On the horizon, silhouetted by the descending sun, was a girl. She was leaned up against the oak I had been resting in what had only seemed like momen...s ago. Going on the shape on the silhouette I was certain she was wearing some loose jeans and a tank top, I could see the sunlight bouncing off her belly bar, her hair cascading down and over her shoulder. She must have been an angel, maybe a goddess, but I could do nothing but stare. She stood straight and waved to me, not really sure of what. ?Please, Sir, I won?tforget my place.?? I had squirmed andthrashed about as he hit me.?Keep your voicedown,? Jeff commanded giving me another brutal slash with the belt, this onecausing me to involuntarily cry out.??Shut up you stupid pig,? he said quietly but angrily.? ?You?re not going to control yourself areyou?? You are going to have to learn totake a beating without making a sound.?For now??? Jeff reached down andpulled off one of socks, ?you get this.?Ann laughed andsaid, ?Oh god, that is. Unloading the Landrover would be fairly easy there.Scott was taking it steady, he had Larry in the cab with him who knew the area well and, about forty minutes later, we ground to a halt at West Heslerton crossing. We had perfected loading the Landrover on and off a specially converted flat truck. In ten minutes we were ready to drive the five miles to Thornton Dale which is just one mile from Pickering.It had been decided that Larry, myself and Will would go on the first mission. Kelly wanted. Her family was poor, and didn't have enough dowries to provide good matches for all their daughters. Most likely, Zithrusa would become a maiden auntie, and perhaps provide a child or two to the family, gotten from some passing trader. As long as there was a hope for a husband though, she was going to hold out for that. Zithrusa was counted as beautiful among the tribes, but that didn't make much headway against a poor or missing dowry. She had even daydreamed of some eastern prince seeing her.