TESSA

Possiva strode toward Iolaus, ready to do the task at hand. She had done it successfully on the male animals, but this was only the third time she was asked to perform this surgery on a human. She was not thrilled about the audience either, but hers was not the place to question the Queen.

"Ellia, he is bleeding from the whipping you gave him. May I stop his bleeding before I begin?" Possiva asked tentatively.

"No! If Little Man dies then so be it. Just cut him and do it now, before, I chose to do the cutting!" Ellia seemed to shout at her.

"Just let me bleed to death," a battered Iolaus whispered to Possiva. "I have no desire to live as a slave and I will not stay here after the ‘job’ is done. I will leave or I will die."

Ellia saw that Iolaus was speaking to Possiva can came over to him and kicked his prostrate body, in the ribs. He took the blow without uttering a sound. "Give me your knife!! I will get this done with now!" Ellia knelt over Iolaus and prepared to do the job.

From around the corner and at full-speed a screaming Tessa came running. She threw herself on top of Iolaus and screeched at her mother, "Don’t you dare touch him!"

"What?" Ellia said

"Wha?" a very dazed Iolaus asked.

"This man is mine! You said so yourself. You told me that he was kind and would be perfect for me. Then, when he showed that he had backbone, that he wasn’t afraid of you, you went nuts and chose to hurt him and hurt him bad." Tessa was covering as much of Iolaus as she could to protect him from her mother.

Ellia was stunned. The gathered crowd was stunned. No one ever spoke to Ellia that way. Tessa had never disobeyed her mother, and she was certainly choosing a public time to do so now. Tessa started to undo the leather binding holding Iolaus’ arms. She never took her eyes off her mother as she finished untying him from the ground.

"Wait, one moment, child! What do you think you are doing?" Ellia demanded.

Tessa pulled Iolaus up to a sitting position and whispered in his ear, "Stay here." Iolaus was dazed from the whipping and the kick - rapid movement anywhere at this point was not possible so he just sat.

"I am taking what is Mine!" Tessa told her mother. " I plan on taking him to the shed at the edge of the village. Do you have a problem with this?"

"Yes, I have a problem with that! I have ordered this man to be cut and if he were to die that would not be a loss. You may not disobey my orders even if you are my daughter." Ellia angrily spoke.

"Well, mother dearest, Iolaus is mine. You gave him to me this morning and I WILL have him." Tessa motioned to some of her friends, the younger amazons who were not to be at the ceremony as they were not yet full-fledged warriors yet. They came forward and helped pick Iolaus up and carry him off.

Ellia stood watching her child in complete disbelief. Tessa had never been a disobedient child. Now in front of everyone she was defying her mother, and being extremely willful. "Tessa stop that. This little man is not worth the trouble you are going to. Are you willing to give up everything for a MAN?"

"I don’t see it as giving up anything mother. I will heal him and send him on his way. He did everything you asked of him even though you were cruel and mean to him."

Iolaus merely hung between the arms of two young amazons awaiting his final resting-place. He thought better of opening his mouth as he had managed to get himself into this mess perhaps it would be best if he just left it alone. Iolaus was surprised to see such fire in a girl that had seemed so meek, so unsure of herself just hours before.

Tessa and her friends started off towards the shed. Iolaus was able to walk with help. His ribs were sore from the kick and the lash marks on his chest, thighs and shoulders were not pleasant wounds as he went walking. Iolaus wasn’t sure that Tessa could pull this act of complete defiance off and was waiting for Ellia to order him shot or somehow otherwise dispatched.

The band managed to reach the shed. The door opened and Marxus, one of the men Iolaus had seen working in the field, grabbed Iolaus and carried him to an awaiting bed. Marxus was a kindly fatherly man whom Tessa trusted with her secrets. Tessa asked the others to leave, as she didn’t want them to be in any more trouble than they already were.

"Well, my friend, I have never seen anyone get the better of Queen Ellia," Marxus said to Iolaus as he began to wash his wounds. "And I have been here for quite some time." This did not make Iolaus feel much better.

"Marxus, will he be ok?" Tessa asked.

"Yes, like your mother said he is a fine healthy young man, he will heal. I’ll get him cleaned up and bandaged for you then you can take over. Don’t worry yourself, about him." Marxus said warmly to Tessa. "Now, leave us, I will see to his wounds. You need to go speak with your mother. I think she will be very upset with you."

"Yes, you are correct, she will be angry but I don’t care, I did what was right!" Tessa said as she left the building.

Iolaus, still dazed looked around. Marxus was mixing up something in a cup. "Here, drink this, it will put you to sleep and allow me to fix you up." Seeing the panic in Iolaus’ eyes Marxus added, "No, it won't kill you, it will however, keep you from hurting me." Marxus held the cup out and Iolaus choked down the drink. Soon the room began to spin and fade.

Iolaus moaned and tried to sit up. "No, don’t do that." Tessa said. Iolaus opened his eyes and saw a vision, a beautiful young woman sitting next to him. Tessa was washing his face with a cool cloth. "Good afternoon to you, Iolaus. Marxus will be back to check on you later when he is finished in the field. But till then is there anything that I can do for you?"

"Water, please something to drink," Iolaus croaked. He had dozens of questions but his thirst was overwhelming. Tessa got up to get him some water and he did a quick inventory of his body, several bandages around his chest covering the oozing open sores from the whipping, some were wrapped tighter, as he took a deep breath he knew why, cracked ribs. His legs were bruised and battered but not badly injured. All in all he was going to survive if he could make it out of the shed, without Ellia coming after him again.

"Here, you go Iolaus," Tessa said as she handed him a large glass of water. "Please drink slowly. Are you ready for a serious discussion?"

Iolaus groaned inwardly. Now what have I gotten myself into? Have I been pushed from the pan into the fire? "Sure, what would you like to talk about." Iolaus struggled to sit up, it did make breathing easier, but his head was now pounding. It would all equal out soon enough he figured.

"My, mother has not forgiven me for what I did last night. She is very upset. She blames you, which is funny because this is the first time I have spoken to you. But that doesn’t matter. She will not let you out of town alive."

"That is very reassuring news, ah Tessa, what do you have in mind for me now?" Iolaus asked.

Marxus knocked on the door and entered. "Ah, I see our friend is awake. That is good, see Tessa, I told you he would pull through."

"What is mother up too now?" Tessa asked of Marxus. He just chuckled and shook his head.

"She has given orders that Iolaus is to be executed as soon as he steps out of this building. Possiva has sent these herbs to help with the pain, Iolaus. I know her and this is not a trick, would you like me to mix you a potion?"

"I would like to keep my head clear if you don’t mind, Marxus. So, now I am trapped in this shed. I guess I should be happy that I’m not chained, I’m moving up in the world of prisons." Iolaus said grimly.

Tessa wandered over to the window and looked out. She sighed deeply and turned to Marxus, "Leave us father will you?"

"Yes, my darling, take care. Iolaus still is weak so don’t push him as he will try to do what you ask. Let him heal first." Marxus said softly unaware that Iolaus could hear him. Marxus left them alone.

"He is your father?" Iolaus asked, "she did that to your father?"

"Yes, and even though she said she would free you she wouldn’t have. Mother has become bitter. She brought Marxus in one day. Same as she had done to you. She used him, and when one of her top aides also used him, Mother went a bit overboard and killed the aide and made a slave out of my father."

Tessa walked back to Iolaus, "You look like the son my father left behind in the world before he was captured and forced to live here. Marxus had a son who was only 5 when he last saw him, blond, blue eyed, stubborn as a mule." Tessa chuckled, "I have heard many stories of my brother. Someday I would like to meet him. I could not put my father through that again. Seeing you die at the hands of my mother, that would have been too cruel."

Iolaus was stunned. His head hurt, it hurt to breathe, his legs were a mass of bruises, and the news he just got was too much to take in. He struggled to stand so he could comfort Tessa, she had really put everything on the line for him, and now he thought he knew why. "Thank you for everything that you have done for me, but, I am not your brother," Iolaus told her.

Tessa looked at him and laughingly said, "I know that, silly, but still saving you meant a lot to Marxus and that was what was important."

Iolaus managed a few steps towards Tessa. She stopped him and said, " Go back to bed. Get your strength back, we will have to sneak you out and that will take energy, so rest." She smelled like a field of flowers on a summer day. Iolaus slumped into her soaking the scent of her. Tessa staggered but quickly and safely got Iolaus back into bed. "Take you time healing Iolaus." Tessa said as she placed a kiss on his cheek. "I’m going to see what I can get us to eat for dinner," and she left the shed.

Iolaus lay back in the bed, remembering her scent and how nice the kiss felt. A smile came to his face. The next few days were hazy, Iolaus slept waking only to eat. His body had taken over and was going to heal. Tessa would come in and check on him often. She and Marxus would gently change the bandages.

Iolaus woke up on the fourth morning since his "freeing", he was alone in the shed. He got up walked to the window and looked out. He vaguely remembered hearing he would be killed if he left the shed, so he remained inside. He saw his vest in the room but his pants were again among the missing, so he wrapped his bed covering around his waist. Tessa arrived at the same time she had the other days, she was surprised to find Iolaus up walking around.

Good morning, how do you feel today?" She asked.

"Stiff, sore, but very happy to be alive. How is your mother doing?" Iolaus answered.

Tessa laughed, her laugh was one of pure enchantment, "Mother has not changed her mind about you, I’m afraid."

Iolaus realized that he could sit and listen to Tessa talk all day. Tessa went to a cupboard and started preparing a simple breakfast. "At least you will be awake for this meal, it has been rather difficult feeding you, but Marxus said you needed to be fed even if you couldn’t eat yourself."

"Thanks, would you like some help? I have been on my own for sometime and can prepare some meals." Iolaus was desperate to find something to keep him closer to this young woman. He wasn’t sure why, but she fascinated him.

"No, why don’t you go clean up, while I’m getting breakfast ready. Marxus brought in a looking glass and here’s some soap and some warm water. Marxus will try and find you a pair of pants, now that you are able to get up and move around. " Iolaus used the looking glass as was shocked to see just how scruffy he looked, and as he eyed the water he could sense there were other parts of him in dire need of cleaning. So he did his best at washing up.

"How are your wounds, Iolaus?" Tessa asked as she worked on breakfast. She was watching him very closely out of the corner of her eye. Tessa didn’t really know why, but she couldn’t stop and Iolaus made her feel different than anyone else in her small world had ever made her feel. She smiled as she remembered when he fell into her arms, his strength gone, but still she….that was just it she what. Tessa was on edge and jumped when Iolaus answered her question.

"My wounds seem to be healing nicely, thanks to you and Marxus. Boy that smells good, what is it?" Iolaus walked over to where Tessa was, she was trying hard not to tremble. Iolaus caught a brief whiff of her scent and was reminded of the night she had risked all to save him. He reached up to brush her hair back away from her face.

Tessa stopped stirring the egg and meat dish and looked directly at Iolaus, she looked deep into those beautiful blue eyes, she felt as if she were going to drown in them. Iolaus moved his hand gently to her face and she kissed it. "I’m sorry, I don’t know why I did that." Tessa exclaimed blushing a deep shade of red.

"Don’t apologize for that, I rather liked it." Iolaus stepped closer to Tessa and reached for her. He somewhat expected her to turn away. What he didn’t expect was Tessa moving to him and kissing him hard on the lips. This was not a gentle kiss more of a clumsy first time attempt. Iolaus then remembered why he was brought into this village and what his original purpose was to have been. He stepped back from the kiss. " I don’t think this is what we want to do," he said, but his voice did not carry a great deal of forcefulness.

"Yes, it is what I want to do," Tessa said, and she again kissed Iolaus.

This time he stopped her and said, "Well, if you are going to do it then this is how it is done." Iolaus reached for her and pulled her to him. Bodies touching he kissed first her forehead, then each of her closed green eyes, the tip of her nose and finally he reached her mouth, his lips pressed onto hers and his tongue slowly so as not to frighten her began to explore her mouth. Tessa leaned into Iolaus wanting more, she was starting to like this feeling and did not want it to stop. He moved his mouth away from hers and began to investigate her neck with his hungry mouth. Tessa moaned out of ecstasy, her knees became weak and she began to slip out of Iolaus’ grip.

"We had better move to someplace safe from falling, I don’t think I could catch you if you fell, and I sure don’t want to further injure myself now," Iolaus told Tessa. She looked at him with a hunger he had not seen in a long time. "Tessa, do you know what you are starting here? Your mother brought me here for one reason, if we continue much further, we will do what your mother wanted done."

"You don’t want me?" Tessa whispered, she was still trying to understand why she felt the way she did.

"No, that’s not it. At first when your mother told me what she wanted I didn’t want to be a part of it because it didn’t seem fair. But after what you have done for me these past few days. Tessa, I would love to continue this to the next level,…….. FIRE!!!"

The breakfast had reached a flash point and was now a raging inferno in the pan. Iolaus quickly found a cover for the pan and tossed it into place the fire was soon taken care of, but the smell of burnt eggs and meat hung in the air.

"How did you do that? Tessa asked

"Old Hunters Trick!"

Tessa walked over to Iolaus and took his hand, she lead him to the bed, he sat on the bed and pulled her to him, as she slipped into his lap, he was rudely reminded of Ellia’s whipping of him. But her eager body and wonderful mouth soon took away any pain that the healing wounds caused. They kissed with a slow burning passion, Iolaus’ lips nibbled on her earlobe, down her neck to her throat. Tessa’s hands were exploring his body, with great tenderness. Iolaus thought he could kiss her and savor her taste forever. Tessa, on the other hand was hungry for more, she wasn’t sure what it was she wanted, she had never felt this way before.

Tessa stood up and started to slip out of her garment. Iolaus stopped her, "No, we will get to that, don’t rush things." He pulled her back and began to play with her nipples through her blouse. He moved his lips to her collarbone and began his slow descent to her budding bosoms. Tessa was now trembling uncontrollably, a tiny groan escaped from her lips. Iolaus moved his mouth to cover hers and again started kissing her deeply. Tessa was getting better at answering his probing tongue and soon had Iolaus’ attention.

"You must be sure you want to continue with this," Iolaus choked out, getting desperate for relief, hoping that Tessa would want to continue.

"Oh, yes, please continue."

Iolaus shifted his body away from Tessa, he was fully erect and since he was not clothed, just wearing the bedding, he did not want to hurt or frighten Tessa. Tessa looked at Iolaus with wide eyes, his ploy to hide himself didn’t work. "I’ve watched the farm animals, when I wasn’t supposed too," she said shyly.

"Don’t worry, we will only go as fast and as far as you want to go. I’m in no hurry to leave." Iolaus told her. He then slipped his hand around her waist and began to undo the lacing on her blouse. Once it was free, he slid his hand up her bare back. Tessa moved closer to him and started to kiss Iolaus on the face, delicately covering his face with soft kisses. Iolaus needed no more from her to continue; he moved his hand around to cup her small perfect breast, his thumb playing with the quickly hardening nipple. Tessa was now sucking Iolaus’ upper lip into her mouth; her breathing was becoming more rapid. Very carefully, Iolaus pulled his face away from Tessa. He started kissing her chest, not her breasts but the sensitive area between them.

Tessa was not sure where she was, she thought she knew her body and herself. She wanted Iolaus to move faster, but she was scared, some of the older women talked when they thought they were alone about this very thing that she was doing and they were not pleased with the act….a chore they called it. If this was a chore then Tessa wanted to do this several times a day. But the older women must have had something to base their ideas on, Tessa was just so confused. Iolaus took her nipple into his mouth and toyed with it. No, Tessa decided, the older women had no clue what they were talking about.

Tessa arched herself so Iolaus could take all of her breast at one time. Iolaus carefully removed the remains of her clothing. He reached down between her legs; involuntarily Tessa tensed. He stopped and looked into her green, green eyes, "Am I going too fast for you?"

"Yes, no, I don’t know? What am I supposed to do now?" Tessa asked.

"Relax"

Iolaus took her hand and placed it between her legs, using it instead of his own hand he rubbed her gently, Tessa eyes were soon showing signs of pure exhilaration. Iolaus took Tessa’s wet hand and placed it on his ready member. He shivered as she touched him. She was sure of herself and grasped him and lightly toyed with him. Iolaus was ready, Tessa seemed ready, but this was her first time and he did not want to hurt her by rushing. She seemed to sense something was holding him back.

"What have I done wrong?" she asked.

"Nothing, but the next step is a big one and I don’t want to hurry you if you are not ready. We can stop here and wait if you are not sure of yourself." Iolaus was sounding more sure than he felt, he wanted to continue, he wanted Tessa to feel the joy and happiness that completion would bring.

Tessa answered his statement by moving her body along side his and kissing him firmly on the lips. Iolaus was ready for her and moved to his hands and knees, ignoring the pain that caused. He kissed Tessa’s forehead, her nose, lips long and lovingly, her chin, then her breasts, he continued his movement down her body till he got to her pelvic hair. He glanced up at Tessa’s face and saw pure desire in her eyes, so he continued. He moved her legs further apart and slipped between them, slowly he moved his rigid member into her body. Tessa gasped as he entered her, there was pain, not much but this was bigger than she thought it would be. Iolaus stopped moving into her and started kissing her; if this was all she wanted then he could live with it. They had come along way in just a short time. Tessa then shocked Iolaus by moving suddenly and taking all of him into her. She was rocking and kissing him, small purring like sounds were coming from her, suddenly her whole body went rigid and then shook with the first of many orgasms Tessa would have. Iolaus was delighted with her actions and much to his amazement and horror he was finished much too soon for his liking.

"Hey is anybody awake in there?" Marxus hollered as he came through the door. With no place to go and not much material to cover themselves the young lovers were caught.