He had figured it out after a day or so though. The mixture of strength and beauty in the horse was truly awe-inspiring, but to physically experience all that power under his control was much better than just talking about such concepts. Besides the routines of brushing, cleaning and feeding the horses gave one plenty of time to think things through. And there had been plenty to think about over the past four days.

Ian was brought out of his reverie by what sounded like a gun shot out in the yard. The horses shied and all three men dropped what they were doing and raced outside. Ian half expected to have to fetch his surgical tools. He was quite relieved when he didn’t see any pools of blood!

The Stable Master Sean Turlock was standing in the centre of the riding ring wielding an enormous bullwhip. The wiry old Scotsman picked tin cans off the railing of the fence with absolutely accuracy.

“Good morning, gentlemen.” Master Stephen called for their attention from across the yard. “One of the more interesting aspects of the dominance/ submission lifestyle is the sex! Now I understand not everyone who comes on our retreats are interested in the more kinky aspects of BDSM, but if you are the least bit curious, you should know how to play safely. Who knows? You may discover something interesting and fun. It’s a bit cold to do this outside however, so if you would like to participate in this, we’ll congregate in the ballroom in 45 minutes. See you shortly.”

The men quickly finished up their tasks with the horses. Ian raced through his clean up. He was not going to admit to anyone how much he wanted this session, but he was not about to be late either! He wasn’t surprised to find his two compatriots had also been quick as they met again in the large bright room on the south side of the manor.

Andrew almost giggled. “Just like little boys running for the ice-cream truck, eh?” Ian smiled in response, “Well, I guess the secret’s out. Who wouldn’t want ‘ice cream’?”

Master Stephen was standing by a large table covered with a dizzying array of whips, canes, paddles, crops, floggers. Many things Ian did not have a name for and lots of stuff that looked like someone had cleaned out the kitchen junk drawer! Ian felt his insides tighten up just looking at them. There were claws, gloves, shackles, candles, bowls of ice, Lucite rods, even ping-pong paddles! It looked like a display for Torturers R Us trade show!

“Sensation play, gentlemen. In this way you will take your wife into realms of the body where she cannot go alone. Many submissives like a bit of pain with their pleasure. Some like quite a bit then there are the occasional pain sluts who will accept an amazing amount of pain to get that special rush of endorphins. Not all sensation play is pain related, of course. The trick is to control the sensations you feed to your partner. Hot, cold, sharp, dull, pain, pleasure all will have different physical effects. Add to this the emotional and mental effect of control and power you have the recipe of a highly intense experience.

“Your job is to be acutely aware of her state, physical and emotional as you take her deeper and higher. The best way of learning is by doing, but sometimes it helps to watch a bit first. We will start our demonstration this morning with the single tail. We have found most people are very curious about this. Why would a girl submit herself to be whipped for fun? You could ask Emily, but I’m sure she would prefer to show you.”

The slave girls were kneeling by the wall. Emily rose gracefully and bowed to Master Stephen who acknowledged her and gestured to a 6 foot high St. Andrew’s Cross at one end of the room. Ian took a good look at Emily as she passed. Her face was flushed and her eyes bright with anticipation. She noticed his scrutiny and winked at him before she moved across the room to the ‘X’ shaped apparatus. Evidently she knew what was expected as she immediately started to remove her clothes without further instruction. When she was naked she turned back to the men and dropped to the floor spreading her knees in the now familiar posture of a slave ready for instructions. Emily was a beautiful girl, tall, well formed, with two long blonde braids hanging over her shoulders. She was obviously very strong, the muscles on her thighs and arms clearly defined, her belly was tight and flat.

“Master Sean is very experienced with the whip,” Stephen explained. “Obviously you can do a great deal of damage if you don’t know what you are doing. You shouldn’t try this until and unless you can accurately pick off a quarter of a leaf from tree without damaging the rest. So this afternoon you will get a chance to get some specific instructions on these whips and practice with some pillows.”

The Stable Master ignored the men and went straight to the girl. He was still carrying the bullwhip he had been warming up with outside. He grabbed her hair and tilted her head back so she was looking straight into his face. Ian was not sure what transpired between the two of them in those moments, but when Master Sean released her hair and held the whip to her and she took the leather coils reverently in her hands and kissed them. She bowed gracefully from her knees and then rose to stand facing the cross.

“Please remember gentlemen that you will get the best effect when you mix the physical with the emotional. You must dominate your wife completely in this, and more than that, make her feel it. Strip her of all her control and that allows her to fly. Andrew, as Emily has been assigned to you for this week, perhaps you would like to do the honours and attach her to the cross? The shackles are here.”

Stephen handed Andrew a pair of heavy fur-lined leather cuffs with a wide leather strap running perpendicular to the band ending in a large clip. Andrew scrutinized the equipment as he crossed the room to the girl. She held her hand for him and he buckled one on. Emily twisted it until the longer strap lay along her palm. Andrew attached the other in the same manner and then pulling her arms up and open, he clipped them to the cross. She grabbed the leather straps and tested her bondage by pulling smartly on the clips. They held.

Ian thought Emily was profoundly beautiful chained to the cross like that; her back exposed and vulnerable. Sean paced a bit like an artist contemplating his canvas. He cracked his whip. The muscles in Emily’s buttocks contracted in anticipation. Sean started close to the girl. He allowed the coils of the whip to caress her gently, almost wiping her down with the leather. Ian could tell he was whispering to her, but he couldn’t make out the words. Then Master Sean backed up and, giving himself more room, let the whip travel a bit faster. Still the leather landed softly. Emily sighed with the sensations, lovely moans rising from her.

Ian was just thinking this was the most gentle of whippings he could imagine, when the whip started to land with more force. Red welts began to form on Emily’s back and she bucked in her chains, crying out with each thud. As the whipping continued Emily’s moans became cries and then screams. Ian found he had wrapped his arms around himself. He could not take his eyes from her.

“Notice, gentlemen, the whip falls exactly where Master Sean wants it to. You can tell by the lovely welts on Emily’s back he has not touched her kidneys at all. That could be very dangerous, never touch the kidneys, even when you are using a relatively safe toy like a soft flogger.”

Emily’s shrieks reached to the high ceilings as Master Sean continued to increase the force of the whip. Ian was beginning to get concerned. Surely this was enough. What if she wanted to stop? What if she changed her mind? What if he went too far? Was she even capable of calling a halt to this if she wanted to?

A brilliant pattern of welts covered her back and ass. Then the Stable Master changed the tempo, softening again. Emily moaned and allowed her shackles to carry her weight for a moment. Sean reached out and ran a soft gentle caress over her back. Grabbing her hair, he turned her face and whispered something in her ear.

Emily stood up straight again her eyes flashing defiance. “No! More!” and then a whisper, “please, more…”

The Stable Master took the handle of the whip and ran it up the insides of the girl’s thighs. When he pulled it out, Ian could see the glistening wetness on the leather. Master Sean breathed in the scent then held the handle to Emily’s mouth. She kissed it again still muttering her pleas for more. He then backed up and continued the whipping.

Ian watched carefully for a few more minutes. The wiry old Scot was able to vary the strength of his strikes greatly. Some strikes were heavy and thudding, others light, almost a caress.

“Yes gentlemen, Emily is a premier pain slut. It would take most of the morning to satiate her. By now she is riding high on her natural endorphins, but will crave more. It will be up to Master Sean if he wishes to indulge her further, but we will continue with our lesson. Andrew, as Emily is presently occupied, you may practice with Holly. Now with this sort of play we set a few iron fast rules. These rules are similar to those you would find in any public or private play party. We will have no actual sex here. You will reserve that for your lawfully wedded wife!” The men exchanged wry smiles. “If your girl calls ‘yellow’ you stop and check her condition immediately. If she calls ‘red’, you are done for the day. As none of you have played like this before, I expect you will need to ask many questions and I will be happy to answer them. Also your girl is quite used to helping novices get the hang of this. Have fun!”

Alexis came over to Ian. “Good morning, Mr. Standish. What would you like to experiment with first?” She indicated the table of devices.

“I have no idea!” Ian confessed nervously. “Ah, what’s your favourite?”

Alexis smiled and picked up a flogger. “Perhaps Sir would like to take a number of toys. It is often helpful to try several to see the effects they have on a girl’s flesh. Of course, Mrs. Standish will probably react differently than this girl, but it will give you some idea of what to do.” She gathered up a collection of devices; a couple of different floggers, a crop, paddles, and a few other odds and ends.

“This one is very interesting.” She handed him a glove with little sharp prongs imbedded in the fingers and palm. “Recycled computer chips!” she explained. She added some claws to her collection, a candle, a bowl of ice, and a feather and led Ian to some equipment in one corner of the room.

She arranged her haul on a small table then started to remove her clothing. Ian wiped his hands on his trousers as he anxiously contemplated the collection. Under her usual dirndl uniform Alexis was wearing a heavily boned corset. It did not cover her breasts, but did completely cover her kidneys. In fact, it had a design on the back outlining where her kidneys lay under the protection of the boning. “This is a special fabric. If you miss any strikes, this girl will be safe, but the strike will be marked on the fabric. This way you’ll be able to know if a strike goes wrong. Does Sir wish to bind this girl?”

“No, that’s ok. I think I might need your advice. What should I start with?”

Alexis handed him the gloves. “It’s often a good idea to start gently then work up to the heavier toys.”

Ian put on the glove and flexed the fingers. Then he ran it lightly over his own arm before stroking Alexis’s arm with it. She giggled. He smiled then stroked her breast. She sighed and shivered a bit when the tiny spikes ran over her nipple tightening it up in a little brown pucker.

The next toy was a soft leather flogger. Alexis turned around so Ian could have a go at her backside. He saw the marks left over from the caning Stephen had given her in punishment the day before.

“Are you sure you want to do this Alexis? Do these still hurt?” Ian ran a hand lightly over her flesh and was rewards by a twitching of her flesh.

“Yes Sir, this girl loves to play, and no, those marks don’t hurt anymore. There is a great deal of difference between being caned as punishment and whipped for fun.”

“How so? Isn’t it pain either way?”

“No Sir. Yesterday, this girl was in despair. She thought she might be sent away. The anguish this one felt yesterday suppressed the endorphins and so the cane hurt and hurt terribly. But today it will be completely different. This girl is already blossoming inside. The endorphins will do their work and will send this girl flying.”

“Fair enough, let’s see if I can learn how to induce some endorphins then.”

They soon fell into a rhythm. Ian would pick up one of the toys and experiment a bit on himself then try it out on Alexis. She would give him some pointers on how best to use it and some ideas for variations, and then they would move on to the next one. He loved the way she reacted to his attentions. Stephen was right; this was much like playing a musical instrument. Well, better really, because the girl was enjoying it so much!

When they had worked their way through their first collection Ian went back to the front of the room to pick out a few more things to try. As he made his selection he remembered what Stephen had said about the emotional component.

“Ok, enough practice. Want to play?” Ian asked when he returned with a new selection.

A playful smile crept across Alexis’ face. “Of course Sir, this girl is yours to command.”

“Right then.” Ian moved close to Alexis, towering over her, invading her space. He noticed her quick intake of breath and smiled. “Let me see how far I can take you.” His voice was a whisper in her ear. He noticed a quick sharp change in her scent as she dropped her eyes and parted her lips.

“Yes Sir.” He could hardly hear the words, her voice was so low.

Ian walked around her slowly, still keeping inside her ‘space’. He brushed her long strawberry blond hair away from her neck and brought his lips close to her. Scenting her, he let his breath warm the back of her neck. She shivered. Ian felt the warm glow of power building in his belly. Time to bind her.

Silently, but always keeping an eye on her, he attached the shackles to her wrists. He could just order her to follow, but he wanted to exert the maximum control. He clipped her hands together behind her back and then grabbing her hair at the nape of her neck, tilted her face up to his. She kept her eyes lowered and her lips parted. She was still in his hand like a little bird and just as fragile. He could feel her heart fluttering and the quickness of her sweet breath. He leaned over and let his breath caress her neck pausing just over the life blood throbbing in her neck. On a whim, he opened his mouth and slowly, oh so slowly, closed his teeth around the hot pulse. A small whimper escaped from the girl and Ian was satisfied. He stood up and keeping a good grip in her hair, led her to the suspension bar.

The shackles were well designed with quick release clasps so it was only moments before the girl was suspended from the ceiling standing on a wooden platform with rings embedded in the base. Ian fetched a couple of ankle cuffs and with the addition of a couple of lengths of chain soon had Alexis spread eagled in the air in front of him. Ian was delighted with the shift in her physiology. When they were playing with the equipment at first, Alexis was the teacher, and he the student. Now he was in control and she was submitting to him, helpless and vulnerable. He ran a hand over her round pink ass.

He picked up a pair of the claws from the table and pulled the sharp points down the insides of her arms across her breasts and down her legs, laying claim to all her body not covered by the protective corset. Her nipples leapt to attention as the claw passed over them. He took each in his mouth and nibbled until they were hard little nubs. Ian had chosen a pair of tiny ‘c’ clamps from the collection of nipple clips and gently screwed them onto Alexis’ breasts. He thought he had them set when he heard a whispered “tighter” from the girl.

“As you wish,” Ian obliged by tightening the screw another turn until Alexis moaned and twisted in her bondage. It was certainly a trick to go far enough, not too far and still maintain control, but Ian was enjoying the challenge. He picked up a leather flogger and starting slowly, he began to whip her. He kept at it until she was moaning, her skin blazing and his arm beginning to feel a bit tired. Time to change the pace.

He reached for the ice cubes. They had melted a bit but were still useable. He pushed a small one between her lips for her to suck on and accepted her murmured thanks. Then he took the biggest he could find and trailed it over her breasts, under her arms. He cooled her buttocks with the ice and then tucked it into her corset just under her breasts. She shivered in a satisfying manner. One last ice cube was fished out of the bowl and he ran it up the insides of her thighs and let it linger on her hot, wet cunt. She bucked in the chains trying to spread her thighs wider. Ian smiled; enjoying the effect he was having and pressed the ice cube into her folds. She shuddered and moaned.

He got bolder. His next choice was a crop. Alexis had shown him earlier the trick of snapping his wrist to get maximum speed at the end of the little leather fall. This toy made delightful red welts that he spread in a pattern across her ass and upper thighs.

Ian was riveted by the girl’s responses. He drank in each of her moans and cries. It even felt good to be able to control his aching need to pull his cock out and fuck the girl senseless. He circled her as he struck with the crop. Breasts, thighs, arms, ass, all were good targets.

Alexis’ eyes were closed and her lips parted slightly, she looked drunk or drugged. Ian checked her often, stroking her cheek with his finger or the end of the crop. She had not uttered the safe words. Ian didn’t want to go too far but he didn’t want to quit too early either. Ian looked around the room and caught Master Stephen’s eye. The instructor was by his side in an instant.

“How do I know when to stop?” Ian asked.

“Good question. The easy and obvious answer is you stop when you want to. But that’s not what you asked is it? Every girl will be different. Every ‘scene’ will be different. It also depends on what you wish to accomplish. Right now you are just practicing with the toys, but I can see you have my girl nicely flying. Congratulations. If you want to indulge her, you can increase the pain and take her more deeply into her submissive state. At a certain point, either of you may get a feeling of completion. She may call for an end by calling out her safe word, but more likely she will simply cease to respond. Perhaps…. May I?” Stephen indicated to the crop.

“By all means…” Ian handed over the crop and stood back. He was grateful for Stephen’s intervention. He had almost run out of things to do.

Ian was amazed at the physiological change in the instructor. His friendly, matter of fact demeanour shifted to a predatory, dangerous one. He took the crop and moved in close to the bound girl. He held her face close to his own and her eyes flew open. Ian could see her pupils were big and black.

“Hm, yes, my girl, you are flying just a bit aren’t you? No, do not speak. I do not wish to hear your voice. You are under my hand now. Mr. Standish has warmed you up nicely, but now you are mine.”

Alexis sighed and closed her eyes again. Stephen checked her bindings and tightened the ankle chains then he went to the attachment chain for the suspension bar and raised it until Alexis was stretched tight. The girl moaned as the traction on her body caused her to almost lift out of her corset. Stephen took the laces and tightened them as well. Ian thought she had been well bound before, but could see the difference. She was not only bound tightly but now significantly uncomfortable. She continued to moan softly.

Stephen grabbed the nipple clips and twisted them viciously causing her to scream a deep throaty cry that reached for the ceiling. He stroked her, murmuring softly to her. Then he started with the crop. His strikes were almost effortless, but Alexis screamed with each one louder than she had under Ian’s hand. Ian noticed Stephen was hitting the same spot just under her nipple over and over, varying the intensity but consistently ramping up. He shifted to her other breast, again hitting the same spot over and over as her cries escalated. He continued whipping her, softer and harder on her ass and then un the insides of her thighs.

Suddenly he stopped. He thrust the crop between her legs and drew it through her sopping folds. He must have been pressing it hard into her cunt as there was a decided bend to the tool.

“Ah, you are wet my girl. You could come in an instant, couldn’t you?” His voice was low, carefully modulated. “But you know you have to beg for it, don’t you? Are you ready to beg? You may answer your Master, girl.”

Alexis’ face was a contortion of anguish, pain and pleasure making a mess of her usually placid and pleasing features.

“Yes Master,” Alexis’ voice was a whisper, “this girl is ready, if it pleases Master.” She moaned and swayed in her binding. “Please Master, please let her come.”

“Not yet.” Stephen took the crop and smacked it up on her clit. She screamed and he hit her again. By now her juices had made the end of the crop quite wet. Stephen drew the wet leather across her mouth. The tip of her pink tongue darted out to taste it and was rewarded by a sharp smack of the crop on her lips. A small cut opened on her lower lip. The sight of the red drop of blood on her swollen lips was like a spark to the tinder to Ian’s carefully held control. He felt the rush of power within him. He thought he had wanted to fuck her senseless before, but it was nothing to the animal urges he felt now. His hands were itching to hurt her, to drive her further, to see how much she could take.

Stephen was working faster and harder now; beating her breasts, her ass and her legs. Every now and then he would smack her clit again.

Finally, she let out a long high shriek.

“Do you have something to say, girl?” Stephen pressed the crop into her cunt again causing her to squirm. Ian thought it amazing she was not pulling away but actually rubbing her punished clit back and forth over the crop.

“No, please, please Master. I can’t. Please, oh no. please Master, please.”

“Please what, girl? Come, come, we don’t have all day.”

“Please Master. Please let this girl come. She can’t take anymore.”

“Yes you can, slut. And you will. You are mine to do with as I wish. You will not come until I tell you.”

“Please, please, please…” Alexis’ voice was getting softer. Her body was covered with welts and bruises but still she had not uttered even the ‘yellow’ safe word.

“I tire of this tool. Let’s see what else we have here.” He put the crop back on the table and picked up a claw. He grabbed her ass cheek viciously with one hand as he drew the claw up the inside of her leg with the other.

Alexis cried out and started to shake in his grip. Her voice becoming a crescendo of need as the claw reached the top of her thigh. Stephen pulled away and Alexis gasped. Then again, with one hand on her punished ass, the claw climbed the inside of her thigh.

Just as the claw touched her clit Stephen pulled her punished body into his and gave her the order. “Now, girl. Come hard. Now! I take your climax. It’s mine. Now!”

Alexis arched in her bindings as the climax took her. Stephen held her tightly keeping the nasty claw on her clit. Ian was amazed at how long her orgasm took. Her head thrown back, great waves passed through her body. Ian realized the advantage of her tight bindings. Alexis was not a particularly big woman, but even so Stephen had to work at keeping hold of the writhing beast she had become under his hand. When the shuddering had subsided a bit, he removed the claw and passed it back to Ian.

“She is completely mine now. Watch this.” He was almost back to his instructor mode. Stephen took Alexis hair into his iron grip. “Open your eyes, slut.” Alexis’ eyes flew open. “I want another.” Stephen’s finger tip stroked her lip, dabbed into the blood and then pulled her mouth wide open. The tension on her hair kept her head back and the pressure on her teeth forced her jaw wide. He moved his mouth close to hers, but not quite touching. “Now,” he breathed into her open mouth and she exploded again, screaming her way into oblivion.

When she calmed again, Stephen indicated to Ian to release the suspension bar and Alexis was gently lowered to the floor. She was completely unable to stand. She shuddered and twitched with the aftershocks of her orgasms as her various cuffs were gently removed. Ian took a close look with his physician’s eye. She had some bruises and a few welts, but nothing serious and nothing that even needed treatment.