Less than a minute later we were in the large room. Natalie was concentrating so hard on her walking she barely noticed our arrival. I stopped the m...chine and removed the ring from her ball sac. I could see dozens of prick marks on the loose skin. They looked mean, but I knew from experience that they would heal completely in less than a week.I’m sure Natalie was relieved when I had removed the ring, but she was also smart enough to keep her mouth closed. I led her back to her cell. ?I’m. ”She opened her mouth to scream at him, deny him, say something that would stop his madness, but he laid a hand over her lips. “That smart mouth of yours is going to get you in trouble. I suggest you close it until I’m finished telling you how it’s going to be.”Bending forward, he untied her boots and slipped them from her feet. Tying the laces together, he suspended them from a tall branch, well out of her reach. “Where was I? Oh, yes.” He squatted on his heels in front of her. “I know you. Once around the first curve and into the woods, two men clambered from among the cargo, offloaded the burdens of two horses – too fine for pack animals – and after a short exchange of coins and farewells, rode off rapidly to the east. We arrived in Narbonne before sunset, and stayed only to trade horses and quaff a little ale, before setting off again. If our ruse had failed, and the Duke’s men were not now galloping towards Toulouse with all speed, we did not want to be surprised inside a. Then happinesscomes to find you, if you're lucky.But if you ask did I do the right thing, then yes, absolutely! Do I haveany regrets? No, not at all! Given the choice would I do the same thingover again? Again, yes!" I don't want to pry," I say, "but what about your private life?" I don't have a regular boyfriend. I've had one-nighters, of course, butthe trouble is most men are either scared of me, what I was, what I'vebecome, or else they're stupid macho jerks. I never knew before how.