CHAPTER TWO  by Dina


There was a fat merchant walking down the street, just loaded with jewelry and coins, Taralynn remembered. She bumped into him and relieved him of a few bags, just so he could walk a little lighter, she told herself, laughing silently.

Then something held her, she found herself turning against her will, and then she saw Vasha for the first time. The bags left her pockets and made their way back into the eager hands of the merchant. He, of course, was all for calling the guards, but Vasha assured him that Vasha himself would take care of her.

Taralynn squirmed some more in her chair, remembering. How embarrassing to be caught like that. And to have the stuff returned right in front of her and being made to apologize! To that overstuffed pompous ass, no less!

After the merchant left, Vasha took Taralynn's face in his hand.

'Hmmm,' he said, staring deep into her eyes. 'Picking pockets and locks, singing tunes, telling stories, a goodly amount of empathy, even some small potential for magic. No doubt those come in useful for begging and getting coins for singing.'

Taralynn tried to get away, but she was held fast. Vasha smiled at her struggles.

'I have been looking for someone like you for a while now,' he said. 'Would you like to be my apprentice?'

Taralynn looked at him, speechless. Whatever she had expected, it wasn't this. Vasha was so well known, even she had heard of him.

He was the youngest wizard to have as much power as he did. The stories she heard about his adventures were enough to convince her never to venture from the city, where the only monsters you had to fight were people.

'I see you have morals and ethics,' Vasha stated. 'For the right person, you would be the perfect partner.'

'Partner?' Taralynn asked. 'I thought you said apprentice?'

'I did. You will not be a visible partner. And you will not be a partner until I have you trained properly.'

'Trained? I don't think so.'

'Have it your way. With that empathy of yours, you will have to live at the Academy, where they can teach you and make sure you are not abusing your gift. And they will be most happy to see that small measure of magic too, I'm sure there are many experiments they would be eager to try on you. Empathy and magic are a rare combination. Of course, since it is such a small amount of magic, nothing you can really use to make a proper living at, you will probably have to work, perhaps in the kitchen. Maybe serving girl, if you are not too clumsy. Why, in 10 or 15 years, you may work your way up to Mistress of the Kitchen.'

'Oh please, Sir. Don't take me to the Academy. I would hate it there.'

'It is my responsibility. I found you, you have power, and you are abusing it. You must be trained. It's either the Academy or me.'

Taralynn thought about working in the kitchens for the rest of her life, only being allowed out to take boring classes. She shivered when she thought of being experimented on by a bunch of wizards. The regard in which you were held at the Academy was in proportion to the power you held in you. She didn't have that much, she would be an easy target for every trainee there.

She, as well as the rest of the city, knew that once you were identified as having power, you belonged to the Academy.

And once the Academy had you, there was no escape.

'Before you decide, you must be punished for stealing.' Vasha motioned and a chair appeared. He sat down, pulling Taralynn across his lap.

'What are you doing?' She cried, trying to kick free.

'I am going to teach you what happens to little girls who steal,' Vasha stated, firmly pulling Taralynn's grimy street robe up to reveal her bare bottom.

'I am not a little girl! I am 23 years old!' Taralynn kicked and yelled, but Vasha's hand came down on her bare bottom, hard and fast.

'If you break the rules, you will be punished,' Vasha said. 'This is how I punish my apprentice. Think about whether you want to come with me, knowing the what will happen if you misbehave or don't perform to the standards I will set for you; or be prepared to go to the Academy.'

Vasha kept spanking Taralynn until she was crying freely. Then he let her up.

Motioning again, a switch appeared in his hand.

'Now,' he said, 'Ten with the switch to make sure you learned your lesson.'
Taralynn looked around the marketplace for help. Strangely enough, no one seemed to be paying any mind.

'Oh, no one can see or hear us,' Vasha said. 'Unless you want everyone to see what happens to naughty little girls?'

'No, Sir,' Taralynn said. She looked at the switch in Vasha's hand. 'Please don't whip me, Sir. I will be your apprentice. Please Sir.'

'As my apprentice, you will address me as Master,' Vasha said. 'And you will bend over that chair and take your whipping, or I will take you straight to the Academy.'

Taralynn saw he meant what he said. She bent over the chair. Vasha brought the switch down across her already sore bottom ten times. She was crying by the second stripe and screaming by the eighth, begging him to stop. Vasha continued until all ten were delivered. When he was done, he helped her up.

'Do you think you will ever pick anyone's pocket again, unless I tell you to?' He asked, tossing the switch on the chair.

'No Master,' Taralynn answered, rubbing her burning bottom. She was still crying and knew she would not be able to sit comfortably for days.

Taralynn shifted again, trying to find a way to sit that didn't hurt her poor aching bottom. Since that day, just over a month ago, she had been spanked almost every day.

Vasha had many rules, and he intended to make sure that she not only knew them, but also followed them. This was only her third whipping though. And she knew she got whipped because she had already been spanked more than once for not finishing her work like she was told to.

Sighing, Taralynn picked up the quill and carefully started writing. Reading and writing were the hardest things she was learning, but Vasha was insistent that she do both, and do both well.

That's the thing, Taralynn thought, about being apprenticed to someone who can look at you and know your potential. You couldn't get away with anything. She envied the other apprentices sometimes, especially when they were hanging around, having fun. It seemed like she was always working.

But the other apprentices were only learning one skill, she was learning many, she reminded herself. And she would be a partner someday too.

She winced, thinking about how many more spankings it would take until Vasha was convinced that she was trained enough to be a partner.

Although from something he said one time, she didn't think being a partner meant she wouldn't end up across his lap if she did something wrong.

At last the writing was done. There were only a few smudges and one tear.

Taralynn wondered if she should do that part over again, but it was too late. The sun was coming up, and Vasha was at her shoulder again.

'Better than usual,' he said. 'Only a few mistakes. I see I should punish you thoroughly more often.'

'Oh no, Master,' Taralynn said quickly. 'I am going to do it like this from now on. In fact, the next time, there won't be any marks or tears at all.'

'I am, of course, glad to hear that,' Vasha said dryly, moving towards the tent flap, 'but don't let your mouth make any promises your bottom is going to have to pay for breaking.'

He left for breakfast and Taralynn looked around the tent. She had been up all night working on her assignment. She wanted nothing more than to lie down and sleep all day.

But she had chores that had to be done, and she was still sore from her whipping, she didn't want to get another spanking on top of it.

The other apprentices were already at the well getting water for their masters when Taralynn arrived.

'Well, look at the sleepy head', Jervin said. 'Too good to get up and have breakfast with us?'

Vasha's voice came from behind him. 'She is not too good to eat with you young man, she was being punished. She was up all night writing. I am glad, however, to see that you have so much free time on your hands for things like idle chatter and playing with our supper. I will have a talk with all of your masters and see if they can't find some extra work for you to do. If they can't, rest assured that I have plenty of work to be done.'

The other apprentices looked at Vasha with alarm. As one, they turned and ran back to their master's tents, intent on showing the Wizard that they too, were very busy, and didn't need to be punished.

'Why would you do that?' Taralynn asked. 'Now they will think I have been telling on them.'

'No they won't,' Vasha said. 'They will think the great Wizard is constantly watching over everyone, and sees all they do and don’t do.' He turned and went back to the tent, munching on an egg sandwich.

The thing of it was, Taralynn thought, was that he was right. They would think he was watching them. And he wanted everyone to think he was a great wizard, but he could walk around eating a sandwich with grease on his face, and no one would think any less of him. In fact, they thought it made him more human and approachable.

Really, she snorted, he did so little actual magic around the camp, it was a wonder they didn’t take his Wizard membership card away from him.

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