by Van ©2022
		Chapter 3

Heidi was miserable.  She'd long since given up all efforts to free herself.  It wasn't possible to even shift the ropes of her hideous hogtie around to create slack she could exploit, much less untie any of the knots and eventually extricate herself.  All she could do was hang in the ropes semi-suspending her from the ring set in the stone (or concrete) wall.  Her stomach and thighs rested on the scratchy, jabbing, straw-filled burlap pallet serving as her dungeon bed, and she was going to remain that way until she was released.  Obviously, her best course of action was to remain still and not waste energy.  Also, her breasts were hanging in midair, just above the burlap, and the tips of her nipples brushed across the coarse fabric whenever she struggled.  She'd just as soon that didn't happen.  It was another incentive to refrain from struggling.

Every now and then, however, Heidi had no choice but to squirm in her bonds in order to avoid cramps.  For now, it was working, meaning her muscles hadn't contracted in painful spasms; however, her efforts were, indeed, scraping her nipples on the burlap whenever she tried to move.  That wasn't exactly painful—yet—but she was not having a good time.

Time passed.  How much time Heidi wasn't at all sure, but her best guess was that more than an hour had passed since she was abandoned to her cruel fate.

Suddenly...  Clink-clank... Rattle-ping... Creeeee...   The dungeon door was unlocked and opened and Kassidy, the perpetrator of Heidi's horrific hogtie ordeal, had returned to the scene of her crime.

Kassidy stood in the doorway and smiled down at Hogtied Heidi.  As before she was wearing black boots, jeans, and a tank-top (and this time she was also showcasing an impressive pair of pokies).  Also as before, her smile didn't extend to her cold, dark eyes.  After careful consideration, Heidi decided she didn't particularly like Peyton's kung-fu savvy minion.  Kassidy was definitely off Heidi's Christmas card list.

"You look amazing," Kassidy purred.  Her eyes remained cold and predatory, but her smile suggested she was sincere (and her pokies that she was, indeed, enjoying Heidi's predicament, in some sadistic fashion).

Heidi's only response was to gaze up at her captor/handler/kidnapper.  Was she frightened?  Yes, but she was also pissed off—only not enough to risk pissing off Kassidy and making things worse.  And as cruel and unpleasant as her current predicament might be, she realized things could always get worse.  The problem was, she wasn't sure how she should proceed.  It Kassidy was a total sadist, she was screwed no matter what she did.  But if she wasn't, meaning Kassidy was only a partial sadist, just maybe, if Heidi played her cards right, they could reach an "accomodation" that didn't involve quite so much tight rope and prolonged contortion.

"Peyton told me to leave you like this until sundown," Kassidy continued, "but we have a standing agreement that I'm the one making all important decisions about punishment and persuasion, both for you and your snooty British professor."  She entered the cell, knelt at Heidi's side, and began untying the ropes enforcing the hogtie.  "But don't worry," she continued.  "I won't untie you completely.  You'll still get to play with my ropes for the rest of the day."

Heidi sighed in relief as the ropes attaching her to the ring loosened and she settled fully onto her stomach and breasts.  She rested the right side of her face on the "soft" pallet with a gagged sigh.  The ropes lashing the full length of her arms together behind her back (with her elbows touching) remained tightly in place, as did the network of cinched double strands yoking her shoulders, pinning her arms against her torso, linking her wrist-bonds to her crotch rope, and binding her crossed ankles.

Kassidy continued untying knots and releasing rope bands, allowing Heidi to straighten her legs, which was a good thing.  Heidi responded with more gagged sighs.  But then, Kassidy reapplied the rope, and with the same consummate skill.  She lashing Heidi's legs together from her thighs to her ankles, anchoring the leg-bondage to the crotch-rope above, and looping, tightening, and cinching rope around her feet and big-toes to anchor the bondage below.

Heidi's leather panel-gag (with leather plug) remained intact.  "Mrrrm," she complained weakly, and was ignored.

Kassidy then passed the free end of the rope tied through and around Heidi's folded braid to the ring on the wall, the former anchor of her former hogtie, and tied a complicated knot.  Heidi was now lying full-length on the pallet, naked, bound from shoulders to toes, gagged with a tight panel-gag of brown leather, and loosely tethered to the wall by her hair.

"That should hold you," Kassidy purred.

No, ya think? Heidi thought glumly.

"I'll be back before dark," Kassidy promised as she strolled to the open dungeon door, then paused in the threshold.  Once again, she was in full-on gloating mode.  Heidi could tell.  "If the boss decides she wants me to do something to the blonde," Kassidy added, "I may be late, but I'll get here as soon as I can... to put you to bed."

"Mrrrrmpfh!" Heidi complained as the door closed—Creeeee... thud!—and was locked—Rattle-ping, clink-clank.

Heidi squirmed in her bonds.  Put me to bed?  What the hell does that mean?  She continued squirming and testing her revised bondage.  The ropes passed the exam.  Heidi failed.  But what time is it now? she wondered.  How long is it 'til dark?  She squirmed some more, then heaved a gagged sigh.  And what are they doin' to Doc?

Dr. Lori Ryder, Professor of History at Lewis & Clark University, found herself simultaneously terrified, exhilarated, on the edge of panic, and intellectually excited.  It was an untenable position, but she had no plan to achieve a more balanced posture.

She had agreed to at least look at whatever material Peyton claimed was the medieval historical equivalent of a chest full of gold, silver, and precious gems, communicating her surrender by means of a frantic, wide-eyed, gagged nod.  That had been to spare poor Heidi terrible torture, of course.  However, Lori's agreement to cooperate hadn't resulted in her protege's immediate relief from the hideous hogtie torture in question, and Lori was continuing to protest this deficiency as best she could.

"Mrrrpfh!  Mrrrrm!  Mrrrf!"

"Settle down, Professor," Peyton chuckled as she had dragged Lori through what amounted to a subterranean simulated medieval dungeon complex, back through a large, normal-looking basement, upstairs to the magnificent Modern mansion above, then into a quiet little sitting room, supposedly to enjoy a late breakfast.

Lori continued protesting.  "Mrrrrr!"

"I told you to settle down," Peyton purred.

Truth be told, Peyton found Lori's distress to be somewhat entertaining.  She very much enjoyed being in control.  She knelt and locked Lori's ankles in a pair of authentic-looking (late-medieval period) shackles separated by a foot or so of stout chain!  Next, she plunked her professorial prisoner down in one of a pair of stylish wooden chairs (Danish Modern) in front of a café table (also Danish Modern).  The table and chairs, in turn, were in front of a picture window providing a magnificent view of the same dry, rocky, forested and mountainous landscape Lori had observed from her Modern bedroom/prison-cell, before she was dragged downstairs to witness Heidi's rope-torture.   Peyton then unbuckled and removed Lori's gag.  Lori's brown leather collar, arm-pinning strap, and bag-binder harness-system remained fully and tightly in place.

"Please," Lori pleaded, "I've agreed to work with you.  Tell your employee to release Heidi and let her go.  She won't tell anyone about any of this, not if I order her not to."

"I'm afraid that's quite impossible," Peyton purred as she sat in the second chair.  "Not only can I not trust your adorable little assistant to keep quiet, but part of Kassidy's compensation is that she gets to 'play' with Heidi to her heart's content... assuming she has a heart, of course... meaning Kassidy.  I believe that during the surveillance phase of our operation she became quite smitten with your student.  Understandable, I suppose.  Heidi Haas is quite the little hottie... don't you agree?"

""No!" Lori gasped , squirming in her restraints.

 Peyton's smile widened.  "You don't think Heidi's a hottie?  Really?"

"You said you wouldn't hurt her if I cooperated.  You promised."

Peyton's smile turned what Lori could only call evil.  "I'm afraid your obedience only serves to mitigate Heidi's treatment," she purred.  "If you're a bad girl, Heidi will suffer severely, but if you're a good girl, she'll only suffer a little.  Chin up, Doctor.  It'll be an educational and character-building experience for the youngster."

"No," Lori whined.  Her blue eyes were brimming with tears.

"Wait here," Peyton ordered, then stood and gracefully strolled from the room.

Lori considered her options.  She was no longer gagged and she wasn't tethered to anything; however, her arms and upper-body were still trapped in the brown leather binder, with its collar and arm-pinning-strap.  And now, she was hobbled by the very solid and unpleasantly heavy steel shackles Peyton had locked around her ankles.  Even if she found a way out of the mansion, she had no idea where to flee to seek help, or how far away that help might be.  She very much doubted a convenient police station would be located across the street from Peyton's lair.  More probably, there would be nothing around for miles.  Also, her feet were bare and her gauze-thin nightie was next to nothing.  She wasn't dressed for a cross-country escape.

She examined her immediate surroundings more closely.  Unlike her severely spartan bedroom upstairs, her current location had art hanging on the walls and knickknacks resting on various cabinets and tables.  All of it was pleasing to the eye (if one liked the Modern style); however none of it looked especially useful for mounting a rescue of her student or to aid their escape, and the bag-binder encasing her fingers and hands wouldn't allow any sort of meaningful exploration of the cabinet doors and drawers, even if she was willing to risk getting caught in the act when Peyton returned.

And just then, Peyton did return, pushing a serving cart (Modern, of course), and on it was a complete tea service, a plate with a stack of finger-sandwiches and biscuits, and—"Gulp!"—a steel collar.  The collar looked similar in material, construction, and finish to her shackles and hobble-chain.  That is, the collar was a functional but inauthentic modern reproduction, obviously made using modern tools and methods, but purposely crude to suggest a medieval origin.

"Here's that breakfast I promised you," Peyton said.  "And when you've finished eating, I'll give you your pretty new necklace."

Lori's stomach growled.  The mini-sandwiches looked delicious, but she stared at the collar with disapproval.  "That isn't necessary."

Peyton smiled.  "You're not hungry?"

Hah, Lori fumed, still staring at the heavy-looking steel band.  "The collar," she stated evenly.

"Oh, that," Peyton chuckled, then her expression turned what Lori could only call wolfish.  "I'll be the one to decide what's necessary and what isn't, Professor."  She picked up the teapot.  It was a Modern design with clear Asian influences and was very pretty, if you're into that sort of thing.  "I'll be mother," Peyton quipped, then poured tea into a matching cup and saucer, followed by a generous dash of milk, then finally used a tiny spoon to give it a stir.

Lori noted that her captor/hostess knew how she liked her tea.  But then, the redhead had said she'd conducted surveillance prior to the kidnapping.  Also, tea with milk was hardly unusual.

Still smiling her lopsided grin, Peyton held the cup to Lori's pouting lips.  "Careful.  Hot."

Lori took a careful sip.  The tea was, indeed, hot... and delicious,

"When you've finished eating," Peyton said, "I'll show you Toland's history of the Great Heathen Army's invasion.  I have a secure reading room."

I'm sure you do, Lori thought to herself.  I just hope it isn't in your fake dungeon.

Peyton then fed the first sandwich from the plate to her "guest."  It was smoked ham, brie, and thinly-sliced apple on lightly buttered bread.  Lori's taste buds approved, as did her stomach.

Naked, bound in a tight, elaborate, web-like sheath of rope from her shoulders to her big toes, and gagged with the leather panel-gag (with leather mouth-plug), Heidi spent the next few hours on the straw-filled pallet in her dungeon cell.  She chose to remain on the crude and only marginally comfortable "mattress" for three reasons: (1) rolling off the pallet and onto the stone floor or hopping around on said floor, assuming she somehow managed to struggle to her feet, would be both unpleasant and pointless; (2) she was increasingly hungry and especially thirsty, and needed to conserve her energy for some endeavor that had a chance of success, and finally; (3) her hair was still braided, folded back on itself, tightly lashed, and tethered to the iron ring set in the wall by a length of stout rope.  There was sufficient slack in the hair-rope for her to roll around on the pallet, if she so desired, but not much more.

The dubious comfort of the pallet, or the hard discomfort stone floor; those were her choices.

Time passed... and her thirst increased to the point of a minor torment.  Also, the need to empty her bladder was becoming an issue.  The solutions to both problems were at hand, in the form of the terracotta jug with a wooden cup for a cover (which was probably full of water), and the covered wooden bucket (which was probably a dungeon bedpan).  Both were side by side, lined up against the stone (concrete) wall a few feet to the right of the dungeon door, but they might as well be in Cleveland for all the good they were doing Heidi.  Kassidy's ropes prevented her from using "the facilities."

And then—Clink-clank, creeeee!—Kassidy returned.  She was still dressed as a kidnapper-in-black and was still smiling, and the smile in question still hadn't reached her eyes.

"Okay," Kassidy said, "I'm ready for you now."

Heidi didn't find Kassidy's arrival to be at all disturbing.  Okay, that was a lie.  Kassidy was scary, but only she could remedy Heidi's rope problem.  Heidi mustered her remaining strength and demanded to be released from the right ropes, to be un-gagged, to be given a drink of water and something to eat, some clothing, to be reunited with Doc, and for both of them to be returned to the Doc's cottage, forthwith!  "Mrrrf!"  (Heidi could be quite succinct when properly motivated.)

"You still have some fight in you," Kassidy purred as she untied the end of Heidi's hair-rope from the iron ring.  "Good."  Then, without further ado, she picked up Heidi's thoroughly bound body and effortlessly heaved her onto her shoulder in a fireman's carry.  Heidi was stomach down and head to the rear.  "Playing with a feisty damsels is a lot more fun than tormenting a cringing, weeping little pansy-girl," Kassidy remarked.

Heidi continued voicing her cogent and well-reasoned arguments for her immediate release, a drink, some food, and a reunion with Doc.  "Mrrr!"

Whack!  That was the sound of Kassidy delivering a sharp slap to Heidi's right butt-cheek.

"Mrk!"  That was the captive's immediate response.

Heidi decided to put her vocal complaints and demands on hold.  She did continue wiggling in her bonds for comfort, but only a little.  Lifting her gagged head and looking back, she beheld a "dungeon corridor," stone (or textured concrete block) walls and iron-banded timber doors similar to the portal of her former cell.  All were secured by means of massive iron throw-bolts and crude iron padlocks.  The only light was coming from widely spaced tiny windows set high in the walls and covered with iron bars, like the one back in her cell.

And then, they passed through an open door and into a modern basement with steel shelves loaded with cardboard boxes and plastic storage tubs.  There was also a large heat-pump and other sorts of household machinery, plumbing junctions, etc.  They were back in contemporary times.  And then, they (meaning Kassidy) began climbing a set of typical modern basement stairs.  Heidi was getting a free ride.

After that, Heidi found herself being given a non-narrated backwards tour of a large building.  They climbed more stairs and eventually she realized she was in a multi-storied mansion.  The decor, furnishings, and art hanging on the walls were generic, uncontroversial, and "pleasantly boring," like in a dentist's office.  Heidi liked to call the style "Ikea Modern."  She'd seen Scandinavian Modern done right, but only on rare occasions.  In any case, she was sure the editors of Architectural Digest would have zero interest in the place.

From the angle and quality of the sunlight shining through various large picture windows, Heidi judged it was late afternoon or early evening.  The day was drawing to a close.  Heidi's stomach grumbled, reminding her she'd missed at least three meals. 

Finally, Heidi was carried into a spartan bedroom... then on into an attached bathroom.  Kassidy heaved her off her shoulder and planted her on her feet, including the rope cinched around her feet and binding her big-toes together—Ow!—which Heidi did not appreciate.  Next, Kassidy untied her crotch-rope, which Heidi did appreciate.  Her handler then plunked her naked, gagged, and still stringently and elaborately bound self down onto the commode seat.

"Piss," Kassidy ordered.

Heidi was happy to comply.  It was a little awkward with her thighs still more-or-less lashed together, but she managed.  She also blushed.  It was humiliating... especially the way Kassidy was standing there and smiling down at her.  And the humiliation only increased when Kassidy flushed the john, once again lifted Heidi to her bound feet and toes—Ow!—and used a sopping wet washcloth to give her nether region a thorough, sloppy, and dripping wash.

Next, Heidi watched with increasing anticipation as Kassidy filled a drinking glass with cold water at the facebasin, then unbuckled her gag, eased the slimy leather plug from her mouth, and held the glass to her lips.  Heidi didn't wait for detailed instructions.  She leaned forward and drank as quickly as she could, sacrificing only a little of the cool, delicious nectar in the process, gulping and slurping as water dribbled on her chest and breasts.  She watched as Kassidy returned the glass to its former place next to the washbasin, then focused on her kidnapper's reflection in the mirror.

"Untie me," Heidi demanded.

"You call that gratitude?" Kassidy chuckled.

"Thank you for the drink of water," Heidi huffed.  "That was very human of you.  Untie me."

"If you insist," Kassidy purred, "but not completely, and not here."  And with that she heaved Heidi back onto her shoulder and carried her from the bathroom.

"Eeep!"  This time Heidi wasn't gagged, so she was free to express her displeasure at being hauled around like the proverbial sack of potatoes.  "Do you have to be so"—Whack!—"Ow!  That hurt!"

"It was meant to," Kassidy purred, "now keep quiet."

Heidi decided to take the hint and kept the rest of her opinions to herself... for now.

Kassidy hauled her helpless, pouting, and disgruntled burden back into the main bedroom and deposited her on the bed.  That is, she tossed Heidi off her shoulder and she landed on the mattress with an enthusiastic bounce.  Heidi considered registering some sort of profound protestation at such casual treatment (like "Hey!"), but it was obvious Kassidy enjoyed her prisoner's reactions to her inconsiderate treatment, so she limited her response to a silent, severe, continuous, and scathing stink eye.

Heidi continued glowering as Kassidy set about the task of untying her many rope bonds... or rather, most of them.  Bands of hemp loosened and slithered away until Heidi's legs were completely free (and naked), with the exceptions of her ankles, feet, and big-toes.  She then rolled Heidi over onto her stomach and boobs and continued untying the ropes.

"So, what did you think of my fish-tie," Kassidy purred as she worked.

Heidi frowned.  Now she wants to talk?  "Your what?"

"Fish-tie," Kassidy reiterated.  "I call it that 'cause all you can do is flop around like a fish.  What did you think?"

Heidi rolled her eyes.  "All I could do was flop around like a fish," she said evenly.

"Mission accomplished," Kassidy grinned.  She continued untying Heidi's bonds... but eventually it became obvious that what she was actually doing was changing Heidi's upper-body-bonds.  Heidi was never sufficiently free to mount a serious resistance, much less escape, but that didn't mean she cooperated.  She squirmed and wiggled and did her best to interfere as Kassidy rearranged and tightened the ropes.   Unfortunately, Heidi's attempted hindrance only seemed to enhance the entertainment value of the exercise for Kassidy.  Eventually, Heidi gave up completely and lay perfectly limp as the rope slithered and cinched and tightened into a new configuration.

"There," Kassidy said as she rolled Heidi onto her back.  The rope expert's arms were now crossed under her black tank-top-covered breasts (with pokies) as she smiled down at Heidi, who squirmed resentfully in her new bonds and stared daggers at her captor.  "This is called a box-tie," Kassidy purred, "in case you're curious.

Box-tie, Heidi thought, filing the information away for future reference, but she said nothing, continuing her offended stare.  Her arms were folded behind her back and against her spine, then her forearms lashed together from elbows to wrists.  Horizontal ropes pinned her upper arms to her torso, passing above and below her breasts and cinched by more ropes that yoked her shoulders and somehow anchored everything together.  She had to admit the box-tie was comfortable, sort of, or at least more comfortable than having her elbows lashed together behind her back and everything else that had gone into the infamous "fish-tie."

Heidi noted there was a lot of excess rope cluttering the bed, remnants of her leg, crotch, and about half of her former upper-body-bonds.  She watched as Kassidy separated and neatly coiled the tangled hemp strands and tossed the resulting bundles onto the seat of a nearby chair.  Only two loose ropes remained on the bed.  One rope Kassidy tied around the strands joining Heidi's foot and big-toe bonds, then tied the other end to something out of sight, near the floor at the foot of the bed.  The other rope Kassidy tied to the end of the rope still tied through Heidi's braided and folded hair, and up to something also out of sight and near the floor, but this time at the head of the bed on the right.  She stretched then the rope across the mattress above Heidi's head to the left side, passed it through yet another floor-level something, then back to Heidi's hair, where she tied a firm knot.

The final result was Heidi, box-tied above, ankle-foot-toe-tied below, and loosely tethered to the bed at both ends, with the upper tether taking the form of a loose triangle.  She had plenty of wiggle-room, but wasn't getting off the bed until Kassidy untied the tethers.  Flat on her back, Heidi stared up at her gloating handler with a resentful scowl.

"Very pretty," Kassidy remarked, then turned from the bed.  "Wait here," she quipped.

Hilarious, Heidi fumed, then watched as Kassidy strolled to a cabinet, opened a drawer, then returned with what was obviously a ball-gag!  Oh, not good, she decided.  "Hey, c'mon!  There's no need to—Mrrrpfh!"  The gag's black ball was in her mouth, and Kassidy was deftly securing the buckle at the nape of her neck, tight enough to make her cheeks bulge.  "Mrrr!"  Heidi could hear air whistling through holes in the spherical plug.

Kassidy's arms were back in gloating-mode, folded under her boobs as she leered down at her naked, bound, gagged, and indignant prisoner.  "Silly girl," she chuckled.  "No need?  Of course there's no need.  There's no need whatsoever.  This building has excellent soundproofing, and even if I let you scream your pretty little head off, there's no one to hear you for miles in any direction.  No one other than myself, the boss, and your boss, the Professor.  In any case, eventually, screaming and pathetic pleading lose their entertainment value, get irritating, and I'd be ordered to do something about it.  And I'm sure it would make the Professor sad to hear you constantly whining."

Kassidy sat on the bed and rested her right hand on Heidi's stomach, directly over her bellybutton.  The prisoner-of-the-bed froze in response.  Not good!  Definitely not good! Heidi decided.  She stared at Kassidy's cold, reptilian smile, and tried not to panic.

"In case you haven't figured it out by now, Ms. Hass," Kassidy said, "my job is to keep Ms. Frazier's 'guests' under control."  Her hand began to move, her palm slowly tracing an orbit around Heidi's bellybutton.  "And by guests I mean you and the Professor, of course."  Her palm continued gliding along its smooth, sliding, circular path.  "And I very much enjoy my work."

Heidi squirmed in Kassidy's ropes and shivered under her captor's lambent touch.  "Mrrrm" she complained.

"Oh, I know, Sweetcakes," Kassidy chuckled, "but I'm afraid our relationship, however long it lasts, is going to be completely one-sided.  I'll do what I want and take what I want, and your opinion doesn't matter."  She began expanding the scope of her circular caress... until she included the lower slopes of Heidi's breasts... and her pubic bush!

"Mrrrrrf!"  Heidi clinched her eyes tightly closed and fought her bonds with all her strength, but Kassidy had done her work well.  The ropes easily contained Heidi's struggles, the tethers were tight enough to defeat her attempts to kick, and punished her scalp when she lifted her gagged head too far.  "Nrrrrrm!"

Kassidy continued her massage... then leaned close and delicately licked Heidi's left nipple.  "We're going to have a lot of fun, Sweetcakes," she purred.

"Mrpfrrrn!"

"Well, I am, anyway," Kassidy chuckled, then licked Heidi's right nipple.  "Goodness, just look at your little gals stiffen up."  She flicked and pinched both of Heidi's nipples with her left hand while her right continued its gentle massage.

Heidi continued fighting her bonds, shivering, and doing her best to ignore Kassidy's actions.  "Mrrrf!  MRRRM!"  It was impossible.  Her nipples were stiff, rigid, and tingling—Traitors!—and there was nothing she could do to stop them, or to stop Kassidy either.  It was... physiological... at least with respect to her nipples.

And then, Kassidy stopped!  She ended her right-handed orbit of Heidi's bellybutton and her left-handed teasing of Heidi's nipples, stood, smiled down at Heidi, and otherwise just stopped!

"Well, it's time to start cooking supper," Kassidy explained.  "No rest for the wicked."  She turned and strolled towards the bedroom door.  "I'm afraid you're going to be last in line for all meals, Sweetcakes, unless the boss decides to invite you to sit at the main table.  Anyway, I promise I'll bring you a plate after the rest of us eat."  She opened the door, then paused in the threshold to smile at the panting, squirming captive on the bed.  "And when I do return, we can pick up our conversation about how much I enjoy being in control and playing with helpless damsels, right where we left off."

Heidi watched as the door closed... there was an audible click, no doubt the sound of the door being locked, and she was alone in the bedroom, naked, bound, gagged, tethered to the bed, and (as the saying goes) hot and bothered.  Well... this sucks... and 'Sweetcakes'?  She's decided she wants to call me 'Sweetcakes'?  When was the last time anybody called anybody 'Sweetcakes'?  Geesh.