 |
| Ehrlik - Slave Herd |
This imaginative image illustrates the scale of this trade and the proliferation of muscular blonds available for trapping in this region. This might almost be a herd of human ponies running wild and ripe for the round-up, but they already bear the bonds of captivity and if you look closely you can just glimpse the drivers behind them wearing scary, tribal masks and urging them on. With their hands tied behind their backs, negotiating this rocky passage is an ordeal in itself, let alone what awaits them at their destination which I suspect is more likely to be a grimy, slave auction than a pleasant pasture. Even so it's in their own interests to arrive in prime condition and attract the richest buyer.
 |
| Ehrlik - Affixing The Collar |
This laid back, arching pose is much favoured by Ehrlik - see the Lab-Rat and Test Subject posts. It's easy to see why, it puts a good selection of manly attributes on display and fetish fans can also appreciate the underlying stress of this position which will become more and more uncomfortable if prolonged and eventually pure torture, inescapable if imposed by restraints.
Arranging the captive's head so it rests on the anvil for the procedure is a devilish, black twist on the part of the smith. If this is necessary for the collar to be affixed then it obviously won't be easily removed. The terrified captive can only pray that the smith has the skill to land his hammer on the metal round his neck, (he must do - mustn't he?) When he was free to roam he will have heard the stories of ritual sacrifice practised by these people (see A Hero Dragged to his Fate). He has no way of knowing if this is how it will end for him.
 |
| Ehrlik - The Caress of the Blacksmith |
The blacksmith may simply abusing his position of power here, deliberately forcing the captive into a provocative and vulnerable position for his own sexual gratification. But it's probably more complex than that. He can feel the tremours in his subject's body and savour them, able to distinguish whether this man is simply relieved that the worst is over or one who feels a perverse excitement at the reality of captivity and the caress of his tormentor. More commonly, he will be able to detect the distress signals of failing muscles and the manifestation of a deep, dark fear for the future.
 |
| Ehrlik - Branding The Slave |