[Author's note: This is a sequel to the two-part "Miranda" story, which described how Aaron screwed up in front of Miranda and her family while riding as a guide. The earlier "College Kid Cowboy" stories provide background detail on how Aaron came to be a cowboy and how he got schooled in his first few weeks at the ranch.
Thanks to Tim and Jase Anders for many creative and helpful comments.
This story begins the morning after Aaron got punished.... ]
.
The lake was still in shadow when Aaron walked out of the tent. He looked up at the mountains, dazzling in the first rays of the sun. The pass was just now being hit by sunlight. The sky was a brilliant blue, a perfect day.
"God!" Aaron laughed in disbelief. "Is this country ever beautiful!"
"Worth what you got on your ass yesterday?" Jock grinned, coming out of the tent. The two of them had shared a tent and woken up at the same time.
"I hadn't associated it with that" Aaron smiled. "But right now? Yeah, even that. I just can't get over how lucky I am to be working here."
"God!" he laughed. "You are keen. You really must like getting it on your ass."
"You must be kidding" Aaron grimaced. "I sure didn't like what I got yesterday."
"Well, you did kind of ask for it" Jock smiled.
"I never thought I'd get anything that bad. You guys really massacred me!" He looked at Jock bitterly. "You liked doing that, didn't you?"
"Of course" Jock grinned. "You have a _s_e_x_y ass. Beating it would turn anybody on."
"You're no better than Bill" Aaron said scornfully. "You'd _f_u_c_k_ my ass too if you had a chance, wouldn't you?"
"Sure" Jock laughed. He looked at Aaron and smiled. "As a matter of fact, kid, I've wanted to do that ever since I saw you get it on your ass that first day when you arrived." He glanced back at the other tents. "Nobody else is awake. You want to do that now?"
"You kidding? No _f_u_c_king way."
"Come on, kid. I know you're into it. Bill told me all about you."
"That's really great" Aaron said bitterly. "So he told everybody about his conquests, did he?"
"Well, not everybody. And not everything. But he told me enough for me to know you like getting it. You got it off with Buz too, didn't you?"
"That's none of your _f_u_c_king business."
"In other words, 'yes'" Jock grinned. "That's okay, kid. You don't have to tell me the details." He eyed Aaron appraisingly. "You're a hot kid. And you're horny now, aren't you?"
"Not for you" Aaron sneered. "Not after what you did to me yesterday, that's for sure."
Jock laughed again. "Still saving it up for that girl? You're a glutton for punishment if you do that."
Aaron shrugged. "At least she looks good."
"You mean I don't?" Jock grinned.
"You said it, not me."
"Well, don't go creaming yourself in the saddle again. You're right about me liking your ass, kid. It's a very _f_u_c_kable ass. And I like it the way it is, or rather, the way it was. I don't want to see it get another beating like it got yesterday."
Aaron shook his head. "Nor do I. Don't worry, I won't do that again, believe me." He eyed Jock curiously. "You know anybody else who got a beating that bad?"
"No. Not from me, that's for sure. But then, I've never been with clients like these before." He looked at Aaron with sympathy. "That Schlegel guy just didn't let it stop."
"He's a _f_u_c_king bastard" Aaron said bitterly.
"Watch that language, kid. He's a client."
"I don't care what he is. He's a sadist."
"Hey, come on now. You did provoke him, you know." He looked at Aaron and grinned. "How does it feel now?"
"It still burns" Aaron grimaced.
"I'm not surprised" Jock nodded. "Tell you what. I'll go get some stuff to put on it." He went back into the tent, emerging with a jar. "I should have put some of this on you yesterday. It's udder cream."
"You think that will help?" Aaron asked dubiously. "I thought that was just for cows."
"Bruises are much the same for any animal" Jock smiled. "Let's go out on the point, where we have some privacy."
Aaron followed him.
"Drop your jeans and bend over that log."
Aaron looked at him apprehensively. "You're just going to put that on?"
Jock laughed. "I'm not going to rape you, if that's what you're thinking." He grinned at Aaron. "Not this close to the camp, anyway. You might wake them up."
"I guess that's right" Aaron laughed. He unzipped his jeans and lowered them, bending over to hold onto the log. "How does it look?"
"Not as bad as yesterday" Jock said grimly. "But it's still pretty ugly. Hold still."
Aaron grimaced but held still as Jock rubbed ointment into his buttocks.
"Your asshole looks kind of bruised. You'd better take those jeans all the way off so you can spread those legs apart."
Aaron did as Jock told him, taking off his boots first. He winced as Jock rubbed ointment around his anus. "That still hurts."
"I can believe it." He put the jar down but continued to fondle Aaron's ass. "Feel better?"
"Yeah, thanks" Aaron nodded. "I think that stuff does help."
"It should" Jock nodded. His hand moved down onto the inside of Aaron's thigh. "You got some down here, too. How does it feel?"
"Okay" Aaron grimaced. "It's still pretty tender."
"Yeah. I can imagine." His hand continued to feel all over. "You have nice legs, kid. Almost as nice as your ass."
Aaron felt his prick start to swell as Jock's hand moved up. "You'd better not do that."
"No?" Jock grinned. His hand brushed Aaron's prick. "Hey, what's this? I thought I didn't turn you on."
"You don't" Aaron said curtly, starting to get up. "You done?"
"No way" Jock laughed softly, pushing Aaron back down. "Not with you like this." He touched Aaron's balls and then grabbed Aaron's prick. "You sure get hard quickly, kid! You can't go back there with a hard-on like this."
"I can't help it" Aaron protested, feeling his hard-on swell up even more.
"God!" Jock grinned. "You really are horny. Do you get like this every morning?" He started jerking Aaron off.
"Oh Jesus!" Aaron whispered. His prick was rock-hard now. He closed his eyes and pushed into Jock's hand, getting even more turned on as Jock's other hand played with his asshole.
"You like this?" Jock grinned, pushing a finger up into Aaron's anus.
"Don't do that!" Aaron moaned, clutching Jock's finger with his anus. "Jesus!" He arched up as Jock pushed in another finger. "God!"
"Wow!" Jock laughed. "That really gets to you, doesn't it?" He found Aaron's prostate, laughing again as Aaron moaned. "You're even _s_e_x_ier than I thought! No wonder Bill and Allan were so hung up on you!"
His fingers were pushing Aaron over the edge. "Oh _f_u_c_k!" Aaron suddenly moaned. "Oh! I'm cumming! Jesus!"
Aaron pushed into Jock's hand, shooting cum all over his hand. "Oh Jesus! Wow!" He flopped forward, panting on top of the log.
Jock continued to fondle Aaron's ass as Aaron recovered. "Feel better, kid?"
Aaron smiled awkwardly as he stood up. "Yeah, thanks. I do." He saw Jock wiping his hand on some moss and realized what he'd done. "I'm sorry, Jock. I didn't mean to come all over you."
"No problem, kid. You'd better go for a swim and clean up."
"Okay" Aaron nodded. He went out on a rock and looked down. "Safe to dive?"
Jock shook his head. "Don't chance it."
Aaron sat down on the rock and slipped into the water. "F_u_c_k! It's ice cold!"
"It should. It comes straight from the glaciers up there. Swim around to the camp. I'll bring your jeans."
Aaron shook his head. "Not all the way, Jock. The others may be up by now."
"Who cares?" Jock grinned, picking up Aaron's sneakers and jeans. "They've seen you before."
"Oh, come on, Jock. Leave my jeans here. It's _f_u_c_king cold!"
"No way, kid" Jock laughed, starting to walk back. "Swim back fast."
Aaron swam across fast, climbing out at the campsite just after Jock got back. Brandon and Rick had just got up. They came out to meet them.
"We heard you guys" Brandon grinned. "You were making out, weren't you?"
"You're a nosy brat" Jock laughed. "What makes you think we'd be doing that?"
"I know what you cowboys do" Brandon grinned. "You're horny all the time."
"Maybe so" Jock grinned. "But that doesn't mean we make out with each other."
"Sure it does. You did it with Aaron just now, didn't you?"
Jock laughed and shook his head. "Not with him. He's too stuck up to do it with me." He glanced at Rick. "What did you guys hear?"
"Nothing much" Rick shrugged.
"Not true!" Brandon laughed. "We heard Aaron cry out." He grinned at Aaron, who'd picked up some soap and gone back in the water. "What are you doing? Washing off your jism?"
"Oh _f_u_c_k_ you!" Aaron said angrily. "Wash your mouth out, kid!"
"What's going on?"
Rod and Mr Schlegel had both come out of their tents.
"The cowboys have been making out" Brandon grinned. "Rick and I heard them."
Miranda appeared from her mother's tent. "Who's making out?" she laughed.
"Your brother has a vivid imagination" Jock smiled. "And he's being offensive."
Mr Schlegel laughed. "Go for a swim and cool off, Brandon. You've been reading too many cowboy stories."
"It's true, Dad! I heard them!"
"Go for a swim." He looked at Aaron and smiled. "I don't think Aaron is going to do anything stupid today, son. Not after what he got on his ass yesterday."
"I sure hope not" Rod said grimly. "He knows what he'll get if he does."
Miranda eyed him anxiously. "You won't punish him again, will you?"
Rod shrugged. "I will if he deserves it." He glared at Aaron in the water. "You know that, boy, don't you?"
"Yes Sir" Aaron nodded grimly. He looked at Miranda and her mother. "Someone take my jeans over to the point, okay?"
"Oh, just get out and put them on. Everybody's seen you before."
Aaron climbed out and quickly pulled his jeans on.
"How come there's no fire?" Rod asked Rick. "And no coffee ready. Isn't that your job?"
"Yes Sir" Rick nodded. "I'm sorry, Sir. I just woke up. I'll get it started."
"You'd better hop to it, boy, or your ass will feel the strap."
"Yes Sir!"
Brandon looked at Rick and grinned. "You getting it too? Wow! This is wild!"
Rod eyed Brandon sourly. "If you're not careful, boy, you'll be in line for it too. Are you going swimming? If not, you can help Aaron collect wood for the fire."
Brandon looked at him apprehensively. "I'll swim."
"Okay, then get to it. You can help after you come out."
Brandon wasn't used to being given orders. He looked at his father in surprise.
"Do as Mr Fuller says, Brandon."
Brandon pulled off his pyjamas and jumped in the lake. "Jesus! It's f_u_c_king cold!"
"Don't talk like that, Brandon!" his mother admonished angrily.
Brandon had swum out. "F_u_c_k!" he suddenly shouted. "I think I'm getting a cramp!"
"Go swim with him" Rod told Aaron. "Take care of him."
Aaron pulled off his jeans and dove in. "You're a wimp" he taunted Brandon. "Bet you can't keep up with me."
The two of them raced to the point and got out there.
"Christ, that's frigid!" Brandon shivered. "Aren't you cold?"
"You get used to it" Aaron laughed. "Let's go back."
"Let's walk back. That water's too _f_u_c_king cold."
Jock met them half way with their jeans. "Here, put these on. You can warm up by the fire. I'm getting wood."
"Thanks" they both muttered.
They put them on and walked back.
Brandon glanced at Aaron slyly. "I was right, wasn't I?"
"What about?"
"You got _f_u_c_ked out there just now, didn't you?"
Aaron laughed. "You never give up, do you?"
"I guess not" Brandon grinned. "I know you did. What's it like?"
"What do you mean?"
"Being _f_u_c_ked. That's what you were doing, wasn't it?"
Aaron laughed and shook his head. "No, Brandon, that's not what we were doing. Do you go around asking everybody what they do for _s_e_x_?"
"Well, no, not everybody." He looked at Aaron admiringly. "It's just that you guys are so special. I mean, you're brave, you're strong, you're _s_e_x_y. You do everything."
"Oh, come on! You're putting me on."
"It's true! Look at how you often you came yesterday. You didn't stop cumming!"
"Yeah, and that was real smart" Aaron snorted. "That got my ass massacred."
"How does it feel now?"
"It's okay" Aaron shrugged. "I'll survive."
"God! I don't know how you could take that."
Aaron laughed. "I don't know either, kid. Let's go get wood for the fire."
.
[2]
"Okay, guys" Rod smiled, standing up with his coffee. "And ladies." He nodded to Miranda and Mrs Schlegel. "Today is a rest day, at least for the horses. We'll organize a hike up to the glaciers for those that want to come. Or you can stay here and relax. What would you like to do?"
"I'll stay and enjoy the scenery" Mrs Schlegel smiled.
"Is it much of a climb?" her husband asked.
"It's a fair amount" Rod shrugged. "Nothing expert, but you need to be in shape. It'll take most of the day."
"I think I'll stay with Betsy and relax. You kids can go."
"Are Rick and Aaron coming too?" Brandon grinned.
"Sure" Rod nodded. "Aaron's responsible for you, Brandon. Rick and Jock will take care of Miranda." He looked at Jock. "I'll look after things here."
"Whatever you want, boss" Jock grinned. "I'll set up a pack of sandwiches."
"You think they'll be safe?" Mrs Schlegel asked anxiously.
"Oh, nothing will happen to them" her husband grinned. "Jock will take care of them."
Jock smiled. "They'll be safe, don't worry."
.
[3]
They were on their way back when it happened.
The five of them had climbed up beside a creek for a long time, finally breaking out into an alpine area just below a saddle. From there, they'd climbed up a slide and then up a narrow canyon to get to where they could reach the top. From the saddle, they could look over the next valley to the expanse of glaciers to the south.
"Wow!" Brandon marvelled. "They're everywhere!"
There was a precipitous drop from the saddle into the next valley. The valley floor was about a thousand meters higher than the lake from which they'd climbed and was solid ice, clear across to the wall on the other side. To the south, glaciers were everywhere, pierced by high peaks.
"That's the top of the coast range that you're looking at" Aaron told him. "The other side drains directly down to the sea."
"How tall are the mountains?"
"What you see are mostly a little over 3,000 meters." He grinned at Brandon. "That's 10,000 feet for you Yankees. You make everything bigger."
"Oh, sure." Brandon grinned at his sister. "He's talking about you, Sis. You're the one that makes his bigger."
"I don't know" Miranda laughed. "I think that happens without me doing anything." She looked at Aaron and grinned. "You're not as hot today, cowboy. What happened?"
"Yesterday is what happened" Aaron laughed. "I don't want to repeat that again, believe me."
"Yeah, I can imagine" she nodded, glancing at Jock. "Let's go back."
"You don't want to climb out to the glaciers?" Jock grinned.
"I've seen them" Miranda said disdainfully. She looked back at Aaron and grinned coquettishly. "Maybe you could show me something more interesting."
Aaron laughed. "I don't know, Miranda." He glanced at Jock and grinned. "You think these guys will let us steal away on our own for that?"
"No _f_u_c_king way!" Jock laughed.
"Then let's go back." She looked at Jock sourly. "Maybe we can steal away there."
Jock shook his head, still laughing. "You didn't hear what Rod told Rick."
"What did he say?" Miranda eyed Rick suspiciously.
Rick shrugged and didn't say anything.
Jock grinned. "He's your chaperone. He gets what Aaron got yesterday if he lets you two out of his sight."
"You guys are awful!" Miranda pouted. "Let's go back anyway. I'm tired of looking at rocks."
"I want to climb that peak first" Brandon grinned, pointing up at the mountain above the saddle. "Can we see the ocean from there?"
Jock shook his head. "We're too far inland."
"I want to go anyway."
"So do I" Aaron grinned. "Come on, guys, it's only a few hundred meters higher than where we are now. I'll race you to the top, Brandon."
"Cool!" Brandon grinned. He looked at his sister. "Come on, let's go!"
"I'm not coming" Miranda sulked. "And I don't want to wait around for you. I'm bored."
"Well, I want to do it" Brandon insisted. "I've got as much right to choose as you do."
"No you don't. I'm older. Daddy said I could decide."
Jock looked at them in amusement. "We've got some sandwiches. Let's eat them and see what you want to do then."
He pulled them out of his pack and passed them around. The sandwiches disappeared quickly.
"Okay, we've eaten" Miranda said impatiently. "How long are we going to hang around here?"
Jock shrugged. "We can go back now, if that's what you want."
"Oh, come on!" Aaron laughed, looking at Miranda. "You don't mind if Brandon and I do a bit of exploring, do you? I mean, this place is so great! Look at what you're seeing! We're almost at the highest spot in the Coast Range!"
"Well, big deal" Miranda said scornfully. "Don't you care about what I want?"
"Sure, of course I do. But why don't you just enjoy the view from here while Brandon and I climb up? It won't take us long."
"This is so boring" Miranda pouted. "I thought you were interested in me."
"Well, I am!"
"Then prove it. Take me back to the camp, get rid of these jerks, and show me something exciting."
"I don't want to go back yet" Brandon complained. "I want to do more climbing!"
"You're just a midget, Brandon. Why should anyone care about what you want?"
"But I want to climb too!" Aaron said, surprised by her petulance. "Who knows what we'll see from up there?"
"Nothing but what you see from here" Miranda sneered.
"That can't be true!" Brandon grinned. "It's higher!"
"Well, screw being higher. I want to start down."
"How about you guys start down without us?" Aaron asked. He looked at Jock. "We'll climb up there and then catch up to you."
"No way!" Jock said curtly. "What if something happened?"
"Oh, nothing will happen" Aaron laughed. "Besides, you can see us."
Jock shook his head. "Nothing doing. We stick together."
"Then let's at least go back a different way" Aaron suggested. They'd walked west along the saddle and were above a long slide. "How about we go down that way?" He pointed to what looked like a route down the other side of the stream. "Can we get down from there?"
"I guess we could" Jock said doubtfully. "It means crossing over that slide and getting through those trees down to the canyon. There's a crossing just above the falls."
"The place we passed on the way up?" Rick asked in surprise. "Where there's a log across the canyon?"
"Yeah" Jock nodded.
"Isn't that dangerous? That close to the falls? If someone fell in, they'd be swept right over."
Jock grimaced. "I guess you're right. We'd have to climb down from the top of the canyon to get to it, too. It's kind of a steep descent getting down." He glanced at Miranda. "I did it once, but she may have problems."
"Are you kidding?" Miranda laughed indignantly. "I can do anything you guys can."
"No, you can't" Brandon laughed. "You'd lose your nerve."
"No, I wouldn't."
"I bet you will" he grinned gleefully. "I bet you'll fall in."
"We'll go back the way we came" Jock decided.
"No way!" Brandon grinned. "Let's go down that other route, the one Aaron suggested. It sounds a lot more fun!"
Jock shook his head. "We'll go down the safe way."
Brandon shook his head too. "No, Aaron's way." He grinned at Aaron. "Let's us go that way. If they don't want to come, that's their choice."
"No _f_u_c_king way!" Jock said angrily. "We're sticking together."
Aaron nodded. "Jock's right, Brandon. We stay together. It's safer."
"Then they can follow us" Brandon laughed. He started running down the slope. "Come on, Aaron. Let's go!"
"Come back!" Jock shouted.
"F_u_c_k_ you!" Brandon shouted gleefully.
"Go after him!" Jock told Aaron. "You too, Rick. Catch the little bastard and bring him back."
"Okay" Aaron nodded. He started to run.
"I'll bring a rope" Rick called after him, picking up his backpack.
"I'm coming too!" Miranda shouted to Aaron, running after him.
"F_u_c_k!" Jock spat angrily. "F_u_c_k_ the whole _f_u_c_king lot of them! Let's go, Rick."
Brandon had too much of a head start for Aaron to catch up to him. He got to the top of the slide and started running and jumping down. Aaron stopped at the top to watch. Miranda stopped and stayed with him.
"S_h_i_t!" Jock said angrily when he caught up. "Why aren't you running after him?"
Aaron looked at him in surprise. "It's too dangerous, Jock. If he runs too fast because we're chasing him, he could fall and really hurt himself."
"F_u_c_k!" He glanced at the slope. "I suppose you're right. It won't be that stable." He looked down at the teenager, who was halfway down the slide by now. "Okay, let's start after him. We'll just have to catch him at the bottom."
"You really want to climb back up?" The vertical drop to the bottom of the slide was easily 500 meters. "That'll take us a couple of hours."
Jock grimaced. "I guess you're right. F_u_c_k_ that little bastard! I'd really like to tan his hide!"
"That'd be neat" Miranda grinned. "Would you really do that?"
"No" Jock said angrily. "He's a _f_u_c_king guest. I can't." He looked at her darkly. "He's forced us into the more dangerous route now. If he weren't a guest, I'd beat the _s_h_i_t_ out of him for disobeying me."
"Yes, you'd like that, wouldn't you?" Miranda looked at him scornfully. "I bet you'd like to _f_u_c_k_ him, too, just to show how strong you are."
"You should wash your mouth out, girl."
"That's rich, coming from you." She turned to Aaron. "You coming?" She started running and jumping down.
Aaron ran after her, followed by Jock and Rick.
.
[4]
When they got to the bottom of the slide, Brandon was far ahead of them, on the other side of a meadow that ran up into rocky cliffs.
"You gotta come!" he shouted back. "This is really great up here!"
"He's going the wrong way" Jock complained.
"Where do we go?" Aaron asked.
"There's a trail a bit lower down. The way he's going just gets him out onto some sheer cliffs."
"I'll go after him. You guys go to the trail. We'll catch up to you."
Aaron ran up the meadow. "Slow down!" he called out to Brandon. "That's not the right way!"
Brandon waited for him.
"We can go along the side of the cliff" he told Aaron when he caught up. "Look how high we are!"
"It's a dead end" Aaron told him. "We'll have to backtrack."
"Are we going down this side now?"
"Oh yeah" Aaron grinned. "You won on that, kid. It'd take too long to climb up again."
"Good" Brandon grinned. "I bet Jock's pissed off."
Aaron laughed. "You got that right! He'd like to beat your ass off."
"I bet he would." He looked at Aaron and grinned. "Would he do that if I worked for him?"
Aaron laughed again. "For sure!" He suddenly turned serious. "Don't be a smart ass and go out on your own again, Brandon. If you fall here, you could kill yourself."
"No way!" Brandon smirked. "I can take care of myself."
"Yeah, until you misstep. Guys get killed up in these mountains every summer, kid. You want to be another statistic? Besides, you're putting your sister in danger too."
"It'd serve her right" Brandon sneered.
"If I thought you meant that, I'd slap your ass right now."
"Would you?" Brandon grinned cheekily. "I'd like that. How about doing it anyway?"
Aaron laughed. "I'd almost guess you're serious, kid."
"Hey, I am!" He grinned again. "Seeing you get it yesterday really turned me on."
"Oh, come on!"
"I'm serious! You got turned on by getting it too, didn't you? You should have seen me come when you did! It was wild!"
"You're kidding!"
"No, I'm not." He looked at Aaron pleadingly. "No one can see or hear us here. How about it?"
Aaron smiled and shook his head. "Let's go back. And let's do it safely, okay? You gotta follow orders, Brandon."
Brandon grinned. "Will you slap my ass if I don't?"
"Don't be a smart ass, Brandon. I'm serious."
"I'm serious too." He glanced at Aaron impishly. "I bet you'll make me come!"
Aaron looked at him coldly. "Brandon, if Jock or I beat you for not following orders, it won't be just a few slaps. You'll get it so hard you won't even think of being able to come."
"Oh, okay" Brandon sighed. "I guess I should listen to you. Lead the way. I'll follow."
They picked their way down the steep slope to where the others were waiting. And then followed Jock down the trail.
.
[5]
There were a couple of tricky spots in the canyon, where the trail ran over narrow ledges above the rapids below. Jock got Rick and Aaron to run out a rope over the most dangerous stretches, hammering pitons into the rock face to hold the rope.
"Do you really need to do that?" Brandon asked the second time. "It really slows us down."
"Better safe than sorry" Jock shrugged. "We're almost there, anyway. You can see where we cross, down below."
Aaron looked down and saw the log across the canyon. "Over that log?"
"Yeah" Jock nodded.
When they got down to the crossing, it appeared a lot more dangerous than Jock had remembered. The log had fallen across the canyon just above a pool from which the creek rushed down some steep rapids that ended in a high waterfall. The log had been stripped smooth and was wet from spray from the falls. So were all the rocks. The canyon walls dripped everywhere.
"You two get a rope across" Jock told Aaron and Rick. "Keep sitting on the log as you go across."
"I'll take it" Aaron volunteered.
"Put a rope around yourself too."
"Sure" Aaron nodded.
He got across without difficulty and bent a rope around a tree on the other side. Rick had run the rope around a tree on the side where everyone was waiting.
"Bring another rope across" Aaron told Rick.
Rick attached a second rope to the same tree and started across, edging across on his rump. "Where do you want to tie it?" he asked when he got there.
"Let's hold it ourselves" Aaron replied. "The tree's not quite in the right line."
"Okay."
They held it while Miranda crossed over. She edged across slowly, holding onto both ropes with another rope tied around her waist for safety.
"Okay, you're next" Jock said to Brandon. "You can go as soon as I tie the rope around you."
"Oh, I don't need that" Brandon said impetuously. He sat on the log and started across.
"Come back here!" Jock yelled. "Put this rope on!"
"Oh, _f_u_c_k_ that. You guys are just trying to make this look dangerous."
"Get the _f_u_c_k_ back!" Aaron shouted from the other side.
Brandon just grinned, pushing himself out further. "Hey! I can see the camp!"
.
[6]
Down at the camp, Rod was looking up at them through binoculars. He'd been watching them as they descended down the side of the canyon to the clearing from which the log crossed the canyon.
"Well, it looks like they're getting across okay."
"You can see them?" Mr Schlegel asked. He'd come over to stand beside Rod a minute or so before.
"Yeah. Want to take a look?" He handed the binoculars to Mr Schlegel. "They're crossing back to our side of the stream just above the falls."
Schlegel looked through them. "That looks dangerous. Is that the way they went up?"
"No. They kept on the east side of the stream all the way up."
"Why didn't your guy bring them down the same way?"
"_d_a_m_n_ed if I know" Rod said curtly. "It wasn't the plan to come down that way, that's for sure."
"I see Brandon on the log."
"Yeah, they're crossing now. This part should be safe, now that they're down the canyon wall. They got a couple of ropes across and are edging across straddling the log."
"Brandon isn't. He's standing up and waving."
"What? Let me take a look!"
.
[7]
"Get the _f_u_c_k_ down!"
"I can see them!" Brandon grinned. He'd stood up, holding on to one of the ropes with one hand and waving with the other. He turned and laughed. "They're looking up at us!"
He turned back to wave again and unbalanced. "S_h_i_t!"
He grabbed the other rope and twisted back, falling onto the slippery wet log on his ass. "OWWWHHHH!!!! S_H_I_T!!!!"
The way he'd fallen, both legs were in front of the log. He pulled back to try to lift his right leg over the log and slipped sideways. "F_U_C_K!!!! I'M FALLING!!!!" He tried to flip over onto his belly, but couldn't without letting the rope go.
For a few seconds, he hung there, holding onto the ropes with legs flailing. "HELP ME!! HELP!!!!" Then he let go, falling down into the torrent below.
"F_U_C_K!!! OH MY GOD!!!" Rick and Miranda were both screaming.
"Give me your rope" Aaron demanded. "And get another one! Fast!"
He tied the one they'd been holding around his waist. Rick had another rope in his pack. He pulled it out. Aaron took one end and tied that around his waist too. "Bend it around that tree. Fast!"
Rick ran to the tree. Aaron didn't wait. He ran to the cliff and jumped.
"Aaron!!!" Miranda screamed. "Oh, my God!!!"
Aaron hit the water and sank. The torrent was churning so fast that the air bubbles left no buoyancy. He desperately tried to reach the surface, buffeting against rocks as the torrent rushed him through.
Suddenly, he broke through, realizing he'd been swept into the pool. He gulped air and saw Brandon. Brandon was in front of him and to his left, desperately holding onto a large rock.
"Hold on, Brandon! I'm coming!!"
Aaron desperately swam towards him but was too far out in the stream. The torrent was taking him to the falls. Suddenly one of the ropes attached to him snapped taut. Jock was pulling him back.
The force of the torrent against the rope flung him over to his left. Jock let him go when he was in line with the rock. Aaron smashed into it, only a few feet from Brandon.
"Hold on!" Aaron yelled.
"I can't!" Brandon screamed. He was gradually being pulled along the side of the rock. "Help me!"
Aaron got to him and grabbed him. "Keep holding on!" He tied one of the ropes around Brandon's waist. "We'll get you out of here."
"I can't hold on!" Brandon shrieked. He let go and was swept away.
By now, Rick had secured the second rope, the one Aaron had tied around Brandon. Brandon was flung by the torrent in an arc into the canyon wall.
So was Aaron. He'd pushed the rope he tied to Brandon through the bight around his chest, so Brandon pulled him off too. He was flung against another rock, held back by the rope controlled by Jock. The force of the blow took the wind out of him.
Jock secured that rope around the tree on his side and undid the third rope, the first one to be taken across the log. He tied that to the rope holding Aaron with a rigger's knot and came across to Rick.
Miranda was still screaming. "They're drowning! They're drowning!"
Jock slapped her hard. "Help them, you dimwit!"
She suddenly stopped screaming, shocked by the slap.
"Come with me!" He went to the tree and untied the rope. "See that tree?" he pointed. "Take this end of the rope over there. Tie it tight and be ready to pull the other rope in towards you."
Miranda did as Jock demanded. Jock humped back over the log.
"I'm going to let this rope out" he shouted to Rick. "See that low rock in front of them? I want to get them there."
Jock let the rope out slowly. Miranda pulled in, but didn't have enough strength against the current to do more than keep her rope taut. Aaron and Brandon pivoted on Rick's rope, moving both closer to the side. The torrent took Aaron past Brandon. He grabbed Brandon. Brandon grabbed him in his terror, pushing Aaron under. Somehow, Aaron struggled free, holding the frantic boy as the torrent rammed them against the rocks.
"Hold them there!" Jock shouted to Rick. He undid his rope and let it go slack, leaving the two boys held by Rick's rope.
Jock brought the end of his rope back over the log and ran past Rick, bending it around a second tree. "Let yours out" he ordered. "Keep it taut." He ran to Miranda and pulled that rope in, then back to the tree. "I'm letting this out. Let yours out, but keep it taut!"
Within minutes, Rick and Jock managed to maneuver Aaron and Brandon onto the rock Rick had targeted. Jock took Rick's rope, ran along the side of the canyon, and pulled it taut just above the boys, tying it around a tree. Then he took the free end of that rope and rappelled down the side of the cliff.
Brandon was in a bad way. So was Aaron, but he managed to get Brandon to Jock. Between the two of them, they got Brandon up on the rock. Then Aaron collapsed. Jock had to pull him up, holding him as Aaron and Brandon coughed and vomited. There was just enough space for all three men on the wet flat rock.
Aaron looked up at Jock thankfully. "I didn't think we'd make it."
"It's not over yet" Jock said curtly. "Stay where you are. Brandon's got water in his lung."
Brandon was still coughing. Jock pulled him up on top of Aaron and hammered Brandon on his back until suddenly Brandon vomited water.
"He'll be okay now" Jock said. "Help me get him up."
Aaron and Jock tied one of the ropes around him. With Rick and Miranda pulling, Aaron pushing, and Jock holding him as he climbed, they managed to get Brandon up to the top. Then Jock got Aaron up.
Brandon was still coughing, sobbing raucously. Miranda was comforting him. When she saw Aaron and Jock, she flung herself into Aaron's arms. Aaron screamed.
"What's wrong?" Miranda bawled. "What did I do?"
"Stay away from him" Jack spat. "He may have a broken rib."
"Oh, the poor man" Miranda sobbed, going to comfort him.
"Save that for later" Jock glowered. "Let's get out of here."
.
[8]
Rod and Mr Schlegel met the hikers as they emerged near the lake.
"Are you all right?" Schlegel asked his son anxiously.
Brandon was still sobbing. He pointed to Aaron. "He jumped in after me! He saved my life!"
"Why the hell did you come that way?" Rod hissed at Jock. "And how the f_u_c_k_ could you let the kid go across that log without a rope?"
"He wouldn't wait" Aaron sighed. "It wasn't Jock's fault."
"Let's get them back to the camp" Jock said quietly. "The kid's hurt. He needs attention."
"Right" Rod nodded curtly.
They'd come up on a couple of horses. They draped Brandon across one of the horses.
"Get up with him and hold him" Rod told Rick.
Rick did that, holding Brandon tight as they rode into camp.
.
[9]
The men got a fire going and quickly boiled water and prepared some tea. By the time Brandon and Aaron had stripped and got dry, the tea was drinkable. The two boys huddled by the fire in blankets, drinking the hot sweet tea. Brandon drank a cup, said something, and keeled over, fast asleep.
"Let's get him into the tent" Rod ordered. "You too, Aaron. The best thing both of you can get is sleep."
Aaron nodded dully. Between the fire and the release of tension, he was almost out of it already.
"We'll put the two of them together in your tent" Rod said to Jock. "You and Rick get it set up. You can sleep with me."
Aaron drank another cup of tea as Rick and Jock got things ready, already beginning to doze off in the heat of the fire. Rick and Jock got Brandon settled and then moved Aaron in. Aaron fell asleep as soon as he felt the sleeping bag. Rick and Jock took his boots and clothes off and rolled him into the bag. Brandon reached out in his sleep and held onto Aaron.
.
[10]
When Aaron woke up, it was still dark. He'd had the most wonderful dream. Miranda had been doing wonderful things to him. At least, he thought it was Miranda. The dream was kind of vague as to who was doing what to whom.
He suddenly realized that it wasn't Miranda sucking his prick.
"What are you doing?" Aaron whispered. "Hey, come on! You mustn't do that!"
Brandon lifted his head and grinned. "You want my ass instead?"
"Yes! I mean, no! F_u_c_k! Don't do this!"
"Shut up and enjoy this!" He bent back down.
"Jesus! F_u_c_k!" Aaron couldn't help himself. "You're making me come! Oh God! I'm cumming!"
He spurted into Brandon's mouth. And kept on spurting. "Oh God! God!"
He reached out and felt Brandon's hard prick. He moved over and put his mouth over it.
"Oh, that's so good!" Brandon exulted. He turned back to Aaron's prick and started sucking again. This time, they came together.
Aaron sat up and pulled Brandon up beside him. "Man, that was good" he grinned. "But you shouldn't have done that, you little squirt."
"You liked it, didn't you?" Brandon grinned back. He reached down and grabbed Aaron's prick. "S_h_i_t! It's getting hard again. You just never stop, do you?"
Aaron couldn't help it. He reached down and grabbed Brandon's ass.
"You want my ass too?" Brandon grinned. He reached up and kissed Aaron's mouth, first gently then with passion.
"Jesus!" Aaron whispered when Brandon broke off. "Wow!"
"F_u_c_k_ me!" Brandon demanded. He kissed Aaron again. "Please, Aaron. Do it to me, okay?"
"S_h_i_t, kid! I can't do that! You're only what? Fifteen? Sixteen?"
"Who the _f_u_c_k_ cares?" Brandon whispered angrily. "You saved my life! You own me!"
"No!" Aaron whispered back, shaking his head. "That's no reason, kid!"
"Okay, then. Do it because I want it. Please! I really do!" He kissed Aaron again and then grabbed Aaron's prick and sucked. "This prick is for me, okay?"
He turned around and straddled Aaron's chest, bending down to keep sucking Aaron's prick. "F_u_c_k_ me with your fingers!" he demanded, arching up to look back. "Open up my ass! Please!"
"God, kid!" Brandon was sucking again. "Jesus! What's got into you?"
Brandon lifted his head. "I want you!" he whispered. "I want your prick up my ass."
Aaron bent his head forward to kiss Brandon's ass. "God! You're too f_u_c_king beautiful." He touched Brandon's asshole with his tongue.
"Oh God!" Brandon gasped. "That feels so good!"
Aaron licked and pushed in his tongue, feeling Brandon arch and move his knees forward, trying to open his asshole wide. He licked his fingers, shoved one in, and then added another. He could feel Brandon squirm in pleasure.
"I can't wait!" Brandon whispered. He got up, lay on his back on his sleeping bag, and lifted up his legs. "F_u_c_k_ me, Aaron. Please! Do it now!"
Aaron moved on top of him and gently pushed in.
"Oh wow!" Brandon gasped. "God, you're big!"
"You okay?" Aaron whispered anxiously.
"Oh, _s_h_i_t, yes! More than okay! Push it in!"
Brandon's asshole was so tight, it took Aaron some time to push in. He gradually started thrusting in deeply.
"Jesus!" Brandon gasped. "F_u_c_king Jesus!"
Aaron paused. "You okay?"
"God, yes!" Brandon's prick was hard under Aaron's belly. "It's so good!"
Aaron started thrusting again, gradually picking up speed.
"Oh, yes!" Brandon whispered. "That's it! F_u_c_k_ me, Aaron! F_u_c_k_ me hard!"
"I'm cumming!" Aaron gasped, thrusting fast and hard. "God! I'm cumming!"
"God!" Brandon gasped. He was cumming too.
Aaron collapsed over Brandon, seeking Brandon's mouth. They kissed madly and fell asleep.
.
[11]
When Aaron awoke again, he could see that it was light outside. He sat up to look.
Brandon was sprawled beside him on top of his sleeping bag. He yawned, stretched, and woke up.
"Jesus!" Brandon grinned. "That was _f_u_c_king amazing!"
"What was amazing?" Aaron grinned. "You had a dream?"
"F_u_c_k!" He looked at Aaron and laughed. "If that was a dream, it sure was vivid. I still feel your prick up my ass!"
"Don't boast so loud" Aaron whispered. "Someone will hear us."
"I don't care." Brandon looked at Aaron and grinned. "It's droit du seigneur, right? After all, you rescued me."
"Yeah, well that doesn't give me immunity from jail, you know. Or from Jock's switch."
"I guess that's right" Brandon shrugged. He glanced at Aaron impishly. "You want to _f_u_c_k_ me again?" he whispered. "No one else is up."
Aaron looked down. "You sure are" he grinned. "Come on, you reprobate! Let's swim!"
.
[12]
To everybody's relief, both Brandon and Aaron appeared fine in the morning. The others had got up to find the two boys swimming in the lake, grinning and shouting to the others as they emerged from their tents.
Rod and Jock checked both boys when they came ashore. Though bruised and battered, they looked on top of the world. Aaron's ribs still hurt when touched, but there was no sign of broken bones. They'd obviously both slept long and well.
"That sleep did you good" Schlegel grinned at his son.
"It sure did!" Brandon grinned, looking at Aaron impishly. "F_u_c_king ape!"
"Brandon!" his mother remonstrated.
"Sorry, Mom." He glanced at Aaron and giggled.
"What's so funny?" his father demanded.
"Oh, nothing. I'll help Aaron and Rick get wood."
.
[13]
Late that morning, the recriminations started.
After a big breakfast, everybody except Mrs Schlegel and Miranda climbed up to where Brandon had fallen in. Mr Schlegel had insisted on seeing where it had happened.
"Jesus!" he said when he saw the pool and looked down at the torrent. He stared at the falls, looked back at the log, and shook his head.
"You were out of your mind, coming across that log" Rod said to Jock.
"We'd rigged ropes" Jock said in self-defense. "It was okay if you humped over sitting on the log."
"Without a safety rope?"
"We had a safety rope" Jock sighed. "The kid refused to use it. And then got up to wave."
"Yeah, I know" Rod said, looking at Brandon in disgust. "We saw it happen from down below."
"You saw it?"
"Well, saw him wave and disappear. We were looking up through binoculars. That's why we rushed up to meet you."
Schlegel was still staring at the pool. "It's unbelievable, Brandon. I can't believe you got out of this alive. How did you avoid going over the falls?"
Brandon grimaced. "I almost did. I would have if Aaron hadn't jumped in after me."
"I had a rope around me and grabbed another" Aaron explained. "That's how we got him out."
"The kid was lucky" Jock broke in. He pointed to the rock that Aaron had grabbed. "He grabbed that rock and held on."
"But I was slipping off" Brandon shuddered. "If Aaron hadn't got me when he did, I would have..." He couldn't finish, fighting back tears.
"Yeah" Jock grimaced. "It was touch and go there for a while. For Aaron as well as Brandon. We could have lost them both."
Brandon looked at Jock in surprise. "Aaron too?"
"Yeah" Jock nodded. "When he smashed into the side, I was afraid for a minute that he'd been knocked out. If that had happened, he'd have drowned for sure."
"God!" Brandon shuddered, looking down at the raging torrent. That could have happened to him, too. He suddenly felt guilty at having thought of himself. He glanced at Aaron and shivered, feeling sick as he remembered the power of the water.
"How did you get them out?" Schlegel asked. "Those walls are almost sheer."
"From that outcrop" Jock pointed. "There, just above the falls. We were lucky, thanks to Aaron taking a second rope. That allowed us to maneuver them there. Even so..."
"God!" Schlegel shook his head in wonder. "I'm amazed you could get them from there."
"Jock climbed down to get them" Rick told him.
"F_u_c_k!" Rod spat venomously. "You could have drowned too, Jock."
"There was no choice" Jock shrugged. "They were too far gone to get out on their own."
Schlegel just kept shaking his head.
Brandon was close to vomiting as the memories kept flooding through his mind.
"Please, Dad" he begged. "I can't look at this any more. Can we go back?"
Rod looked at him bitterly. "Take him back out to that clearing, Aaron. Wait for us there."
Aaron started out with Brandon. "You want me to go with them?" Rick asked.
"No, they can manage. Stay with us. We may need you."
The men waited until the two youths had gone. Then Schlegel turned to Rod. "This shouldn't have happened. Your men almost lost my boy."
"I know" Rod sighed. "You were incredibly lucky, Jock, to get all three of you out of that alive. How the hell could you come down this route? You must have been out of your _f_u_c_king mind!"
"It wasn't his fault!" Rick interjected. "When Aaron and the kid ran down this way, they left him no choice."
"They ran down the slide that leads this way" Jock explained. "By the time we caught up with them, they were at the bottom of the slide and had gone out on the cliffs. It would have taken us a couple of hours or more to climb back up to the other path. I figured it was better to chance going down, get Aaron to bring him down to us."
"So you gambled with my son's life" Schlegel said bitterly.
"I figured we could run safety ropes over the tricky parts. Which is what we did, even here. I never imagined Brandon would do something so stupid."
Rod looked at him in disgust. "He's a brainless city teenager, Jock. He doesn't know any better. You've got to anticipate kids like him will do something crazy."
Schlegel spat. "You said Aaron ran down with him, down to this path?" He turned to Rod. "Aaron was the one that was supposed to take care of him. Right?"
"Right" Rod nodded. He looked at Jock. "Well? What happened? Was Aaron responsible?"
"Aaron suggested it" Jock nodded. "I said no, but Brandon ran down anyway."
Rod glanced at Rick. "Is that right? Aaron took it on himself to suggest routes he'd never travelled?"
Rick twisted uncomfortably. "Brandon wanted to do something more exciting."
"And Aaron encouraged him?"
Rick shrugged and then nodded. "Yeah."
Rod gazed at Jock sourly. "It was your job to keep him in line."
"Jock couldn't help what happened" Rick intervened. "Aaron and the kid ran off before Jock could do anything."
"That stupid kid can't do anything right" Schlegel said sourly. "I don't care what he did once it happened. He should get his ass burned for this."
Rod looked at him in surprise. "Brandon?"
"No, Aaron, you idiot!" Schlegel was rapidly turning angry. "That boy of yours is a _f_u_c_king disaster!" He eyed Jock darkly. "Aaron put you in this situation. He was the one who got you to come this way. Right?"
Jock eyed him warily. "Well, he and your son did. But..."
"But what? Either you _f_u_c_ked up or Aaron did. Right?"
"Aaron rescued him."
"Yeah, I know he did. And I'll give him a reward for that." He stared down at the torrent and shook his head. "But it was just plain luck that he was able to. Brandon was inches away from being killed."
"He'd be dead for sure if Aaron hadn't jumped in after him."
"That doesn't absolve him of responsibility for letting this happen. What happened here was criminal negligence. Whoever was responsible is going to pay." He looked at Jock suspiciously. "Well? Was Aaron responsible for this? Or were you?"
"Aaron was" Rick said suddenly. "Jock did everything he could to stop it."
Schlegel's smile was feral. "Is that your answer too, Jock?"
Jock didn't like the way this was going. "The ultimate responsibility was mine, Sir."
Schlegel shook his head, still smiling. "Not the ultimate responsibility, Jock. The ultimate responsibility lies with the man who decides whether to fire you." He looked at Rod coldly. "Or decides to fire you. What do you plan to do about this?"
Rod smiled thinly. "I think the first thing to do is get Brandon back to camp." He looked at Rick. "Can I trust you to obey orders?"
"Yes Sir!" Rick replied quickly. He looked at Rod warily.
Rod turned back to Schlegel. "I think Rick should take Brandon back to the camp while the three of us discuss this with Aaron. We don't need Rick for anything more, do we?"
"I suppose not" Schlegel shrugged. Then he smiled. "I see what you mean. That's a good idea." He glanced at Rick and nodded. "No, we definitely don't need him."
"Good" Rod nodded. "When we get out to the clearing, Rick, I'll ask you to take Brandon down. He's obviously still suffering from shock. Coming here to see where he almost drowned was too much for him. So take him down, give him some tea, and help quieten his nerves. Understand?"
"I guess so" Rick nodded.
"And don't tell him what we discussed. We want him out of the way."
"Yes Sir."
"Well, you'll have to tell him something" Schlegel said impatiently. "Just tell him we went over everything that happened, and that we're amazed that he survived." He grimaced. "Which is true."
"Yes Sir."
"You want me to stay with you?" Jock asked.
"Of course" Schlegel nodded. He grinned. "We need your strong arms for Aaron. Let's go."
.
[14]
Brandon was still shaking when the men came into the clearing. Aaron was holding him, trying to calm his shattered nerves.
"You okay, son?" Schlegel asked.
"I guess so" Brandon nodded. He looked at his father and sighed. "I'm sorry to be such a wuss. I just couldn't look at that without feeling sick."
"I don't blame you" Schlegel nodded feelingly. "I couldn't look at it without shuddering. I'm just amazed you came out of that alive."
"I wouldn't have if it hadn't been for Aaron."
"I know" Schlegel sighed. He looked at Aaron. "We owe you a great debt, Aaron."
Brandon looked at Aaron and smiled. "My cowboy hero."
"Come on, don't lay it on" Aaron smiled in embarrassment. "I did what anybody'd do. I was supposed to look after you, after all."
"You sure did that" Brandon grinned. He looked at his dad. "Can we go back to the camp now?"
"You want to do that? Sure." He turned to Rod. "Could Rick or Jock take Brandon down? I'd like a word with Aaron."
"Of course" Rod nodded. "Would you take him down, Rick?" He glanced at Brandon. "Would you mind helping Rick get the fire going down there, Brandon? Your mother is probably dying for some tea. And if she isn't, we are. We'll follow in a few minutes."
"Okay" Brandon said doubtfully, looking at Rod and his father suspiciously.
"Thanks" Rod smiled. "You went through an incredible ordeal yesterday. We're all amazed you survived."
"Thanks to Aaron" Brandon insisted.
"To you too" Rod said generously. "You held on."
"Barely" Brandon sighed. "Thank God for that rock!"
"Yes, indeed" Rod nodded. "You're a lucky kid, Brandon. You got a second life yesterday."
"Yes" Brandon nodded. "I guess I did. And I guess I learned something from that, too." He looked at his father seriously. "I was the one that screwed up, Dad. I want you to know that I know that."
Schlegel smiled wanly. "I'm glad you do, son."
Brandon looked at Rod. And then looked at his father. "What do you want to talk to Aaron about?"
"I want to hear his side of the story."
"And then?"
Schlegel smiled thinly. "I guess that'll depend on what he says."
Brandon turned to Rick. "You go ahead, Rick. I want to stay for this."
"But ..." Rick looked at Rod and Schlegel. "Don't you want him ...?"
"You're right" Schlegel interjected, looking at Rick in disgust. "We want him to get some rest." He looked back at his son. "Go down with Rick, Brandon. It's better if you do."
"Better for whom?"
"Better for you. Besides, Rick can use your help."
Brandon shook his head. "Rick can take care of anything that's needed. I want to be here for this."
Schlegel looked at his son for a moment. "Aaron's going to be punished for getting you into this, son. I don't think you need to be here to see that."
"That's what I was afraid of" Brandon nodded curtly. "There's no way you're going to do that."
"You almost drowned, son. He's responsible for that."
Brandon stared at him in amazement. "He rescued me and you're going to punish him? Are you out of your _f_u_c_king mind?"
"I know he rescued you. And he'll be rewarded well for that, believe me. But that accident should never have happened. You should never have gone that way. And you wouldn't have, but for his stupidity."
"You think he's the stupid one?" Brandon sneered. "I thought you had brains, Dad. How can you be so incredibly dumb?"
"Don't be insulting! He encouraged you to come down an unsafe route."
"Oh, _f_u_c_k! He's not responsible for that. Not for any of this. I'm the one who ran down and made them follow me." He looked at Rick. "Isn't that right?"
Rick shrugged. "Aaron suggested it."
"So what? He agreed with Jock when Jock vetoed it." He glanced at Jock. "Right?"
Jock nodded. "That's right. I remember now. He did." He looked at Rick. "Why did you say Aaron ran down with him?"
Rick shrugged. "I thought he did."
"Well, he didn't." He looked back at Brandon's father. "Neither Aaron nor I expected Brandon to run off on his own."
Schlegel snorted. "He wouldn't have known there was another way down if Aaron hadn't suggested it." He looked at Aaron contemptuously. "You should never have done that without checking first."
Aaron nodded. "I see your point."
"Well, I don't" Brandon said angrily. "I did run off on my own. I told them to _f_u_c_k_ their caution and follow me. I was stupid. And I'm the one who was dumb enough to stand up on that _s_h_i_tty log when everyone else was shouting at me to stay down."
He looked at Rod. "When we were out there together on the cliff, Aaron warned me the route was dangerous. He told me it was absolutely imperative that I follow orders, for my own safety. I didn't. He and Jock told me to use a safety rope. I disobeyed. He and Jock shouted at me to stay down. I disobeyed again. I told them to _f_u_c_k_ off, that I'd do what I wanted. What would you do to me for that if I were working for you, like Aaron is?"
"For disobeying?"
"For disobeying and risking other people's lives." He glanced at Aaron and blinked back tears. "He could have drowned too."
Rod shrugged dismissively. "Aaron was responsible for you."
"Yeah, and he tried his best. He told me to smarten up when we were out on that cliff. He and Rick rigged ropes to protect us. All these guys did what they could. And Aaron even...." He choked. "He could have hit a rock when he jumped! He could have drowned!"
Jock nodded. "He almost did."
Brandon was sobbing now. "He risked his life for me! And you want to punish him?"
Schlegel looked at Brandon coldly. "Not for that, Brandon." He looked at Aaron. "You know what my son is like. You know he's headstrong and impetuous. Did you consider that when you suggested this route?"
Aaron shook his head. "No, Sir, I didn't. And you're right. I should have." He sighed. "I guess I was looking for some way of satisfying him, Sir. Miranda had vetoed the climb we wanted to do. He wanted to do something exciting, something more than just walking down the way we came. I guess I did, too."
"Excitement? Well, you sure gave that to him."
"Aaron didn't give me anything" Brandon said angrily. "I took it on my own."
Schlegel shook his head. "Aaron should have anticipated that you'd do something like that."
"I agree" Aaron nodded. He looked at Brandon and smiled. "You're what, fifteen? You're still a kid."
"I'm seventeen in September" Brandon said archly. "That's plenty old enough to act smarter than I did. And plenty old enough to take responsibility for screwing up." He looked at Rod. "You didn't answer my question. What would you do to me if I disobeyed like that while working for you?"
"You really want to know?" Rod asked scornfully. "I'd probably fire you on the spot. If I thought you were worth anything, I'd beat your ass too. As a matter of fact, I'd beat it anyway before I fired you."
"How hard?"
Rod looked at him in disgust. "For risking your fellow-worker's life like that? I'd beat your butt so hard, you wouldn't walk for a week!"
"Okay, then do it." He started taking off his clothes.
"What the hell are you doing?" Schlegel asked in surprise.
"I'm taking these off so Jock and Mr Fuller can beat my ass." He saw his father's shocked expression. "I deserve it, Dad. I deserve anything they give me."
"You're out of your mind! Put those clothes back on."
Brandon shook his head. "No way." He looked at Aaron as he took off his boots. "You think I could live with myself if he'd been the one to drown?"
Aaron put his hand on Brandon's shoulder. "You don't need to do this."
"Yes, I do. I know it doesn't undo anything. But I deserve it." He glanced up at Aaron and sighed. "I'd feel better about it, Aaron, knowing I'd at least been punished."
Aaron shook his head. "This isn't a game, Brandon."
"You're _f_u_c_king right it's not a game" Brandon said angrily. "You think I don't know what I'm doing? I felt what the switch was like when you gave it to me, remember? And that was from you, not from them. I know what I'm getting into."
"I don't think you do. Getting a dozen on your ass is a lot different."
"I don't give a _f_u_c_k!" He pushed down his jeans. "I deserve a lot more than that."
He got up and stepped out of his jeans and underpants, totally naked now. "Where do you want me, Mr Fuller?"
"I don't want you any place here" Rod said coldly. "I want you back in your clothes and walking down to the camp. What you're doing is nothing but theatrics. You know perfectly well we can't punish a guest."
"You can if my dad agrees." He glanced at his father. "Right, Dad?"
"So what?" Schlegel shrugged. "I wouldn't agree."
"Why not? You'd let them punish Aaron. You were ready to make them do that."
"I still am. That's different."
"How?"
"He works here. He knows he gets punished for screwing up. And he's an adult. He's supposed to take responsibility. You're just a kid."
"Oh wonderful!" Brandon said scornfully. "You think it builds character to be shielded from responsibility? You want me to be another spoiled brat, like Miranda?"
"Hey, that's not fair!" Aaron objected. "Miranda's not spoiled."
Brandon laughed. "Come off it, Aaron. Clear the stars out of your eyes!" He looked at his father again. "Well?"
"Put your clothes back on."
"Not until Rod and Jock punish me!"
Rod smiled at Schlegel scornfully. "Nice to see he disobeys you too."
Schlegel flushed. "Do what I tell you, Brandon."
Brandon shook his head angrily. "So you can beat Aaron instead? F_u_c_k_ you!"
"You're really asking for it, boy." He glanced at Rod balefully. "Maybe you should give him what he wants."
Rod shrugged. "It's entirely up to you, Sir."
"You'll do it if I agree?"
"You're the boss out here, Sir. You want Jock and me to beat Brandon's ass, we'll beat his ass. But you'd _d_a_m_n_ well better be serious about it. If we do that, it'll be the real thing. We won't just pretend to do it."
"You'd _f_u_c_king well better not!" Brandon said heatedly.
"How much would you give him?" Schlegel asked Rod.
"It'd depend on what we use on him."
"What would you use if he were your employee?"
"Oh, a switch and a belt. Like what we used on Aaron."
Schlegel glanced at his son. "You saw what that did. You really want that?"
"I'd say at least that" Brandon said curtly. "What I did was a lot more serious."
Jock nodded. "He's right about that."
Schlegel turned to Rick. "What would you get if you'd done what Brandon did?"
"Me?" Rick laughed. "I don't know. I wouldn't be that stupid."
"I'm serious. What would you expect him to get?"
"I dunno. He disobeyed so many times it's hard to keep track. A minimum of a dozen of each for each disobedience, I'd guess."
Schlegel was shocked. "A dozen with a switch and another dozen with a strap?"
"At least" Rick nodded. "Last time I got it from Mr Haempel for disobedience, it was one cut of the cane for every year of my life. And double that with the strap." He looked at Rod. "He was really pissed off."
"That was for something a lot less serious than this" Rod said dismissively. "You'd have got a lot more than that for risking someone else's life." He looked at Brandon's father. "Brandon's sixteen. If we stuck with what Rick got, that'd be sixteen with a switch, double that with a belt. Frankly, I'd give him double that, maybe even more."
Schlegel shook his head. "That's way too much. Maybe that's okay for Aaron, but there's no way my son should be given that."
"For risking the lives of Aaron and Jock? I don't think that's too much at all. And there's no way Aaron's being punished for any of this. I haven't heard anything that indicates anybody but your son is responsible for what happened."
"That's right" Brandon nodded. "I'm the one who should be punished."
Rod looked at him scornfully. "Oh, stop play-acting, boy. It's easy for you to ask for punishment while your father keeps shielding you."
"I mean it! I'm not leaving here until I get it."
Schlegel looked at his son bemusedly. "It really is too much, Brandon. There's no way you can take thirty-two blows of a switch."
"Then divide it in half" Brandon snapped. "Give me half now, the other half tomorrow. That's what you did with Aaron."
"Actually, we suspended the part we postponed" Rod corrected. "I guess we could do that with you."
"Whatever" Brandon shrugged. "Where do you want me? On this log?" Brandon got up on the log and lay over it face down, straddling it with his legs and holding on with his arms. "Tie me down and give it to me!"
"Well?" Rod looked at Schlegel. "It's up to you."
Schlegel glanced at his son.
"Oh, don't be a wuss!" Brandon said angrily. "I deserve it, don't I?"
Schlegel nodded. "I guess you deserve something" he sighed. He turned to Rod. "Do it. But make it less. He's only sixteen. He's never had this before."
Rod smiled thinly. "What do you suggest?"
"I don't know. How about just giving him eight and seeing how he takes that?"
"Whatever you say" Rod nodded. "You can stop it at any time, anyway."
.
[15]
"I can't take this" Brandon whispered between sobs.
He'd taken several cuts already from Jock. Jock had cut a switch. He was slashing it down on Brandon from somewhere out on his right. Jock reached back and slashed down again.
"Oh God!" Brandon's legs jerked up at the shock of the blow.
He tensed as Jock reached back again, trying desperately to somehow escape. His torso was immobilized, pressed tightly into the top of the log. They'd used a rope to tie his waist to the log. Rick was straddling his shoulders, forcing his chest down into the bark of the log. He could move his arms and legs, but Rick's thighs pressed against his armpits, keeping him from reaching back.
Jock waited for Brandon's legs to fall back down. Then he slashed down again.
"OH GOD!!!" That one had cut across his buttocks right where they met the back of his thighs. "PLEASE!!! THAT'S ENOUGH, OKAY?"
Rick laughed. "Not so brave any more, are you?"
Brandon was sobbing raucously now. He'd managed to put on a brave front for the first few blows, but the cumulative pain was like nothing he'd imagined. Somehow, he'd thought the blows would just mean repetitions of a bearable amount of pain, like what he'd felt when Aaron had given him a sample blow two days previous. But the cumulative buildup of pain was very different. It was like starting a fire on his ass every time another blow landed, each fire continuing to burn as the following ones started. Each blow just added to the pain stabbing out of his ass. And now a sixth one had started, that one really burning.
"How many is that now?" Schlegel asked Jock.
"Six" Jock answered. "He has two more of these coming."
"This is more than he can take" Schlegel said to Rod.
"It's up to you" Rod shrugged. "You can stop it any time."
"No!" Brandon sobbed. "You mustn't! Please, Dad! I've got to take this!"
"You're sure?"
"Yes, I am. Give it to me, Jock!" He closed his eyes as Jock reached back.
"AAOOOWWWHHHHH!!!!" he screamed. His body jerked as if he'd been electrocuted. "GOD!!! OOOOWWWWHHHH!!!! OH GOD!!! F_U_C_K!!!"
Jock had moved up beside him for that blow, slashing it diagonally across his buttocks down onto the back of his right thigh. The switch had slashed across the six parallel welts with electric pain.
"OH GOD!!! GOD!!!" Brandon's legs were flailing, jerking up again and again. "OH JESUS, THAT HURT!!!"
"He'll ask you to stop now" Rick laughed.
Brandon shook his head, gritting his teeth as he tried to control himself. "No!" he sobbed. "I'll take it." He saw Jock reach back again. "OH GOD!!!"
He shrieked in terror as Jock swung. "AIEEEEOWWWHHHH!!!!!" That one slashed down parallel to the last one, cutting across his buttocks and into the back of his right thigh, just half an inch from the one before. "OH GOD!!! F_U_C_K!!! OOWWWHHHH!!!"
"That's eight now" Jock stated. "Let's give him a five minute break and then see about the rest."
.
[16]
The men had moved away, leaving Aaron and Rick beside the sobbing boy. Rick had climbed off Brandon's back, so that Brandon could hold his chest up off the log. The bark had really dug into him under the weight of Rick's body.
"What'll you bet they let him off the rest?" Rick sneered.
"Maybe they should" Aaron said, looking at Brandon's buttocks with concern. "He really is just a kid."
"He sure didn't get much" Rick jeered. He'd moved down beside Brandon's rump. "Look at it! Only eight! That's a joke!" He slapped Brandon's ass hard.
"AOOWWWHHH!!" Brandon yelled, arching up in shock. "Don't do that! Please!"
Rick did it again. "Can't you even take this?" he jeered.
"Jesus! Please! That really hurts!"
Aaron grabbed Rick's arm just as he was about to slap Brandon again. "Don't do it, Rick."
"Why not? Let me go!"
Rick broke free of Aaron's grip and slapped Brandon again, this time right where the diagonal cuts intersected the first six.
"AOOOOWWWHHHH!!!" Brandon shrieked. Rick had really slapped hard. "S_H_I_T!!!"
"You _f_u_c_king bastard!" Aaron shouted angrily, punching Rick and grabbing his arm. "Leave the kid alone!"
"What the _f_u_c_k's going on?" Schlegel shouted, running over.
"We were just playing with him" Rick grinned. "Nothing serious."
"It sure as hell sounded serious! Lay off him!"
"Yes Sir" Rick sneered, looking at Schlegel insolently. "You're going to let the little brat off, aren't you?"
"What's that got to do with this?" Rod asked angrily. "Who started this?"
"He did!" Rick said quickly, pointing at Aaron. "He punched me!"
"No _f_u_c_king way!" Brandon intervened angrily. "Rick's a _f_u_c_king liar! He started it!"
"Oh, listen to him" Rick jeered. "He's in love with his _f_u_c_king rescuer."
"Who slapped the kid?" Rod asked coldly.
"Okay, I did" Rick shrugged. "It wasn't serious."
"Aaron tried to stop him" Brandon told Rod.
"So you started it after all?" Rod smiled. "Well, I guess you just awarded the kid a longer break, Rick. Get those boots and jeans off. You're getting up on that log in his place."
"What for?" Rick said angrily. "What did I do?"
"You looking for more, boy? Do what you're told."
"F_u_c_k!" Rick spat. He squatted down to take off his boots. "All I did was slap the kid's ass. It's not my fault if the brat couldn't even take that!"
"Untie the kid, Aaron."
Aaron did that. Brandon got off, holding onto Aaron for a minute to steady himself.
"Look at them!" Rick sneered. "Aren't they _f_u_c_king sweet?"
Brandon looked at Rick and grinned. "You're just jealous, Rick."
"Get up on that log" Rod said ominously.
Rick did as he was told, climbing onto it and straddling it with his legs. He looked at Brandon and Aaron as he held on. "F_u_c_k_ you!" he said bitterly. "F_u_c_k_ both of you!"
"How much?" Jock asked Rod.
"Give him a dozen" Rod said scornfully. "Let's see how he takes that."
Jock picked up the switch. "You tried to blame Aaron for this, Rick. And you tried to blame him for what happened out there. You've had it in for him, haven't you?"
"So what if I have?" Rick sneered. "He deserves to be blamed."
"I don't think so" Jock smiled. He looked at Rod. "Rick deserves more than just a dozen, Rod. He lied to us."
"Yeah, you're right" Rod nodded. "Give him twenty."
"NO!!!" Rick screamed. "That's _f_u_c_king unfair! I was just telling it as I remembered it!"
"Sure" Jock nodded contemptuously. "Just like you did about what happened just now."
He reached back and swung.
"F_U_C_K!!!" Rick yelled. Jock had really hit hard.
Jock hit him again.
"OH GOD!!!" Rick moaned, trying to control himself. "F_u_c_king _s_h_i_t, Jock!!! That hurt! What the _f_u_c_k_ are you trying to do?"
"Get a point across" Jock smiled, reaching back again. "I don't like liars, Rick."
"AAOOOOWWWWHHHHH!!!!" Rick gasped. "S_H_I_T!!!"
By the time Jock had given Rick half a dozen, Rick had lost it totally. He was shrieking and sobbing in pain as Jock's blows smashed into him, barely managing to hang onto the log.
Jock paused after a few more and went across to the other side of the log. Ten parallel welts blazed across Rick's buttocks, each one a brilliant scarlet line. Rick was shaking and howling in fear.
"He sure isn't very brave now" Brandon sneered.
"He's getting it worse than you did" Aaron said quietly. "Jock is really laying into him."
"Seriously?" Brandon asked in surprise. "God! I thought nothing could be worse!"
Aaron smiled thinly. "There's never a boundary that can't be crossed, kid. Just listen and watch."
Rick screamed. Jock had begun again.
.
[17]
Rick took the rest badly, shrieking and sobbing as the switch slashed into him. When it was over, he clung to the log sobbing.
Rod looked at him contemptuously. "Get off, boy."
Rick got off slowly, looking at Brandon bitterly as he pulled on his jeans. "He's being let off, isn't he?"
"What if he is? He took his punishment better than you did."
"Yeah, well, that was easy for him, wasn't it? He got a lot less."
"So he should" Aaron said hotly. "S_h_i_t, Rick, he's only a kid."
"A _f_u_c_king spoiled rich kid!" Rick spat bitterly.
Rod looked at him ominously. "You'd better apologize and change your attitude, boy, or you'll be back up there for another dozen."
"Oh, alright" Rick said sullenly. He looked at Schlegel. "I'm sorry, Sir. I shouldn't have said that."
"Well, you're right about Brandon being let off" Schlegel shrugged. "He's taken enough."
"No way!" Brandon said sharply. "I've hardly had anything!"
His father looked at him in exasperation. "Don't be silly, Brandon. You've had a beating and you've taken it bravely. You've made your point."
Brandon shook his head. "Rick got twenty with the switch just now. He'd have every right to resent it if I got away with only eight."
"That's totally different."
"No, it's not. I deserve way more than that. Mr Fuller already cut what I'm getting below what someone like Rick or Aaron would normally get. I should get more, not less."
"He sure should" Rick muttered.
Schlegel shook his head. "No way, son. The normal punishment is too much."
"I don't care! I said I'd take it and I meant it." He looked at Rod. "I still do."
Rod smiled contemptuously. "That's easy to say, boy, when your father has said he wants to stop this."
"I mean it, Sir." Brandon climbed back up on the log. "Give me another eight with the switch, Sir, on top of what you already said you'd give me. It's not right for Rick to get more with the switch than I do."
Rod stared at him incredulously. "You really mean that? You're not just play-acting, expecting your dad to intervene?"
"No, Sir, I'm not! Please don't let him stop this!"
"He's got to approve, boy."
Brandon looked at his father. "Please, Dad! You've got to let me take this!"
"What's he supposed to get now?" Schlegel asked sourly.
"Sixteen of the strap" Jock said curtly. "Then another eight with the switch and another sixteen of the strap. Isn't that what you said, Sir?"
"It's what I said" Rod nodded. He looked at Brandon with a slight smile. "You really want another caning with the switch on top of that?"
"No Sir, I don't want it" Brandon sighed. "But I deserve it."
Rod looked at Schlegel. "Your decision."
"Oh, hell!" Schlegel shrugged. "I guess a round of the strap won't kill him."
"Okay" Rod nodded, smiling thinly. "He's yours, Jock."
Jock got the strap from his pack. It was the same one he'd used on Aaron two days before.
Brandon looked at the strap and shuddered. He'd never viewed it closely when it was used on Aaron. It was one thing to see it used on someone else, something else to look at it when it was about to be used on him.
"You're sure you want this?" Schlegel asked his son.
"Want it?" Brandon laughed crazily. "Are you out of your mind?" He was still staring fearfully at the strap. "Of course I don't want it. But I've got to take it, Dad. Can't you understand that?"
"It's up to you, son. Just say the word, and we'll end this."
"No, I said I'd take it." He gritted his teeth, straddling the log with his legs. "I don't trust myself. Would someone please tie me down?"
"Sure" Rod nodded. He gestured to Aaron. "Tie him down like before."
Aaron did, patting Brandon on the shoulder afterwards. "You're a gutsy kid."
Brandon shook his head. "I wish I were" he sobbed apprehensively. He looked at the strap. "This is going to be bad."
Aaron gripped him hard. "You'll manage, kid."
Jock gestured to Rick. "Get back on his shoulders. And no funny business!"
Rick climbed on top of Brandon.
Jock went in front of Brandon. "I'll give you eight from one side and then switch over and give you eight from the other side. You're sure you want to go ahead with this?"
Brandon sniffled and then nodded. "Yes, Sir. I'm sure."
"Just yell out if you want me to stop it" his father told him.
"No!" Brandon spat. "_d_a_m_n_ it, I can't trust you and I can't trust myself."
He looked back. "Aaron, would you do me a huge favor? Get my underpants and gag me, okay? Jock, even if you hear something that sounds like a plea, please disregard it and keep on smashing that _f_u_c_king strap into me. Okay?"
Jock looked at Rod questioningly.
"You heard him" Rod shrugged.
"Give me everything Rod said I deserve" Brandon demanded. "And give it to me hard, just as hard as you did with Rick. Okay?"
"Okay" Jock shrugged. "Just don't complain afterwards."
"You really think you can take it?" Aaron said in concern. "That strap will really hurt."
"I don't care. I've got to take it, no matter how much it hurts." He looked at Rod. "Please don't let my father intervene."
Rod looked at Schlegel. "Will you honor your son's wishes?"
Schlegel grimaced. "I guess it won't kill him."
"Okay, Aaron. Gag him like he told you. Give him the full amount, Jock."
Aaron got Brandon's underpants, bunched them up, and stuffed them into Brandon's mouth. Then he got Brandon's T-shirt, ripped that along its seams, and used that to bind the gag securely.
"Mrmphhh!" Brandon mumbled, nodding his head frantically.
"What's he saying?" Schlegel asked.
"Who knows?" Rod shrugged. "Give it to him, Jock."
Jock wrapped the end of the strap around his wrist and went out to Brandon's side. "Okay, Brandon. Here it comes." He reached back and swung.
Brandon's entire body jerked as the strap smashed down across his buttocks. And jerked again as a second blow smashed into him. By the time the third blow smashed down onto his buttocks, Brandon was shrieking and sobbing into the gag. By that time, every welt left by the switch had been hammered down flat by the strap.
Jock moved up and down beside him, smashing the strap down all over Brandon's buttocks. Then he moved up beside Brandon's shoulder to smash it down lengthwise, slashing across the buttock on that side down into the inside of that thigh. Brandon shrieked in pain. And shrieked again as Jock did that again.
By the time Jock paused, Brandon's buttocks were a deep crimson all over, with an asymmetric extension down the back and inside of his right thigh. Brandon's body heaved with deep sobs as Jock walked around to his other side.
Brandon shrieked into the gag as he saw Jock reach back and swing. He shrieked and sobbed and jerked and flailed as Jock slashed eight more blows down from that side. Jock moved up and down beside him, repeating on that side what he'd done on the first side.
"Okay, that's the full sixteen" Jock finally announced. "We'll give you another five-minute break before the next installment. Do you want the gag taken out?"
Brandon shook his head.
"Okay, you know what comes next: Another eight with the switch. You can tell us when we come back whether you want to continue."
The three men once again walked some distance away and talked. This time, Aaron and Rick stood by Brandon and didn't say anything. Aaron put a calming hand on Brandon's shoulder as the boy sobbed.
.
[18]
When the men came back, Schlegel once again tried to persuade Brandon to stop. Once again, Brandon just shook his head.
"He knows he deserves it" Rod nodded. He glanced at Schlegel. "He's right, you know."
"Right to take so much punishment?"
"Yes. It does partly make up for what he did." He looked at Brandon with respect. "You're taking this a lot better than I expected, boy. You have reason to feel proud."
Brandon smiled wanly, mumbling thanks into the gag.
Jock picked up the switch and eyed Brandon. "This'll hurt worse than before, boy" he warned. "You're sure you want it?"
Brandon nodded fearfully, staring at the switch.
"Okay, then" Jock shrugged. "You know what you're getting."
Brandon nodded, sobbing in anticipation. He knew only too well how much the switch would hurt. He watched in terror as Jock went out to Brandon's side and reached back, shrieking in fear as the switch slashed down.
"AIEEEEOWWHHHH!!!!" He screamed into the gag, legs flailing. "AOOOOOWWWHHHH!!!!"
The pain was like nothing he'd even imagined. The switch had slashed down across his right buttock, down onto its underside, cutting into the inside of that thigh.
"OOOWWWHHHH!!!! ACH GUHDDD!!!" That was another blow, slashed down from a different angle. "GUHHDDD!!!"
By the time Jock had slashed four blows down on Brandon, the boy was a shrieking mess, thrashing from side to side against the bonds holding him to the log. He'd peed in terror into his belly. The pee was dripping down his legs.
Jock moved around to his other side. "Just four more, boy."
Brandon was almost out of his mind from the pain. He screamed as he saw Jock reach back, shrieking in terror as the switch slashed down. Jock did to his left side what he'd done to his right side, slashing down across that buttock into its underside and the inside of Brandon's thigh. Brandon shrieked and shrieked in pain as the blows slashed down on him.
"Okay, that's it" Jock finally said. He looked at Aaron. "Give him a couple of minutes to get control of himself. Then take the gag out."
Aaron nodded. The men walked away once more.
Aaron waited until Brandon's screams of pain had diminished to sobs. Then he took the gag out.
"You okay?" Aaron asked.
"Oh God!" Brandon sobbed. "No, I'm not! God, it hurts!"
He twisted in agony. "I don't think I can take all this, Aaron. How much more do I have coming?"
"Well, if you stick to what Rod said earlier, you're almost through. You just have the last session with the strap. But you said you'd take more of the strap, too. Can you really do that?"
Brandon shook his head in horror. "I can't, Aaron! Not more of the switch. Maybe the other, but not the switch. It's too much, Aaron. I just can't do it!"
"You don't need to, kid. You've been pretty brave already. You've taken this as well as I could."
"Oh, I don't think so" Brandon sobbed. "You took much more the other day, Aaron. Much, much more."
"Yeah, but I'd had it before. And you're only a kid. S_h_i_t, Brandon, you're only sixteen. By the time you're twenty, your ass will grow thicker. You'll be able to take double what you're taking now."
"Really?" Brandon looked up at him. "You don't think I'm wimping out?"
"Christ, no! You've taken an incredible amount."
Brandon sniffled. "You really think I'm taking this well?"
"Yes, I do. You do too, don't you, Rick?"
Rick gulped in surprise as Aaron elbowed him. "Yes, sure." He looked at the welts on Brandon's buttocks. "You've taken a lot for a brat, Brandon. I never thought you'd have the guts to do this."
"God, it's awful!" Brandon sighed. "It's so much worse than I thought it would be. It's just _f_u_c_king awful!"
Just then the men came back.
"Okay, Brandon" Rod announced. "We've come to a decision. We're going to limit what you can get today to one more round of the strap. And we're going to cut that back to eight. Can you take that much?"
"No more of the switch?" Brandon asked in disbelief.
"No, you've had enough. You can ask all you like, you won't get more. Not today, anyway."
"But..."
"We never expected you to take this much, Brandon. If you really want more, you can ask for it tomorrow."
"Oh God!" Brandon sobbed in relief. "Thank you!"
"Can you take the last round of the strap?"
Brandon nodded. "I guess so."
"You don't have to, you know."
Brandon nodded again. "I know" he sobbed. "But I deserve it, don't I?"
"Yes, Brandon. In my book, you do. But you can postpone that to tomorrow if you want. Or just forget about it altogether, if that's what you want. There's no shame in escaping it, Brandon. You've taken enough to stop now with honor."
Brandon shook his head. "No, if you say I deserve it, Sir, then I do. But please give it to me now. I don't think I could face it tomorrow."
"You're sure?" Schlegel asked. "You've taken a lot, son."
"I'm sure." He looked at his father. "It's just one time more."
"You're sure you want this?" Jock repeated. "I won't hold back, you know."
Brandon smiled ruefully. "You haven't so far." He suddenly turned serious. "You'd lose all my respect if you did, Jock."
"Okay, kid. But on top of everything you've already got, this'll hurt pretty bad."
"I'll take it" Brandon sighed. He turned to Aaron. "Shove in the gag, okay?"
"You're really sure?"
"Yes, goddamit! How many times do I have to say so?"
"Okay" Aaron nodded. He shoved it in and secured it as before.
"Same deal as before" Jock told Brandon. "Half from one side, half from the other."
Brandon nodded, watching fearfully as Jock took the strap out. He closed his eyes. And screamed into the gag as the strap smashed into him.
He screamed and shrieked and sobbed as the blows fell, scarcely able to do anything but shriek and scream as the pain kept stabbing out from his buttocks into his brain. The pain was blinding. He could think of nothing except the pain.
Afterwards, Brandon could hardly remember what those blows had felt like. Jock had kept his promise. Each blow had hit hard, harder than anything Brandon had ever felt.
He barely noticed it when Jock switched sides. And barely noticed it when Jock finally stopped. The pain was just so overwhelming that it took several minutes before he realized that Jock wasn't hitting him any more and that Rick was no longer straddling him.
The men waited until Brandon's screams had diminished. Then Aaron took out the gag.
"It's over, Brandon" Aaron told him gently.
"Oh God!" Brandon sobbed. "It really is?"
"Yes. You've paid your price, Brandon. You've taken everything."
"That's right" Rod nodded. "You've still got a suspended punishment, but you won't get that unless you do the same thing again. And I hope to hell you don't do that, Brandon, because that'll mean you'll have risked the life of another of my men."
"Oh, no!" Brandon averred. "God strike me dead if I do anything that stupid again!"
"Let's not go that far!" Rod laughed. "Let's just act smart. Okay?"
"Yes Sir!" Brandon sighed. "I will, believe me!"
"Hold still" Jock ordered. "This will sting." He'd got a bottle of witch hazel from his pack.
Brandon screamed when Jock poured it over his buttocks. "Jesus! That does sting!"
"It'll help" Jock nodded. He worked it into the welts. "Lie there for a few minutes. I'll put a bit more on then."
The next application didn't sting quite so much. It just burned.
"You'd better stay here for a bit before walking down to the camp."
"Okay" Brandon nodded. He got up and stuck out his hand. "Thanks, Jock. Thanks for not holding back."
Jock shook his hand. "You did well, kid."
"You sure did" Rod smiled. "You took it a hell of a lot better than I expected."
Brandon grinned weakly. "It was a lot harder to take than I expected." He leaned back against the log and quickly jerked forward. "S_h_i_t!"
"It'll be tender for a while, kid. Walk around naked for a few minutes before putting your clothes on."
"Okay" Brandon nodded.
He looked at the three men. "Do you guys mind going off and leaving me with Aaron? I'd kind of like to be alone for a while."
"Sure" Jock smiled. He glanced at the other two men. "Okay?"
"Of course" Rod nodded.
"I suppose so" Brandon's father shrugged.
Rod grinned at Rick. "You can get that tea going now, Rick. I don't think Brandon's going to be down in time to help you."
Rick looked at him in surprise and then laughed. "You're a lucky guy, Aaron."
.
[19]
When the others left, Brandon grabbed Aaron. "Just hug me, okay?"
Aaron hugged him, patting his back gently as Brandon sobbed. Brandon hugged Aaron fiercely, sobbing wildly.
Brandon finally let Aaron go and looked up at him. "Oh God!" he sobbed. "God! That was bad!"
He got himself under control. "I'm sorry" he sniffled. "I shouldn't cry like that."
"Sure you should" Aaron smiled, still holding Brandon close. "Anyone would after that."
"I didn't want them to see me like this. That's why I told them to leave."
Aaron smiled ruefully. "That's okay, Brandon. You don't need to worry about them. You won their respect."
"You really think so?"
"For sure."
Brandon shook his head. "I didn't take all that much. Nothing like what you got the other day!"
"Sure you did. For a kid your age, you took an incredible amount."
"Oh God!" Brandon sobbed, reliving it in his mind. "It really was incredible!" He clung to Aaron hard. "Hug me again, okay?"
They hugged for a minute. Then Brandon broke away. "I'll be okay now."
He started to pull on his jeans and then suddenly glanced up and grinned. "What do you think they think we're doing?"
"Who knows?" Aaron shrugged.
"I know what Rick thinks" Brandon laughed. "He thinks we're making out."
"Who cares?" Aaron grinned. He looked at Brandon's impish grin. "Don't tell me you want to."
"Yeah, I do." He reached down, unzipped Aaron's jeans, and looked up into Aaron's eyes, suddenly serious. "I need you, Aaron."
.
[to be continued.... ]