CHAPTER ONE
The only sound in the tent was the scratching of the quill on parchment.

Taralynn worked carefully, knowing that she would be in trouble with her Master if she ripped or tore the delicate skin. True, it was just practice, and Vasha had bought the cheapest parchment he could find, but still, she would pay for every tear in the sheet.

Sounds of laughter were heard outside the tent. Taralynn put down the quill and went to the flap to look out.

The Warrior Powell's apprentice, Flavin, was running after a pig. Shouts of encouragement and laughter were coming from a trio of apprentices watching from the cooler shadows.

'What goes on that is so interesting that you step away from your work?' A dry voice came over her shoulder.

Taralynn turned slowly, thinking that after a month of being apprenticed to Vasha, she should be used to the way he could constantly sneak up on her.

'Nothing, Master,' she said. 'Just Jervin and the others up to their usual tricks.'

'Did they let the supper out again?' Vasha asked, turning towards Taralynn's desk. 'Flavin is going to learn one of these days to just let the pig go, when Jervin and those go hungry, they will learn.'

'But, Master,' Taralynn said, 'won't we all go hungry?'

'I don't go hungry, girl', Vasha replied. 'And as my apprentice, you wouldn't either.'

Taralynn thought about what he said. It was true, as the only Wizard in the camp; Vasha had certain immunity to most of the problems plaguing the others on this quest. And as his only apprentice, everyone thought she knew more than she actually did. Vasha did not like to use his magic freely, preferring to use normal methods first.

'If you can just think sideways once in a while,' he was fond of saying, 'most magic becomes unnecessary.'

Easy to say that though, Taralynn thought resentfully, as she watched Vasha look through the parchments she was working on. When you can do magic, you don't need to prove it all the time.

'These are not your best work,' Vasha said. 'I hope to see an improvement before supper, or you will be punished. Do you understand me?'

'Yes Master, I will do better,' Taralynn said. She didn't want one of Vasha's punishments, not so soon after the last one. Like she knew that the lizard sitting in the sun was a friend! She was hungry, but try telling that to the great and mighty Vasha.

Vasha went to the back of the tent, which was enclosed in shadows. He kept it that way so no one could see if he was there or not, half the time Taralynn didn't even know if he was around. Not that anyone would dare disturb the great Wizard. Everyone knew they would need him on the quest, the quest for the Treasure of Leight.

The treasure was all the other apprentices could talk about at supper that night. Flavin must have managed to catch the pig, for there was plenty of roast for all.
Taralynn was content to let the talk go on around her, she certainly didn't want to give her opinion, which was the whole thing was a huge waste of time! The Treasure of Leight was sure to be a wild goose chase, but their Liege Lord wanted it found, so hunting they all went.

So far, they hadn't found anything but sand fleas, Taralynn thought, scratching at her arm.

Flavin got up to leave. The others demanded he stay, he was a good storyteller and he was able to still tell a coherent story, even while drinking.

'Gotta go clean the stable.' He replied. 'For letting the pig escape.'

Jervin motioned to the others to let him go. Flavin was a good storyteller and very strong, but he wasn't too bright. But then, Taralynn thought, how bright do you have to be to be a warrior?

'Later then, maybe,' Jervin said, 'after your punishment.'

After Flavin had left, the other apprentices exploded into laughter.

'You think it's funny that you got him in trouble?' Taralynn asked. 'What if he had realized it was you who let the pig out and told your Masters?'

That sobered the three up. Jervin was apprenticed to the blacksmith, and working in the hot desert over the portable anvil was no fun. His punishment would have been to make a nice set of belt buckles for the Warrior Powell and Flavin, or something just as bad.

The other two, twins, Kevin and Celia, were apprenticed to the cook and the seamstress, respectively. They both would have a hot sweaty punishment for them, as well.

'Yeah, well, at least we wouldn't be turned into a frog, or whatever old Vasha does to punish you!' Jervin retorted.

Taralynn got up to leave. She didn't like to talk about being punished. She didn't correct the misconception that Vasha used magic to punish her, she would rather be made fun of for spending the day as a frog, then to have them know that she was turned over Vasha's knee and spanked like a child most of the time.

For the really bad stuff, like that stupid lizard, she had to go get a switch and bend over the table. She would bet she still had the stripes from that one!

She went back to the tent, intending to finish the parchments she should have finished before she went to supper. Vasha liked to linger over his ale and hear what great and wonderful things everyone thought he could do, so she had plenty of time to finish up.

'I see that you have not finished to writings as I told you to.' Vasha's voice greeted her as soon as she entered the tent. 'Come over here.'

Taralynn began to explain, not making any sense; just saying whatever came into her head, hoping the something would distract Vasha and put off or maybe even cancel her punishment.

Vasha reached out and grabbed her arm. He pulled her over his lap and pulled her robe up, exposing her bare bottom.

'No Master, please. I will do it, just give me another chance!' Taralynn began crying, realizing she was going to be spanked again.

'You have used the last of your chances, girl.' Vasha said. 'I know it is in your nature to go your own way and do whatever you want, but you are going to learn that you will listen and obey me in all things.'

He brought his hand down hard on her bottom, repeatedly striking the bare flesh as hard as he could. Her bottom began to turn bright red and very hot. She was yelling and squirming, but he held her firmly.

'You are going to learn,' Vasha said, smacking her as hard as he could, 'that there is only one person in the whole world that you will pay attention to completely, to obey without question or fuss, someone who demands the best you can do, without fail, every time. Or you will be spending a lot of your time standing. I almost punished you in front of all your friends tonight. Would you have liked that?'

'No Master, please, not that! I'll be good, I promise!' Taralynn managed to squeeze out, between her cries of pain and tears.

Vasha stopped spanking her and stood her up. 'Go get the switch,' he ordered.

'Please Master, I will listen from now on, I promise!' Taralynn fell to her knees in front of Vasha, pleading with him.

'If I have to Fetch it girl, you will be even more sorry that you are going to be!'

Taralynn got up and trudged to the back of the tent. Her bottom felt like it was on fire, and she knew it was only going to get worse. Why did Vasha pick tonight of all nights to come back early? Why didn't she at least check to see if he was gone before she left? If she had spent the night outside, maybe he wouldn't have punished her so badly. Then again, she thought, picking up the switch and making her way back to Vasha, maybe he would have punished her more.

Vasha took the switch and motioned to the table. 'Bend over,' he commanded.

Taralynn bent over the table, lifting her robe to expose her red throbbing bottom.

'You are getting ten,' Vasha said. 'One for every page you didn't finish. Then you will sit in your chair and finish before you go to bed. And if I don't like the way the pages look, or there are any tears or smudges like there usually are, you are getting switched again. And you will be sitting in that chair on your freshly switched bottom until you can manage to do the work the correct way. Do you understand me?'

'Yes, Master.' Taralynn answered. She was going to have to be really careful, she didn't want another switching on top of this one, and she knew that if he had to switch her again, Vasha was going to really lay into her.

SWISH! The switch came down across her tender bottom. Taralynn yelled, but stayed bent over the table. She remembered what happened before, when she was being whipped for eating the lizard, she got up before Vasha said he was done, and she ended up getting whipped twice as much as she would have originally. She didn't want her ten stripes to be doubled, like the twenty-five for the lizard incident had been.

Again and again the switch landed across her bottom, right at the top of her legs, where she would feel it all night long, as she sat in that hard chair and did her assignment. When ten had been delivered, Vasha tossed the switch to the back of the tent.

He pulled Taralynn up, took her over to the desk and pulled up her robe and pushed her down. Her welted bottom hit the chair hard.

Taralynn yelled, and Vasha took her arm again. 'Did you want some more?' he asked.

'No Master, I'm sorry, please. I'll do the work now.'

'See that you do. Wake me when you are done,' Vasha answered, 'so that I can check your work. And don't wake me until it is done, unless you want another switching.'

'Yes Master,' Taralynn replied. 'I won't wake you until I am done.'

Taralynn shifted in the chair, trying to get comfortable. Her bottom felt like it was on fire. She was very glad that Vasha believed in the spell that made it impossible for noise to get in or out of the tent. She would bet that the whole camp would hear her yelling during a spanking if not for that.

And when she got whipped, she screamed even louder. Part of it was the humiliation, of course. After all, she was almost 24 years old, too old to be spanked like a child.

But she signed the apprenticeship papers, and she knew the price she would have to pay for misbehaving. She just didn't know it would be so hard!

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