The Warlord's Prize

Chapter 13 - Inner Kindness

I entered the mess hall to discover it was more cluttered the last time I had been ordered to clean it. A few tables were flipped over on top of others and a bunch of wooden chairs lay broken on the floor like the Huns had swung them at each other or crushed them with their weight.

I quickly got to work gathering the broken chair pieces first. Sharp split ends poked the palms of my hands ready to cut through. Maybe I should just make it firewood; no way will they use them again. Shan Yu would appreciate that. I thought.

Once I had made a pile, I gathered the pieces and carried them out the back of the tent where the fire pit was and set them over the ash heap. Then I sorted out the flipped tables; some of them were leaning against each other while tipped over. I quickly lifted the table closest to me back on its legs, straightening it. I wanted to work fast and carefully to forget about being groped and do whatever it took to make Shan Yu pleased again.

My breast still ached from him squeezing it as I left my tent earlier; it was just moments before when he seemed to be showing kindness again but then he suddenly let his urges take over again and touched me there. Every time he did it got more painful like it would eventually lead to bleeding. Even though every time he touched me like that it sent shivers down my spine; things still could have been worse. Why does he change so much like that? One minute he's pleased that I chose to stay and the next he's groping me again thinking inside how much he can't wait until he runs out of compassion so he can fuck me. I cannot tell if he is running out of pity or is trying to keep it. I don't know anymore.

A few minutes later I was on the ground fetching pieces of broken cups and plates off the floor. The Huns were clearly getting into big brawls whenever they ate; one accidental trip or splatter of food on someone's back and a melee would break out. So violent, they don't have anything else to do between battles. I don't think Shan Yu part takes in this or tries to calm them down. I thought as I crawled under the table to pick up a few more pieces, poured them into the cloth I found next to the buckets and took them out to the back to dump them.

I wiped up the food stains, washed all the pots and plates in one piece, and then managed to finish in no time at all. Shan Yu had not arrived to fetch me and it made me wonder what was keeping him; he could be drawing more battle plans for the next village we would pass by or something else was holding him back? I paced back and forth at the front of the tent near the flap eyeing the now spotless mess hall; the tables were in two columns with six chairs at each of them. The plates looked polished and lined up perfectly with the set of chairs like I had just set the table for dinner in a restaurant in the middle of the mountains. I sighed and peered out of the tent.

Outside it was quiet and the grey clouds were clearing up. Several of Shan Yu's men were out and about doing their usual. I spotted Xu Ling near the small horse stables shooting at a black pine tree next to it. Over and over again he fired a single arrow at the trunk where it hit the same spot, and then he went to retrieve it and shot it again. Chi Zhong sat outside his tent sharpening his sword and gazing around the camp. I turned away once his eyes met mine; never had I disliked his stare more than the way the other Huns looked at me since it looked the most threatening. From what I had glimpsed of his stare; it was a lustful smile with devilish eyes watching, waiting to pounce on the prey, and force her legs to open. It nearly scared me as much as Shan Yu did when he looked at me like that.

I shook inside afraid to step outside the tent even though my work was finished. I glanced around the campsite wondering if anyone would notice me leave; from that they would either fetch Shan Yu or do what they wanted with me. I waited and no one noticed I was standing there; I was invisible. Shan Yu once said to me that his men were loyal to him; the first day I was taken he had ordered them not to touch me and none of them had.