Heart's Captive

Chapter 4

Over the next two months things became clear to all three that they were in a unique situation. Within a week Henry proved himself to be a very skilled healer. He tended the wounds on Kurt's ankles and wrists, whipping up an ointment that soothed and helped them to mend.

He helped with other ailments and mishaps of the clan. Tended a pregnant woman in her last days before birth. But it was the day the little girl had been near drowned that the blue man shown his true skill and ability to keep his wits in emergency. She recovered quickly and was very grateful to the furry man.

Before two weeks had passed he was freed of his servitude and given a place at the table and tartan to wear. His freedom granted in a record amount of time. Remy was happy for Henry, the man was very gentle of nature and kind to a fault.

Remy couldn't imagine how the man had kept such a kind heart, if his treatment had been anything like what Remy had lived through. It was a miracle.

Kurt too was still gentle and kind despite the wicked things he had endured. The little man was soft spoken and timid at times which made Remy a little uncomfortable as he always felt he might accidentally hurt the man. The slaves did interact while supping and cleaning up.

Remy however, didn't sleep in the main room next to the hearth like the other slaves. He slept in Logan's quarters on a pallet by the door. He resented it a little and often grumbled in Romany to himself. Which got him glares from Logan who only half understood but got full chuckles from Kurt.

As far as servitude went it really wasn't horrible, just BORING. Remy reflected on what was required of him and how it could be worse. His tasks so far had been infinitely boring, he was to look after Logan's chambers and his laundry.

He was also required to see to the Lord's horse and any household tasks Lady Jean and Lady Roe had need of. All things that left the boy's mind wandering and his feet itching to flee. He got scolded and cuffed in the head often by Logan.

The visits with Charles were uncomfortable and also boring. Remy told them as little as possible about himself. He had what he called charm magic, he made fire out of his fingers, he could see in the dark and his reflexes and flexibility were inhuman. Of himself personally he wouldn't budge on. Giving the barest of information.

Then there came the day the Lords took the three new slaves to the yard to test their fighting skills.

They were led to the dusty yard before the stables, the clan folk going about their business around them. Logan and Scott marked off a ring in the dirt and handed each a wooden staff.

"Yer goin' ta show us what ya kin do. This isnna about blood." Logan said and indicated with a hand for Kurt and Henry to step to the middle of the ring. Scott walked to the pair and held out his hands clasping each on the shoulder.

"Donna be lookin' to really hurt each other, we jus' wanna know what skills ya have." he spoke slowly so Logan could translate for Kurt. The two blue men nodded and stepped back to spar.

Remy stood at the edge of the circle and watched while he spun the staff in his nimble fingers. They had no way of knowing this was the perfect weapon for the slender Gypsy.

While he watched the other two spar and fumble about the ring Remy reflected on where he had landed. Boring yes, safe maybe maybe not. He stayed out of necessity, he wouldn't get across Scotland a free man, better to stay put until he had more clout.

He held nothing against these people he just thought they'd end up liars like every one else he'd known, though Logan intrigued the boy, he wanted to know what made the rough Lord tick. Remy needed to be more bold because washing Logan's kilts and tunics in the river wasn't helping him learn anything new.

This sparring match had him very interested, however. Fighting, combat, training he understood and thrived in. He winced at the bright summer sun and stripped off his long tunic. Flexing his shoulders as he stretched out, Remy watched as Kurt began to show some real skill in his sparring.

The small man was using his magic to pop around the bigger man and used the momentum of his reappearance to put power into his blows. If it were not for Henry's incredible reflexes he would have fallen more then once.

Logan watched the two men, scanning for their weaknesses and their strengths. He was impressed that either had much skill at all. Though Henry had been raised by hedge mages, he still managed to be trained in the basics of Celtic fighting.

Kurt on the other hand was a surprise. The little man had told them how he too grew up in a brotherhood. A monastery of very sever men. The order had kept Kurt as a charity and a reminder of the prevalence of evil in the world.

He had stayed in their control until he was almost fifteen summers. He escaped the bondage of the monks when a traveling show had passed through the village. He became a performer instead of a symbol of shame.

Logan had translated for Kurt as he told his story the first night they came to the clan. Remy had perked up at the mention of a traveling show. He asked many questions about who Kurt ran away with and discovered that they had a few distant aquatints in common. It seemed to put Kurt more at ease but seemed to set Remy on edge.

Logan took note and watched the Gypsy closely.

Kurt and Henry were panting and facing each other, both beginning to tire. Logan's head snapped round when a scent caught his attention. Spice and musk and something unnamable. It struck a cord deep inside him.

His eyes fell on the boy flexing and stretching as he spun the stick. His long lean torso bare to the sun. Clothed in just his dark wool trewes and the leather boots he cut a striking figure.

They had been surprised the boy was red haired. Most Gypsies were dark and exotic. Not that the boy wasn't exotic, his eyes assured that. But his copper hair which hung long around his face was a indication that somewhere he came from Celtic blood. Logan took in the boy and how he presented himself.

At his right temple two braids were twisted and adorned with beads and small silver coins. The light caught a glint of gold drawing Logan's attention to the gold hoops he had in both ears. Silver rings flashed on his quick fingers and his long hair provided a screen for his wicked eyes. Logan had noticed how the boy seemed to have an innate sensuality about him. It rang a lot of the big man's bells.

He growled to himself.

"Ya kin stop." he said to the panting men and then waved Remy to the ring. "They be too winded ta fight ya, lad. Think ya kin take me?" he asked smiling with a lot of teeth.

Remy was a little surprised by the commanded and the question. He nodded his head and stepped to the ring. "Remy can take anything you haz, m'lord." He spun the staff and began to circle the man.

Logan had tried to get the boy to tell him where he came from but it had proven to be very difficult. All the lad would say was he was a Gypsy, his tribe was Frankish but he wasn't with his tribe anymore. He had traveled a great deal and got caught by the slavers in Germania.

Charles had cautioned Logan to take it slow and not push the boy. If he withdrew they wouldn't be able to reach him and Charles had very strong feelings about the magic inherent in the boy.

The long talk they had after the new comers had been put to rest that first night had given them all a lot to think about. Jean had been unable to read the boy's mind, neither had Charles. Something they hadn't encountered before, except for Logan.

Roe was excited about the boy, his background being closely related to her own. She had felt a connection to him instantly and was keen to explore his gifts as well. Logan and Scott were worried about his fire magic and wanted to be sure he wasn't going to burn the place down.

Now Logan stood across from the boy and took a fighting stance. Remy seemed to almost smile at him as they began. The boy was fast, he grunted to himself.

"He might even be faster then 'her'." Logan thought to himself. His skill with the stick showed he was used to fighting with a staff. Logan wondered how he had really ended up in the slaver's stock. He was trained, he was intelligent and he was far more learned then he let on.

They fought fast and serious for a good amount of time, Logan not tiring in the least. Remy however began to flag after awhile. They had drawn a small crowed of clan around them.

Very few people could last so long in the ring with Lord Howlett. They were amazed at Remy's ability to move out of Logan's reach while still landing a blow that didn't damage the Lord but did deliver impact.

There were mutters and whispers among the women at the boy's beauty and the horrible lash mark scars on his narrow back.

Logan caught a change in the boy's scent as he picked up on the women's attentions. He began to show off and it set Logan on edge. Remy did some fancy flips and a lot of dancing moves to avoid Logan, while smiling and winking at the women.

This pissed Logan right off and he forgot his own words about not really hurting each other. He managed to take the boy off guard and pinned him to the dirt. The air left Remy's lungs in an 'oof' and the women gasped in unison.

Remy lay stunned and tacked to the ground as three long bone spikes extended from the lord's fist. The middle one drew up short while the other two bracketed Remy's throat. The point of the middle claw made the boy's chin lift to escape being impaled.

"Ya yield, lad?" Logan growled as he leaned in close drinking the boy's scent as it changed from lust to fear. He liked the mix and almost leaned down to taste the scented skin. Remy seemed to struggle with the submission and something sparked in the boy's eyes.

He sensed Logan's lust and arousal. Here was something Remy understood. He checked his shields and found they were holding quite well.

Interesting.

He glared into the fierce blue eyes and minutely shook his head defiance.

"Non." came his foolhardy reply. The murmuring around them increased and Logan's eyes blazed bright flashing to almost gold. Remy sucked in a deep breath as he felt the intensity of the bigger man's anger.

That might have been a mistake to defy Logan.

Logan sheathed his claws and grasped the boy by his throat lifting him off the ground and drug him across the yard and to the long house.

"Ya have yet ta learn yer place,lad. Ya got too much arrogance. Might git ya killed." He growled and fisted his hand in the boy's long silky hair. Remy knew better then to struggle. He knew where this was going as he was yanked down the hall to Logan's quarters.

Remy had been a lot of places in his young life and seen a great deal of things. His parents had sold him to an evil man when he was born with demon eyes.

For the first ten summers of his life Remy knew nothing but being a curiosity in a traveling show. When he was almost eleven his gifts manifested. The charm came first. And with it came things the boy would be haunted by the rest of his life.

The abuse and rape was all he knew until his fire manifested. Then he got free of the wicked man. He ran, and stole and survived until he was found by the Gypsies who became his family.

For the first time in his young life Remy knew love, family and protection. He was taught all the skills anyone would teach him. Tinkering, forging metal, animal training, thievery, the con, music, dance, languages. The list went on.

When your family was made up of people from many places it broadened your possibilities to learn.

But that hadn't lasted either. Remy had gotten himself banished for killing his new brother in law when he married the daughter of a rival tribe. His pappa helped him run. Remy had been running ever since. The dangers and debauchery out there were no longer a mystery to him.

He understood what a big man like Logan wanted when that fire lit his eyes and his hand sought to hold and control. In a way he realized that he had provoked that response on purpose.

He was drawn to Logan on a primal level and since he knew no other way to get that kind of attention from a man he did what had always brought it before. The only difference this time was the boy wanted it. He felt safe with Logan, like the darkness had to stay away. He would never admit it aloud and barely admitted it to himself but none the less he was getting what he wanted.

Logan thrust him into the room and slammed the door hard. He threw the latch with a clang and then stalked toward the boy.

"Ya need ta learn yer place." he growled