AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She had to tug at the bottom drawer to get it open and found various sized garments tossed inside. Arianna pulled out a pair of dark pants and slid them on, relishing in the feel of fabric against her skin. They were baggy, too big on her slight frame, but they’d keep her warm and hopefully keep The Demon from looking too closely at her feminine form.
Arianna pulled out a long-sleeved shirt next, tossed her horridly short dress to the side, and yanked it over her head. The warmth was instantaneous. She just prayed The Demon wouldn’t make her take it off upon his return. If she died over clothes, well, then she guessed that was to be her end.
Arianna added another log to the fire and settled in the far corner to await his arrival.
Night descended, the camp quieted, and nocturnal insects and animals called to one another beyond the cabin walls. She waited, shivering in her corner.
But he never came.
She didn’t know when she’d fallen asleep, but her ears perked when a loud knock sounded at the front door with dawn. Arianna’s heart skipped a beat, her throat went dry, and she refused to move until the knock happened again. Quick and loud.
Arianna’s magic surged, trying to wrestle free from her grasp, but she slammed it back down.Breathe, she told herself. It’d been so long since she’d experienced the sensation that it almost seemed foreign. Hesitantly, Arianna crept toward the door and opened it with a shaking hand. A slave stood on the other side. A slave with a scowl on her face.
“Don’t take so long next time.” She grabbed Arianna’s wrist, yanked her from the cabin, and huffed when Arianna didn’t close the door behind her. The female did it for her then pulled Arianna down the short, cobblestone path, past the invisible line created by the warriors and into the fray of tents and scattered houses.
“Where are—”
“Shhh.” The female glared at her as if she’d violated the most basic rule then continued dragging Arianna down a well-trodden path. The warriors didn’t stare so much this time. Even this early, the warriors were busy stoking fires, the embers shooting out of hot kilns while others pounded on weapons and armor, mending the broken pieces.
Arianna tried peering down a different path, but the female grabbed Arianna’s shirt and threw them both against the wooden wall to a small cottage. Arianna was about to protest when she scented a group of males headed their way. Arianna eyed the female, waiting for her instruction. She feared the warriors might question the pair, and her heart raced with each heavy step of their boots, but the male’s conversation didn’t falter, and they walked by as if the two females didn’t exist.
The female grabbed her wrist again and continued tugging her along the path, passing slave after slave and tent after tent until they were outside a long hall. Stones crumbed from its base and lay scattered in the tall grass. The roof had rotted on one side, but the female kept pulling Arianna forward.
Arianna scented something akin to onions and rice and her stomach clenched in response. The building didn’t have a door and inside there was only a single table stacked with breads and cheese. A large, black cauldron stood along the back wall with a line of bodies waiting before it.
“Sit,” the female commanded. Arianna did, right on the dirty floor where so many others were already eating. The female cut to the front of the line, but no one protested. Arianna could have cried when she returned, handing her a chunk of bread, a block of cheese, and a bowl filled with white, chunky gruel. “Eat, it’s all you’ll get.”
Arianna didn’t need to be told twice nor did she complain about the staleness of the bread. She couldn’t remember the last time she had a full meal. While she chewed, Arianna examined the female wolfing down her food. It was difficult to tell a Fae’s age, even half-breeds sometimes, but Arianna guessed her to be in her twenties from demeanor alone. Her oddly gentle brown eyes darted between the slaves seated in the hall, watching to ensure they finished their meals quickly. Light brown hair hung down to her shoulders, hiding the bruising around her neck. Arianna averted her gaze at the sight of the iron shackles around the female’s wrists.
“Leave your bowl here and follow me. Don’t linger.” Arianna did as she was told, unwilling to upset the female who’d ensured her stomach was full. She led Arianna back out into the camp full of smoke and noise and Arianna tried to make sense of her surroundings. Everything looked the same, with tan colored tents and fires lining row after row. Dirt paths zigzagged between the tents in no particular pattern and left Arianna dizzy with confusion. It was only the scattered houses that offered any concrete detail to her location but even they were similar in structure and crumbling appearance.
The female paused before a set of tents and Arianna peered inside. “This is where you’ll get firewood. The slaves won’t question how much you take so be sure you have enough.” She continued before Arianna could respond. “Over there is the wash area.” The female pointed and Arianna squinted to see several bodies running back and forth with baskets and armfuls of linen. “You’ll be expected to take care of those things as needed. Don’t make him wait, none of the warriors here have a tolerance for excuses or delays.”
She spun Arianna around. “And that is the supply house.” She pointed to another crumbling structure, though this one appeared to have its roof intact. “Use the goods inside sparingly. We don’t get shipments from Brónach often and if we run out, we all get beat.” The female continued moving along and Arianna tried to commit each thing to memory. “And here’s where you can pick up food, but don’t eat any of it. You’ll be punished if you do and treating broken bones around here isn’t pleasant.” The female turned on her with an expectant gaze. “Any questions?”
A million but, “When will he return?”
Something in the female’s gaze softened. “A week. They went out on another raid.” Her gaze flickered to a warrior stalking the perimeter. “And don’t linger. They beat those who dawdle.”
“How—” Arianna started her sentence and stopped.
“Be quick about your questions.”
“How many slaves has he had?”
Sadness shadowed the female’s face before she could hide it. “It’s hard to say. They all vanish in a few days. Just keep your head low and stay out of his way.”
Chapter Five
Arianna
The female escorted Arianna back to the cabin and pointed out landmarks that would make finding the mess hall easier. Turn right at the first house. Left at the second, then right again. Walk past the next three houses to avoid some male with a nasty attitude, then shift left to stay on the correct path. She was instructed to arrive early tomorrow morning.Right. If I don’t get lost.
Arianna sighed.They all vanish in a few days.
The female’s words lingered like a foul taste in her mouth. Where did the slaves go when they disappeared? What kind of torment did they endure? Then she remembered Lan’s last comment.
Such a shame.
