, angry and demanding at the same time. I understood that she was very close to the Ubar in her mind.

I did not want to fight with her; however, I had a feeling that the Ubar would have enjoyed it. So, I told that it was difficult to decide if she was a kajira or a free woman. She started laughing loudly. She told that I was silly because everybody knew that a free woman did not walk without clothes.


Then she explained that she would not use my name; she would address me as a kajira. Every woman must have been proud to be a kajira, according to her opinion. I though of free women of the camp and I could not decide if they must have been ashamed of their free status. She said that she would not address me as sister because I was not her close friend. I hoped that I was the only kajira, who was not close to her, or else it would be very difficult to decide to whom she would talk in a crowed of slaves.

The Ubar ordered us to follow him to the branding rack. MistyRose must have climbed on it and the Ubar bound her naked body tight. I had to listen to the branding stick, which was put in the fire. It became red and looked very dangerous. I told the Ubar about the readiness of the stick. He ordered me to lift it from the fire and to give it to him. I obeyed and I tried not to look at the poor girl. I felt sorry for her; I forgot her unkind nature for a while. The Ubar lifted the stick with the red brand and pushed it slowly on the skin of a girl. I turned away my head but I could hear her screams and smelled the burning skin.

Some seconds later, she calmed down and I had to put some medicine on her skin. Her scab become clear and I could see the mark on her body. The Ubar gave a new name to her. She was called toruii. It is the Gorean word for fire. Then he unbound her and called me to the rack.


I approached slowly with trembling legs. I could see nothing but the rack. I climbed it and I felt as strong hands bound me to it. I was unable to move. I heard the Ubar's word, but I did not understand their meaning. Suddenly, I felt sharp, burning pain in my body. I felt it everywhere; I could not determinate the point of branding. I felt the odor of my own burning flesh. I almost went off in a swoon. Then, some moments or some minutes later, I realized where I was. My eyes were searching for people around me. I saw, as toruii slathered my scab. The burning pain went away a bit.

I had to stand up. I was proud looking at my brand. The Ubar changed my name, too. I became she'vo, happiness in English.


My whole body was trembling and I relieved only when the Ubar allowed me to go to the kennel to relax.