Post by Velia on Sept 18, 2010 20:08:23 GMT -5
Velia’s horse faltered. They had been two days without sight of water, what little she’d has with her she’d long since given the mighty beast. As Velia dug into the hot sand her hands screamed in pain, she dug to the length of her arm and found no underlying wetness to be harvested for even a drop of reprieve. She’d kept her eye out for the House of Lorcan’s pursuit but they weren’t behind her, she could only hope that meant they weren’t going to find her. Surely an army of prepared men would be able to travel faster then she had been. The horse lay down in the sand ready to die. Velia unbuckled what was attached to the beast, then she began digging again this time behind where the horse lay. He would provide her a couple hours worth of shade before she would need to keep walking. She lay her cloak over her like a tent and dared close her eyes.
When she woke again the horse was dead and the sky was filled with night. She shivered as she sat upright surveying what she could in the moonlight and pulling her cloak around her. She gathered everything into the packs and strapped them to her. In her exhaustion she barely moved forward but she walked from the horse after sending up a small prayer. If she had been at home with the Soujorner’s they would have danced and sang then eaten the heart of the animal to thank it for the friendship, but Velia didn’t have the voice or knife to do the prayer. She walked for hours the night getting colder and the moonlight seemed to grow dimmer.
She was near to collapsing when she heard the sound of a horse. She tried to see where it was and too late she spotted a fire in the distance. There was no where to hide in the dark except to get as small as possible and hope the person on the horse hadn’t seen her. If luck had ever owed her a favor it was now, but luck wasn’t ready to pay. There was an angry shout and then one returned. They had seen her, and she was too tired to move, she waited for the man to find her. His voice softened when he saw it was a woman but Velia was ill at ease with this new found softness. He climbed off his horse and offered her a drink the water which was refreshing. She clasped her hands together and bowed after she handed it back. He chuckled and said something else she didn’t understand and tugged at her sleeve asking her to follow him. She did as she was suspected he wanted. The second man who shouted came riding up, he too spoke the strange language she didn’t know. In the dark she couldn’t tell much about these men only that their voices were not as unkind as she had grown accustomed. They helped her onto a horse and rode her back to camp. The second man said something before riding off into the night. She was led into a tent and made to drink more water before they indicated she should lay down.
In the morning she took in her surroundings. A woman came in and undressed her helped her bath and then redressed her. Then the woman held out her hand and began speaking to her. Velia looked blankly at the woman who got irritated and then raised her voice. Two men entered and began talking to her. Once again she could only shake her head to show she didn’t understand. Somehow through the communication they managed to understand that she wanted to go with them to other people and that she needed to pay. Velia gave them what she could. They seemed to not value one belt in particular they held it up inspected it and ripped at it before laughing and giving it back to her. Most everything else they took. The journey was uneventful as far as Velia remembered there was no celebrating anything. These people led simple lives void of color and simply tried to survive.
When they reached the city that the men led her forcibly to the docks; perhaps they had dealt with the man they sought before and perhaps not. They spoke in gruff tongue she was only beginning to understand. The captain himself was an eyeful his looks were that of something she could never describe properly. He was beautiful and terrifying, pale and fierce and she dared not meet his eye. Slowly, Velia worked one of the pins in her belt loose and stabbed the man on her left before doing the same to the man on her right. She ran for naught a minute when she was stopped by the captain his grip strong and unyielding. She couldn’t struggle anymore; fate had chosen that she be a slave again.
On the ship she was kept with many others like her more men then women. They were made to do manual labor and then forced to entertain the captain and his crew in shows and dances. The sail was hard she’d never traveled by boat before not even a short distance. One night it was she who got called to the captain’s presence terrified of what was going to happen she tried once again to run. She thought for a brief moment if she ran to the edge of the boat she would have a chance to keep going. He wasn’t nice, and handled her gently saying something is a tone that made her shiver he bit her neck and it was the worst experience of her life. She wanted to scream, she could not move thought she was awake, and when it was done he tossed her aside and walked away. Someone else came and moved her back to the overcrowded room full of chain and stench. One of the women tried to talk to her but she couldn’t understand and merely shook her head once before finding her spot on the floor. In the time that followed on sea she existed but certainly did not live. They kept them chained constantly to at least two others while they worked, she had no further chance to try and escape.
It was clear when they make landfall that the journey was not over. Some of the slaves were put in minimal chains and then tied in a cart, Velia was one of them. The rest it seemed were to stay where they were. While the crew split the captain met with more men he knew. They were headed to a camp where men came to battle, trade, and drink. The slaves were made to look after the men who they had come with and on the second day they were put up for sale. She had managed to break free briefly but the chains on her wrist made her an easy target. A woman with serious force caught her and hauled her back to the auction. The captain merely looked bored as he conversed with his comrades. She watched as slaves before her went and the jeering when slaves were made to dance for their sale. Then it was her turn to be bought.
One creature of stunning beauty placed the first bid, her red hair and pale skin made her shiver as she thought of the captain’s bite and then another woman bid, this one she was certain was just like the captain and she wished to go with neither of them she looked at the captain once with a pleading look, if he saw her she did not know. The bidding ended shortly and she was purchased by the creature who had placed the first bid, men stood around her with hands on hilt stances alert. The woman looked in her eyes and spoke. Then unexpectedly the man next to woman took her chains and undid them. She looked at the woman and as Velia felt tears begin to form the woman reached out and touched her gently, she could not help but flinch. Velia knew she would gladly serve the first person to grant her freedom from the time she and her brother had been sold to their sojourner family. They looked at each other and Velia nodded before sitting at the woman’s feet.
When she woke again the horse was dead and the sky was filled with night. She shivered as she sat upright surveying what she could in the moonlight and pulling her cloak around her. She gathered everything into the packs and strapped them to her. In her exhaustion she barely moved forward but she walked from the horse after sending up a small prayer. If she had been at home with the Soujorner’s they would have danced and sang then eaten the heart of the animal to thank it for the friendship, but Velia didn’t have the voice or knife to do the prayer. She walked for hours the night getting colder and the moonlight seemed to grow dimmer.
She was near to collapsing when she heard the sound of a horse. She tried to see where it was and too late she spotted a fire in the distance. There was no where to hide in the dark except to get as small as possible and hope the person on the horse hadn’t seen her. If luck had ever owed her a favor it was now, but luck wasn’t ready to pay. There was an angry shout and then one returned. They had seen her, and she was too tired to move, she waited for the man to find her. His voice softened when he saw it was a woman but Velia was ill at ease with this new found softness. He climbed off his horse and offered her a drink the water which was refreshing. She clasped her hands together and bowed after she handed it back. He chuckled and said something else she didn’t understand and tugged at her sleeve asking her to follow him. She did as she was suspected he wanted. The second man who shouted came riding up, he too spoke the strange language she didn’t know. In the dark she couldn’t tell much about these men only that their voices were not as unkind as she had grown accustomed. They helped her onto a horse and rode her back to camp. The second man said something before riding off into the night. She was led into a tent and made to drink more water before they indicated she should lay down.
In the morning she took in her surroundings. A woman came in and undressed her helped her bath and then redressed her. Then the woman held out her hand and began speaking to her. Velia looked blankly at the woman who got irritated and then raised her voice. Two men entered and began talking to her. Once again she could only shake her head to show she didn’t understand. Somehow through the communication they managed to understand that she wanted to go with them to other people and that she needed to pay. Velia gave them what she could. They seemed to not value one belt in particular they held it up inspected it and ripped at it before laughing and giving it back to her. Most everything else they took. The journey was uneventful as far as Velia remembered there was no celebrating anything. These people led simple lives void of color and simply tried to survive.
When they reached the city that the men led her forcibly to the docks; perhaps they had dealt with the man they sought before and perhaps not. They spoke in gruff tongue she was only beginning to understand. The captain himself was an eyeful his looks were that of something she could never describe properly. He was beautiful and terrifying, pale and fierce and she dared not meet his eye. Slowly, Velia worked one of the pins in her belt loose and stabbed the man on her left before doing the same to the man on her right. She ran for naught a minute when she was stopped by the captain his grip strong and unyielding. She couldn’t struggle anymore; fate had chosen that she be a slave again.
On the ship she was kept with many others like her more men then women. They were made to do manual labor and then forced to entertain the captain and his crew in shows and dances. The sail was hard she’d never traveled by boat before not even a short distance. One night it was she who got called to the captain’s presence terrified of what was going to happen she tried once again to run. She thought for a brief moment if she ran to the edge of the boat she would have a chance to keep going. He wasn’t nice, and handled her gently saying something is a tone that made her shiver he bit her neck and it was the worst experience of her life. She wanted to scream, she could not move thought she was awake, and when it was done he tossed her aside and walked away. Someone else came and moved her back to the overcrowded room full of chain and stench. One of the women tried to talk to her but she couldn’t understand and merely shook her head once before finding her spot on the floor. In the time that followed on sea she existed but certainly did not live. They kept them chained constantly to at least two others while they worked, she had no further chance to try and escape.
It was clear when they make landfall that the journey was not over. Some of the slaves were put in minimal chains and then tied in a cart, Velia was one of them. The rest it seemed were to stay where they were. While the crew split the captain met with more men he knew. They were headed to a camp where men came to battle, trade, and drink. The slaves were made to look after the men who they had come with and on the second day they were put up for sale. She had managed to break free briefly but the chains on her wrist made her an easy target. A woman with serious force caught her and hauled her back to the auction. The captain merely looked bored as he conversed with his comrades. She watched as slaves before her went and the jeering when slaves were made to dance for their sale. Then it was her turn to be bought.
One creature of stunning beauty placed the first bid, her red hair and pale skin made her shiver as she thought of the captain’s bite and then another woman bid, this one she was certain was just like the captain and she wished to go with neither of them she looked at the captain once with a pleading look, if he saw her she did not know. The bidding ended shortly and she was purchased by the creature who had placed the first bid, men stood around her with hands on hilt stances alert. The woman looked in her eyes and spoke. Then unexpectedly the man next to woman took her chains and undid them. She looked at the woman and as Velia felt tears begin to form the woman reached out and touched her gently, she could not help but flinch. Velia knew she would gladly serve the first person to grant her freedom from the time she and her brother had been sold to their sojourner family. They looked at each other and Velia nodded before sitting at the woman’s feet.