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The tavern was pretty loud at this time of night, as it usually was. And the crowd was no less rowdy than normal. It was a spot with a small inn attached for travelers within the city. It was a tavern she’d been…working for, for quite a few years now and she was never used to the crowds of men that poured in. Maybe because they were always rough with her too. A girl beneath even a tavern wench, not that her Master ‘employed’ them for a while. He found he made business with women more profitable another way. Her Master had more fun watching the men grab and push and the light fondle all night as she struggled to serve them drinks. And tonight was one of those nights. She was picking up empty glasses and mugs, trying to weave through the customers with as much mouse-like invisibility as she could. And so far she had been doing a decent job around the drunken men. The quicker and quieter she was the more likely she could go around with less problems. At least until she was placing a fourth mug on the tray she had, she leaned back and tried to walk away but another man had bumped into her and it led her to sprawling on the floor. Her hands braced her fall but it led to the mugs and tray hitting the floor as well. The sound caught the attention of the entire tavern. She cringed as she heard laughter coming from all parts of the room. Before she could begin trying to get the tray, as she got up, she felt a hand slap her ass hard and it led her to hitting the ground again. She hissed slightly as her knees hit the floor hard. “Bad girl,” she heard one man say and the others laughed at the spanking. Biting her lip, hating the slight arousal that hit. Emma quietly began to pick up the mugs, though some of the men were now kicking them away just to make it harder.
Robin was just passing through. It was common for him to stop around pubs or inns, just making his way through and stealing from a few pockets. When she fell, he took it as a perfect distraction to pick some pockets. But, he rather quickly noticed that she’d fallen because one of them touched her and they were now blaming her for the issue.
He stepped forward, picking up a few mugs to hand them to her. “Here, let’s get you off the floor.” Robin offered his hand to her, wanting to make sure that she got up and back to work without further issue. “Are you alright? That looked like a rough fall… These guys always cause you so much trouble?” It seemed like this was a common issue since nobody else was so much as batting an eye at the whole scene.
Emma was picking up a mug, one already under her arm to hold as she did with the sound of laughter still around her so before the hand came into her line of sight. She almost flinched at first before seeing that it stopped where it was, not going to hit her or grab at her like she was expecting. Her eyes turned up more to look into his face for a second. He didn’t look like he was about to strike her, or trick her by pretending to be safe before turning. She learned the way to see the signs for that happened quickly when she first got here. But his eyes didn’t look mean; they were honest. Blinking, used to second decisions after so many years, she knew he wasn’t a threat, but still got up on her own quickly. The more she was on her knees the more the men had more than ample opportunity to spank her again. She takes the mugs from him, barely looking him in the eye before whispering. “I’m fine, thank you.” quickly. Ready to run away, she freezes when another person smacks her ass and her body jolts with how hard the impact was. But then the voice behind her made her freeze. “None broke? Such a shame. I was excited to perhaps make that ass raw again,” she heard her Master say. “I hope you said thank you. A wench like you didn’t need any help.” Emma quickly nods, eyes still cast down. “Yes sir,” she answers lightly.
Robin nodded a bit, pulling his hand back once he realized that she wasn’t going to take it. He stared in complete shock when the man in the back started talking about beating her. Robin focused his eyes on her, not caring that she wasn’t looking up at him. He wanted it to be as clear as possible that he was talking to her. “That’s alright. It’s no trouble.”
He reached out, lightly ghosting his fingertips over her arm before actually settling a light grip on her. “I was taught to treat a lady with some amount of respect and compassion. They are, after all, the fairer sex. Any issue that you have with her service can surely be handled in private.” Robin lightly pulled Emma closer, putting himself between her and the other men. He worried that saying something might get her into trouble, so he wanted to keep her from being caught in the middle. But, from what he’d noticed, she was jumpy when it came to touch and she really didn’t need to drop those mugs again. He wanted to attempt to give her some form of warning before touching her arm to move her.
As they were standing, her Master moved a hand to grope around her ass. That she was used to, and knew it came every chance her Master could. What she wasn’t used to was the light grace of fingertips on her arm before it was lightly held. She frowned and her gaze lifted up to the man in front of her. She’d never seen him before, so why would he be…gentle with her? “Oh, don’t worry, she likes it,” she can hear the grin on her Master’s face as he talks. “I bet if we pulled up her skirt we’d see her wet already. She’s a little exhibitionist.” As much as she hated to admit it, though not in this instance, he was right. But she was taken out of her thoughts when she felt the new man gently pull her towards him. Her eyes get wider. She didn’t think it was to…use her like others did in tavern. But he was playing a dangerous game by pulling her away from her Master. Already, he noticed and moved to pull her back. “And if you want to see that for yourself,” she could hear the anger rising in her Master’s voice, knowing he was being challenged, “you go through me. She’s mine. So gentleman or not, you’re asking me.”
He nodded a bit as the other man spoke, starting to understand. “I see…” Robin coaxed Emma from behind him to stand beside him. “I apologize for my reaction. I didn’t realize the arrangement you had here.” He raised his hand up, making it clear that he was conceding. “I thought this woman was in trouble, but I can see that everything is fine here. You know how it is when you see a damsel in distress.”
Robin gestured for Emma to continue about her business, knowing that she needed to get the tray back. He looked at her again, lightly touching her arm. “I apologize for any trouble I caused. You are clearly very devoted to your master.” He let her go, looking to her master. “Let me buy you a good drink, sir. No need to ruin a good night on a common slave whore.”
Robin was a lot of things, but he wasn’t stupid. He was a traveler and a pickpocket. The last thing he needed was to publicly stir up trouble. She’d caused a distraction and he’d already started stealing from the men in the room. He did not need attention, especially negative attention. He wasn’t going to leave her there, but he needed to be very smart about how he did it. First, he needed to get the men drunk and friendly. This wasn’t a quick swipe for light money, it was a full con for big loot.
Emma stood as still as she could, willing herself to be invisible, but thankfully the warning of a conflict seemed to blow away. She doesn’t feel the hackles of her Master’s aura near her and his hold on her loosens. She relaxed slightly when the man moved her again before letting her go. When she complimented her on being ‘devoted’, she just nodded to acknowledge it and show that she outwardly agreed so her master could see, but didn’t want to make a comment. When he seems to motion she could go, she checks with her Master. “Damsel is a strong word for this one,” her master says, slapping her ass lighter to get her to move on. She does so quickly, but not before she hears the 'whore slave’ comment and she winces slightly as she slithers away, slinking quickly and easily between the men of the tavern, earning a few hands along her body but not many. “Perhaps a start,” the bar keeper agreed. “Haven’t seen you around these parts.” Emma sets the mugs and cups along the bar. As she does so, a man who was sitting there immediately wraps an arm around her and she struggles slightly as she is brought to forcibly sit on his lap. She tries to pull away, but it just makes the arm around her tighter and the man and those around chuckle. She feels hands go to grab one breast and looks away.
Robin nodded, ordering two drinks from the top shelf. “Yeah, this isn’t my normal hangout. I’m just passing through.” He let the atmosphere relax a bit, nodding toward Emma as a man started to grope her. “You share that whore a lot? I didn’t see that gentleman ask your permission.” He looked up at the woman’s master, grabbing his bow. “I could give him a little warning shot for you, make a statement.” Robin wanted this man to be comfortable, wanting to make it very clear that he was firmly in his corner and just confused about the rules around here.
He wanted to clear the tension from before, wanting to earn some trust. Robin knew how to con people, even when it involved a longer con. He had enough experience with men who owned slave whores that paraded them around like they were pieces of meat. These innkeepers were smart. Men would buy more beer to get close looks at their slaves and they would buy rooms to fuck them. It was a smart business plan. But, he knew what happened when these women were no longer useful and how that broke them when these men were done with them. These weren’t people who kept one for a lifetime, these were people who threw them away the moment it was an issue.
That understanding was part of why Robin lived the life he did. He knew how quickly devotion was betrayed. He stole from the rich and powerful, duping them to line his pockets as well as those who needed it.
The man looked over to Emma and the one man still feeling her up and chuckles. “No need, though I like your enthusiasm.” He tells Robin before turning back to him, the bar seemingly calming back down from the ruckus, or at least back to its regular noise and laughter as people talked. “For that one I keep her around the floor. Occasionally I’ll let someone take her to a room, but she’s mostly a toy to play with. She is a favourite amongst my regulars, but they like it better as a tease. They play and touch but can’t usually go all the way. And if they do, it’s often here. She puts on quite the amazing show. Quite a little slut that one. She gets off on being tied up and taken in front of others. Gets went very quickly,” the man grins. “But I know them. I don’t know you. But,” the man takes more of his drink. “If you’re interested in her you can play with her in full view, or if you want something more than you can go with a few other girls that I have around.” When the man seemed to let up a bit, Emma finally got herself free and managed to grab more full mugs and made her way around, slinking as silently and quickly as she could.
Robin releases his bow back behind him, nodding a bit as it was explained. “I see.” He wasn’t completely sure how much he trusted the man’s explanation. The woman looked scared when he moved to help her. It didn’t look like she was getting off on it as much as he claimed. “This kind of arrangement isn’t something that I’m used to. I’m used to people keeping their playthings for themselves. But, in your position, I understand how this makes you an incredible amount of money. And, as they say, money makes the world go round.”
He shook his head, gesturing for more beer. “I appreciate the offer, but I’ve got a wife at home. Not sure how, but she would smell pussy on me from a mile away.” He laughed a bit, showing the man the ring on his finger as he tapped at it. “Might need a room for the night, however. I didn’t expect to have more than a drink.” He glanced at Emma as she got away from the man across the room, feeling a bit better to know that she was alright.
The innkeeper chuckled but told him, “I agree, it’s not exactly the norm. But the company loves to play with her, and she is fun to play with. I can give you a demonstration if you wish,” he told him before laughing at his other comment. “That it does, lad. That it does. And I’ve learned pussy does too.” He takes one more drink, noting how he saw Emma actively trying to avoid them as she stayed off to the side, only reaching out when more mugs of ale were ready to be served. But she actively avoided eye contact with her Master. Naughty girl. “Married eh?” he chuckles and puts down his drink, rather loudly with two taps. Recognizing the demand, Emma quickly moved through the crowd to her Master to get him a fresh mug. “Don’t think I ever could. But even so, who says you have to go for the pussy? There are other spots to fuel desires.” He grins. When Emma reaches him, he smiles and moves an arm around her. Emma frowns but obediently sits on his lap. Almost absentmindedly, her Master moves a hand up her skirt and she shivers as he touches her between her legs, but doesn’t move away. “And I can do you a room. Where you off to?”