The Priestess and Her Boy

Chapter 3 - Priestess Ashala

That night, Tak presented himself to Priestess Ashala, performing the customary Act of Greeting before her. Ashala, Priestess of the Infirm, had been at the Temple longer than any other, apart from the High Priestess herself of course. She was a member of the Circle; the closed council responsible for matters of Temple administration, policy and discipline. Although a powerful priestess, she was well liked by the Temple boys who found her to be a fair and understanding mistress. And Tak's assessment of her to Hanja the night before had been unfair. Although her hair had greyed - from stress caused by poorly behaved Temple Boys, she claimed - Ashala remained attractive and energetic.

"That is enough Boy," she said, pushing his head away with her foot. "My feet are not your dinner! And I do not recall asking you to take off your tunic. Put it back on immediately; we are going out."

"Out Mistress?" Tak replied in surprise.

"Yes! Yes, out. Out of this bedchamber. Oh, do get up Tak and cover yourself! Or just kneel and wait for me here staring at the wall. Please yourself!"

Tak, rose and threw on his tunic, scampering after his night-Mistress who had already exited into the hall. Tak marvelled at how quickly Priestess Ashala moved, for such a small woman. And, as they walked down the hall, they could hear the unmistakable sounds of female pleasure from behind closed bedchamber doors.

"Priestesses are moving their boys to the couch early tonight," remarked Ashala disapprovingly. "Perhaps they should learn the art of conversation."

She turned, having sensed that her boy was no longer following closely. Tak had stopped in the hallway and was listening, his head tilted slightly.

"Oh come along Tak!," she cried. "What is the matter with you? Wait. I have seen that look on a boy's face before."

She took a few steps towards him and glanced at the adjacent door.

"Priestess Hanja?"

Tak was staring at the floor but nodded slowly. They could hear the sound of Hanja's giggling from within the room.

"Interesting. It hurts does it Tak?"

She put her hand on his cheek for a few moments.

"Tak, no good will come from standing here all night. Come with me; we are going to visit a sick boy."

As they neared the Infirmary, Ashala spoke to him again, "You heard about the unfortunate events at the Shrine of the Prophet this morning?"

"A little Mistress.", he replied.

"Well Tak, you are about to see what a five-foot rattan cane does to a boy. I doubt you will agree, Tak, but the implements that priestesses keep in their bedchambers are really just toys in comparison."

As they entered the Infirmary, Tak noticed a boy lying face-down on a bed by the far wall; the only occupant of the room. As they approached, he began to push himself up, as if trying to rise.

"It's alright sweet boy," cooed Ashala. "It is only me. And also my night boy Tak from the Garden."

She whispered to Tak, "He now flinches whenever a Priestess comes into the room."

"Greetings Brother." said the prone boy to Tak.

Ashala began tending to the boy's wounds, all the time talking softly to him, and gently running her hand through his hair.

Tak grimaced when dressings were removed to expose the boy's buttocks, a mess of blood and black bruising.

"Tak, fetch me fresh dressings and that bottle from the table there!"

When the Priestess had finished her work, she kissed the boy and promised to return to him in the morning. Tak accompanied her back into the Temple halls and they made their way towards her bedchamber.

"Mistress, what was that boy's crime?"

"He refused the couch." she replied

"Then he was justly punished." said Tak. But it was half statement and half question.

Ashala sighed.

"I should not discuss this with you Tak but, nevertheless, let us imagine some possible events. A young Priestess finds it hard to inspire love in her night boy, as all should endeavour to do. She perhaps grows frustrated and decides to be cruel instead, making him drink his water from a bowl at her feet, abusing him with her words, whipping him, though he has not been disobedient, and finally violating him with the handle of her whip. The boy is defenceless of course - raising a hand to a Priestess would be unthinkable. Eventually she decides to move him to her couch, no doubt so that she can continue the torment with her victim securely bound. At this point he refuses her, and, in her spite, she runs to the Shrine Priestess. So, I ask you Tak, was he justly punished?"

"No Mistress?"

Ashala sighed again.

"You were correct the first time Tak. The Shrine Priestess did her duty in accordance with the Word of the Goddess. And with the result that you have just seen. The boy will heal and will be welcomed back to the Temple in a spirit of love and forgiveness. The spiteful priestess, however, will be woken tonight, taken from the Temple and put out into the street. This is the word of the Circle. It has been decided."

She turned away and raised her hands to her head.

"I am enraged Tak. I despise needless cruelty and bullying. The exercise of one's power over another for no useful purpose. Now a poor boy lies in pain in the infirmary, somewhere a priestess is deprived of company, tomorrow the kitchen will again be short-handed and I am creeping around at night in the Temple halls when I should be in my bedchamber straddling you Tak! Oh, why am I sharing affairs of the Temple with my night-boy when half the priestesses do not even know? Do not speak of this Tak! Do you understand?"

"Yes, Mistress," Tak replied. "It is not too late Mistress."

"What Tak?"

"To straddle me Mistress".

For the first time that evening Ashala smiled.

"That is funny Tak. And at a perfect moment to cheer me."

When they were once again in Ashala's bedchamber, and Tak had added a log to the fire and poured his Mistress a goblet of wine, they relaxed on cushions and she had him rest his head on her lap. She stroked his long fair hair and gave him sips of the wine.

"May I ask you a question Mistress?"

"If you must Tak."

"What is the Sunerian badger?"

"Ha! Tak! You almost made me spill my wine! Where did you hear that?"

"Priestess Ruta threatened Nikah and I with it."

"Did she? Well Tak, if she ever makes good on the threat you must ask her to send for me. I would like to see it myself. You and Nikah would make a fine badger! Have you ever seen a Sunerian badger Tak, I mean a real one? They live in the southern deserts. The male creature has organs of sex both forward and behind. The female takes her arousal at the front before moving to the rear to receive seed. In the days of the Old Queen the ladies of the court would amuse themselves by precisely interlocking two palace boys and strapping them together to form the 'badger'; one boy providing the fore parts and the other the rear. If the boys were fit and strong, as you and Nikah are, the whole arrangement could be leashed and led around the room for the entertainment of the ladies present. And if a lady wished to take her pleasure, she could do so in much the same way as a female badger."

Ashala chuckled.

"I have not seen it for many years, Tak. Tak, wake up! I am not finished with you yet. All this talk of the badger has aroused me. Do you not want to go to the couch?"

"Yes, Mistress." said Tak, half asleep.

"A priestess could hope for more enthusiasm," she said, scowling. "But perhaps the question was of little use. Like asking a boy if he has been studying his scriptures. Either he has, and the answer will be yes, or he has not but the answer will still be yes through fear of his Mistress. Still, I will have some truth from you Tak, before I allow you to sleep! Sit up! Now, tell me something about yourself! Something that will interest me. Something true."

Tak said the first thing that came to his mind.

"There was a girl with Priestess Ruta in the Gardens today. I wanted her."

"I know Tak. A novice. You liked her?"

"No Mistress. I wanted to take her! I wanted to lay hands on her, move her around for my selfish pleasure, use her roughly. I know it is sinful."

"Well Tak, 'sinful' is perhaps a strong word, because the girl is not a priestess and the Goddess does not live in her. Not yet anyway. However, for you to take such a liberty within the Temple, without instruction from a priestess, would be considered disobedience. And to hurt any female, priestess or not, is wrong. But here you are judged by your actions Tak, not your thoughts. I asked you for a truth and you gave me one, for which I thank you."

Ashala slipped her thighs out from under Tak's head, deftly replacing them with a cushion and moving furs to cover him.

"You sleep right here Tak, and I shall use the couch. Tomorrow is your rest day, but I would like you to accompany me to the City Apothecary for supplies. Would you like that Tak?"

Ashala sighed and raised her eyes to the ceiling as Tak hesitated.

"Priestess Hanja is taking confessions in the Temple all day Tak. You will not be able to pester her!"

"Then yes Mistress, I would like to help you. But can I bring Nikah?"

"Save me Goddess!" sighed Ashala. "It is like dealing with children! Yes, Tak, bring Nikah if you must!"

As she settled on the couch, Ashala looked over towards Tak.

"You very much remind me of a man I knew many years ago Tak. But you are from the South and he was from the North, you are a slave and he was a great warrior; a King."

She cursed herself as she realized that her words could be construed as unkind, but the Temple boy was already sleeping.