Flashback Bastard for sale (Shiress)

[Reed]

One moment Merdem was grinning, trying to work off the lid of the crate. Then suddenly he froze, his body stock still as he stared blankly forward. He was facing the wall so maybe this wasn’t immediately apparent, but if she was looking at his face she would see that he wouldn’t blink for several ticks. The only expression on his face was a slight grimace. Then the voices came and Reed blinked several times as he tried to become oriented. He turned towards the voices, fear and confusion plain on his face but before he could do anything else, the worst happened.

A crate cracked. Jars clinked and rolled across the floor. Shiress made a noise that caught in her throat as her foot caught on a bottle. Her hand caught his arm, and before he could steady himself, brought them both down. There were several loud cracks as glass shattered underneath them when they both landed heavily on the loose bottles. His body rolled over hers, smothering her with his weight. Stunned, he didn’t even have time to comprehend that he should get off of her when the door to the shed opened, spilling light on them.

Reed squinted against the light to see the figures that approached though he knew them well enough by their voices. A cold sweat trickled down his back as he clumsily extricated himself from Shiress and stood up straight to attend to his master. As his eyes adjusted to the sharp light that silhouetted the men, Shiress’ master started in on her, and Reed subtly tensed up for a similar treatment. He’d fucked up before, but never as bad as this. Interfering with business was a serious offense in the Reye’s household, and he dreaded his master’s response.

Crack. Crack. Crack. Reed winced everytime Shiress was struck, and struggled to keep his features neutral. It was hard, harder than he expected. He hadn’t any qualms about watching slaves get punished before so what was different about this? Before he could speculate any further though, the man got in his face and it took all of his will power to not back away from the aggressive maneuver. The man stopped short of actually whipping him however when his master interceded. Listening to his master, Reed felt a tightness in his stomach, and a growing heat radiating up his right hand. It burned particularly around the meat of his palm where he could feel a light trickle coming from a cut he had sustained there. He didn’t look down at it though, but kept his eyes towards his master, angled low, as was proper.

His eyes widened at the change of subject, but he wasn’t about to question his fortune. “I thought that was what I was brought here for.” Master Reyes sneered at that and stepped close, grasping the back of his neck to pull his head down till their brows touched. Breathing out the words through his teeth, Reyes said. “You petch when I say. Since when do you do otherwise?” Reyes foot slipped forwards and stopped when a tinkle of glass drew his eyes to the ground. Heart hammering in his chest, Reed stood stock still as his master stepped away and knelt.

Where master Reyes’ anger was quiet and brooding, Elijah’s was explosive as he shoved both of the slaves away to look at the damage. Reed hardly felt the push against his right arm, but didn’t have much time to think about that as he watched the two masters spoiling over the broken merchandise. Instead he looked over to Shiress for a long moment before steeling himself for what was to come regardless of what he did.

Clearing his throat, he spoke up before they could. “It was my fault. I got carried away rolling with her. I didn't see the crates in the dark.” He held up his bloodied hand for evidence and for the first time noticed the nasty gash there. His pulse thudded in his temples as they both turned to inspect him, Elijah momentarily mute with fury. Breathing in deep, he struggled to stand up straight as his head swam. Elijah said something, but Reed was suddenly having a hard time paying attention to more than one thing, and currently his eyes were on Master Reyes who was wielding the whip.

Faster than he could register, Reye’s hand flicked out, and Reed felt his head wrenched to the side causing him to stumble onto his knees. Pain flared brightly from his cheek as hot blood trickled down his chin. The next came across his bent back causing him to arch it backwards just in time to take another across his shoulders. Falling onto his elbows, he took the following several hits without flinching, his mind insensible to the pain. After what felt like bells his Master walked away and Reed struggled to his feet. Once he was upright though, he felt suddenly off balance and slumped against the wall before he could pitch forward. His eyes didn’t look towards the masters, but instead settled on Shiress. What had he gotten them into?

[Shiress]

They bought it!

Well, at least Reed's Master seemed to have bought the Akalak's altered explanation. Master Jordan, however, glared daggers at his Slave. He was the one who would suffer the loss of broken bottles and the spilled liquid.

Finally able to fill her straining lungs, Shiress pulled herself into a seated position just as Jordan's booted feet came to stand before her. Crouching the Slave Master wrapped a fist into Shiress's chestnut locks, wrenching her face up to look at him.

"The cost of my lost product will be taken out of your ass, Slave." Jordan substantiated his statement with a firm backhand across Shiress's cheek, before grabbing another fistful of hair, grinning wickedly into her face "How about I let Blade collect my debt?" With a flick of his wrist, Jordan released Shiress, straightened and turned. "Load up!" he called out.

Several larger guards entered the shed and carried the crates out, leaving the damaged one scattered along the ground, though they made quick work of gathering the unbroken bottles. Once the guards had vacated the shed, silence ascended. After a tick, Shiress brushed back the curtain of hair from her face and peered around.

She and Reed were alone, with Reed looking the worse for wear. A thin sheen of sweat dotted the Akalak's forehead as he slumped against a wall, looking as if he threatened to topple over. Shiress twisted around to hands and knees, crawling toward him then stood, approaching warily.

"I'm so sorry" she said, stepping forward "I didn't mean for this to happen."

Reaching out a hesitant hand, Shiress took the man's massive forearm and drew it toward her, emerald gaze studying the bloody gash across the palm of his hand and the clear liquid wetting the skin surrounding it. Shiress frowned down at it, then gasped at the realization, eyes jerking up to Reed's face, studying him closely.

"The drug...from the broken bottle..it must have gotten into the cut." A direct link into the bloodstream? Shiress didn't know what that could do to a man, but it couldn't be good. Especially considering she was reasonably certain the drug was taken by drops. Hopefully, Reed's bulk would minimize the drug's invasion, but regardless, things were about to get interesting and with Blade coming...

Shiress tugged the big Akalak around one of the separating walls, out of sight, and pulled him down to sit, and she followed, pulling his hand into her lap. "I can stitch this later, but I need to try and get the drug out, or at least what's left of it." she said, kneading the wound from both sides gently, causing it to ooze pools of blood that ran between thick fingers.

Ripping a long strip from the hem of the shift she wore, Shiress wrapped Reed's palm and tied it off. Glancing up, she found him gazing dazedly at her. Shyke! This was her fault! If she hadn't suggested them come to gawk at the gods be damned pig, this wouldn't have happened, and Blade wouldn't be on his way to punish her. Petch, Blade...

"I need you to listen to me, okay?" Shiress carefully swiped the blood dripping from Reed's chin, catching his attention. "I'm not sure what this drug will do to you, but you will have to fight it, Reed. I'm...I wont.." Shiress's words floundered as she searched through her fear to comfort Reed somehow.

"Blade is coming to punish me. He's sort of an enforcer for Master. After he...when I'm able, I'll see to you better, okay." Shiress waited for Reed's acknowledgment before continuing. "Just stay quiet and focus your thoughts on where you are and who you are and..." The sound of the shed door wrenching open interrupted Shiress's pleas, and a look of pure horror flashed across her face before she stood abruptly, placing a shushing finger against her lips and stepping away. Reed was in no shape to be subjected to Blade's punishment, and she wasn't sure if the guard had been ordered to thrash Reed or not.

Shiress crossed to the center of the open space, a look of stoic resignation etched across her features as Blade stepped across the threshold. Blade was a massive brute of a man with thick arms and legs. His bald head glistened with sweat, and a sinister smile split the goatee he sported.

"Now, whoever said some things never change just didn't know my luck now did they slave?" Blade plucked a small stick from between his teeth and flicked it away as he stepped up to Shiress. With slow purpose, he wrapped thick, dirty fingers around Shiress's neck and yanked her against him, sniffing her hair deeply before bringing his mouth close to her ear, his voice a low grumble. "I'm going to enjoy this."

Wrenching his prey around, Blade grabbed a fistful of fabric and yanked, exposing Shiress's back. With a hard shove, Shiress slammed into the pen's fencing, her eyes squeezing shut against what was to come. The enforcer took a step back, squaring his shoulders in a relaxed stance, a cat o' nine tails clutched in one hand, the other sadistically palming his crotch.

He snapped the whip once, releasing its long, leather strips.

Fire licked across the exposed skin of Shiress back once, twice, thrice before she finally screamed.

[Reed]

Elijah moved like a sadistic marionette his motions jerky as he wrenched her towards him. Reed blinked and focused on the pair. They were back to normal now, but the shadows around Jordan seemed unnaturally sharp. All that was difficult to concentrate on however as he felt like he was floating. Was he going mad? Had the whipping finally broke him? That light feeling in his chest quickly spiraled into an acute anxiety that was accentuated by the tension in the room. He pressed himself up against the wall as he struggled to breath, feeling subtly grounded by the cool feeling of the wood against his back.

He couldn’t stop watching the interaction between Shiress and Jordan however. He felt like he should do something, but the second he thought about that he was drowning in the futility of it so he just ended up retreating back into the small comfort of the wall as the men came in to pick up the crates. His master said nothing of course, didn’t even look his way, which was a bit of a relief as he had no idea what he would even blurt out if he was asked right now. His mind was spinning and there was no way he could get it to stop.

Reed blinked again, and the men were gone. Shiress was standing before him, grasping his arm, and gaping like a fish he looked at her while he digested the fact that she had been talking to him. Up close to her now, he noticed the fractals in her irises and then her expression which filled him with a deep seated unease. Merdem grasped her arm with his left. “THE DRUGS!” He sputtered, gripping her arm tightly before he registered her reaction and released his grip on her forearm. The back of his head thunked against the wall as he leaned back and closed his eyes to try to settle himself. What had she said about the drug? Gave her the spins thats right. Though we haven’t seen the spins yet have we?

Reed allowed himself to be tugged forward after a slight bit of resistance, and muttered quietly to himself. “Of course, it’s not me thats broken.” He felt a strong sense of elation at uncovering that little idea, and gave Shiress a goofy smile as she set him down out of sight of the entrance. His eyes easily adapted to the darkness, and he could make out fun little patterns in the hay. But Shiress was speaking now, and his hand. Merdem leaned closer to the woman as she worked on his hand, his eyes roaming up from her torn shift before they got distracted examining the hyper detail of the torn strands of fabric.

The movement of her tying of his hand caught his attention next, and Reed grimaced as he saw the blood that was soaking through the torn shift. It was so red and beautiful against the dull color of the fabric. She was talking to him again, and his eyes made their lazy way to hers, his mouth slightly ajar as his tongue was currently exploring his gums. Her fear got through him well enough though, and he snapped out of exploring his mouth long enough to listen to what she said. Subconsciously his hand squeezed hers as his eyes darted quickly between hers. He nodded, and repeated her statement to himself, though something about it was already starting to gnaw at him. The door opened, and Merdem was about to stand up when Shiress shushed him so he stayed where he was though he was now focused on listening intently to what happened next.

The newcomer was not a friendly one it seemed, and their little accident earlier seemed so far away now. As he puzzled over what he should do, things ramped up and the crack of the whip snapped something awake in him. Using the wall for leverage, he climbed to his feet, and lumbered out to see the man who was hitting Shiress. The scene seemed overly familiar as if it was one of the special shows he did in the cage sometimes to spice things up. The man didn’t even stop hitting Shiress when he noticed him, but he did manage to bark out. “What you going to do pup.”

Merdem struggled to focus on the man’s face which was even now starting to spin with the rest of the room, so he put up a finger to his temple, and closed his eyes as he said. “I. Think. You’re. An. Ugly. Cunt.” He didn’t hear any more whipping as the words lingered in the room. Instead he heard the man’s heavy steps. Soo heavy they roared in his ears. Still not opening his eyes, he ducked into a crouch, and briefly the world arrested its spin before he was suddenly knocked flat on his back when the kneed him in the gut.

Reed’s eyes flew open as he struggled to take in air, and his eyes focused slowly on the man standing above him. Instinctively, he scrambled back which drew a chuckled from the man before he grabbed Reed’s foot and started dragging him towards where he’d been whipping Shiress. World still spinning, his hands searched for anything he could grab a hold of till finally he found the handle of a rusty trowel. Immediately he brought it down as he pulled himself up, banging the wooden handle of the trowel against the man’s knuckles causing him to release Reed in surprise.

Merdem jumped to his feet, then teetered where he stood as he struggled to grasp his balance. Swearing, Blade grasped the front of Reed’s tunic and slammed him against the wall. Before Reed could react, blade slugged him in the face. As the blood filled his mouth and the world dissolved into splinters of light, Merdem brought his knee up to the man’s groin, and grabbed Blade back before he could fall away from him. Then with a firm grip on the front of the man’s body, he swung him around with his hips tossing him against the wall opposite. Blade made contact with his left shoulder and gave a shout. Still blinded by the spotty patches of darkness that swam across his vision, Merdem knelt again to ground himself for a moment a midst the tides of the drug that where sweeping over him. Blade was not done yet however so as he heard the man walked over, he stood up to face the man, but as he struggled to orient on him, Blade swiped him across the temple, knocking him out cold.

[Shiress]

Shiress slumped over the railing where Blade had left her, unable to do anything but grit her teeth, to the point of crushing her molars, and wait until the fire licking across her back eased. She could hear the Reed taunting Blade behind her, but couldn't muster up enough air through the pain to say anything. She let herself sink slowly to the ground and pressed her forehead against the next to last wooden rail, breathing deep.

Unbelievable

That drug must have done a number on the Akalak for him to think he could have stood a chance against the hulking guard, but Gods bless him for the effort.

Shiress cringed at the sound of a body slamming against the wall. Turning her head, she wasn't surprised to see that it had been Reed's. The male slave made a valiant effort to face Blade as he closed the distance again, but the guard swung hard, and Reed went down. Fight over.

Shiress wanted to burst into tears, not only at Reed's misplaced bravery, but she knew Blade's attention would return to her now and, with it, the whip. Blade didn't move, however, and Shiress tilted her head the tiniest bit and peered up at the man through a curtain of chestnut hair. He loomed over Reed's prone form, thick chest heaving as he glared down at the Akalak. A large dagger twisted in Blade's meaty hand drew Shiress gaze, and she realized he'd taken Reed out with the handle, but now he righted the blade in his grip, and Shiress knew he was going to kill Reed.

"No!" Shiress shrieked, lurching across the floor toward Reed, arm flung out as if she could stay the downward thrust of Blade's weapon. Waves of pain moved across her back as muscles bunched and stretched, but she ignored it, but her attempt to protect Reed was for naught.

Something like the sound of an ax striking a melon filled her ears, then Blade's body spun once before it crashed to the floor. Shiress stared at the guard for a long tick, watching in disbelief as bright red blood trickled from his ears in rivulets, before warily moving her gaze to a leather-wrapped club clutched in a giant fist. Swallowing, she lifted her eyes to the stranger standing over her and Reed.

The man was big, and his broad shoulders and chest led down to a trim waist. The dark green tunic he was wearing was snug and hinted at generous, well-defined muscles. The dark-haired man’s face wasn’t handsome in the classical sense, but his wide, stubble-covered jaw and stormy grayish-blue eyes gave him an attractive look, despite the hard-eyed glare he pinned to Shiress.

The scrutiny didn't last long before the man was kneeling beside Reed, his big fingers wrapping around the Akalak's jaw to move his face around to better see. After a moment of quiet triage, the man called Reed's name, slapping him firmly on the cheek. Reed moaned but didn't rouse, and something shifted in the stranger's features, and he shook his head, almost fondly.

"Reed! Come on, its Rocco, wake up!"

"I can help him" Shiress said, reaching out a tentative hand to touch the man's forearm only to jerk it back when the man's cold eyes snapped to the place where she touched him. Slowly, the man's gaze shifted from the spot of the offending touch to Shiress, making her shiver at the spike of fear it caused to shoot down her spine. She recoiled away from those eyes and wrapped her arms around herself, feeling every bit of guilt that cold gray gaze accused her of and then some.

[Reed]

Rocco seemed to consider her for a long time before he looked back at Reed. He gave his cheek another slap before he let the Akalak’s head fall back down to the floor. “Water” He said briskly while he continued to look down at Reed. If she did anything besides get up to go fetch some, he would look up, and glare at her, saying slowly. “Are you deaf woman? I said fetch me some water.” Then he’d get up and start rummaging through Blades pockets.

When Shiress got back with the water, Rocco immediately snatched it from her, splashing it across Reed. When he didn’t stir, Rocco kicked him in the leg and started pacing around in a circle, fuming. Occasionally he looked over at Shiress as he started muttering something about. “..rutting” and “petching trouble..” Then, taking a deep breath, and running a hand through his hair, his eyes settled on Shiress more firmly.

After watching her for several chimes, he walked over to her until he was inches from her face, leaning over. “I’m going to go take this sack of filth to the slag heap. If he’s not awake by the time I get back, I’m going to take his price out of you. Got that?” He said quietly. Standing there so close, he breathed in loudly through his nose, and then he left her. Hoisting Blade over his shoulder, he cast her one more glance before he disappeared out of the doorway.


****

Reed didn’t know how long he had been out,though when he came to, Shiress was kneeling over him. His head pounded, and his mouth felt like cotton. He’d almost forgotten about the visions when suddenly Shiress seemed blurry, sort of like a painting. He blinked several times, but the brush strokes remained. At least he didn’t feel that overwhelming euphoria anymore, that had scared him. All he could feel now was a blinding pain in his temple and shoulder, an a hollowness inside that he could drown in. It was a familiar feeling, one he could shunt aside in the past. Now though it seemed to have a force of its own, clinging like pitch to his thoughts, dragging down, down.

Shiress spoke, and up from the well, he looked to see her staring at him. Her eyes like cut gemstones with flecks of color beneath. What was happening to him. Them? The thought came unbidden but to his horror he found that it was not a new thought but an old one. An old one that he’d rationalized for so long that he wasn’t sure which way was up or down.

“You are losing it again.” Reed coughed out loud, before sinking back against the ground, the ceiling spinning around him. Thump-thump. Thump-thump. Thump-thump. Shiress was talking again but it was like the air was filled with gauze so all he got saw the undulating hum that tickled the inside of his ear. In response, Reed dug away at the inside of his right ear and found his movements overly sluggish, like he was swimming in mud. He let his hand fall down again, and felt a dull ache distantly from his hand. Oh right, I cut myself on those stupid bottles. Stupid bottles. Stupi..

It was the drugs. It was the drugs, and thats all it was. He wasn’t going crazy. He would snap out of it any moment now. Reed sat up on his elbows struggling to steady himself as his head swam but he didn’t make it farther than leaing towards Shiress a little bit before his eyes unfocused and he almost pitched forwards if she didn’t catch him.

“How.. How long” He croaked out, drool slipping from the side of his mouth as weakly tried to get his feet under him.

[Shiress]

"Oh, thank the gods!"

Shiress breathed a long sigh of relief as Reed, at last, began to stir. Discarding the well bloodied cloth that she had been using to clean up the gash along the Akalak's temple, the slave pressed her palms against the man's thick chest, urging him to stay down.

"No, no, please, Reed, please stay down." It was like trying to immobilize an ox. Shiress leaned up, letting her arms take all of her meager weight to encourage the male slave to be still. "Please, Reed, your friend, Rock.." Shiress frantically searched for the memory of the huge man's name, came up with nothing and decided Rock was as close as she was going to get, "the big one, Rock, he took Blade with him, but he'll be back. If you get up, you'll pass out, and he said...he said that you needed to be better when he came back or he'd...that I'd pay!"

The bulky Akalak was nothing if not stubborn. Just when she thought he would comply, he sat bolt upright, knocking Shiress hands from his chest, and causing the girl to face plant right in the middle of his broad and sweaty chest. For a chime, a very long chime, Shiress wanted to stay there, surrender, and just cry, but the obdurate oaf began to struggle as if to stand. If the man managed to get to his feet, Shiress was in no way fooled that she would be able to keep him there.

So she straddled him.

Pressing all her weight against the man, she accomplished her goal by knocking him back to his arse. "Stop! You have to listen to me!" Soft pink eyes regarded her, though she wasn't sure if comprehension was among the Akalak's dazed countenance. "You've been out for nearly a bell." Shiress drew in a deep breath. "Im in enough trouble as it is. Blade is dead, thanks to your friend, and right now, he is doing away with the body and will return any chime. I have to figure out what to tell Master Jordan when he comes looking for his enforcer. Gods forbid if he finds his body first."

Shiress's heart got the better of her, and she allowed her green gaze to take in Reed's pitiful state. Eyes half-lidded, blood stained one side of his face as well as his chin where his lip was split. And bless him, Reed was drooling. Lifting a hand, Shiress slid a thumb across the man's mouth, brushing away the wetness. "I'm so sorry for all of this. I never meant for all this trouble, but we have to figure out what to do. You can't afford any more beatings, and I can't afford any more of my Master's ire. I'm already going to...."

Shiress was wrenched back by her hair and pulled roughly to her feet. For a tick, she was suspended like a ragdoll before being forced backward against a hard body, fist tightening its relentless hold in her hair, hot breath dancing across her ear.

"I told you to wake him, not petch him, you filth!"

Shiress let out a very unladylike squawk, sagging against the man's hold. "Oh, for the love of all the gods, petch me..."

"Not in your wildest dreams" Rocco breathed against her ear.

[Reed]

The world contracted around him as Shiress pushed. His eyes widened terrified as he looked at the woman who was suddenly trying to kill him. Reed flexed, willing his arms to push her off of him but instead they just clasped her forearms weakly. He held onto her, clutching her like a life preserver as he struggled to push himself up. Why wouldn’t she let him up? His mind flashed back to the ulterior motives as he locked on to the bloodied cloth. Whos blood was that? A voice inside of him screamed that was not his own.

Merdem sat up, pushing back against her before loosing his train of thought when she fell against his chest. Then he was back to trying to get on his feet, and. He didn’t know where he was going to go from there with his temple pounding while the world started leaching color. The choice though was out of his hands when Shiress knocked him back down with her weight an his head spun as twisting shapes circled her face.

“How did you kill a sword?” Reed asked suddenly confused. He tried looking at the woman while he spoke, but her face contorted in frightening ways so it was better to look at anything else around them. There the shadows moved like cold flames, which was marginally less frightening. “Those damn vines are potent.” Reed groused, and slapped at a deer that crawled on his arm. “When did animals get so tiny, or are we big?”

Merdem slapped himself across the face, leveled a dazed look in the direction of the woman over him. “You’re pretty.” He slurred, right as Rocco pulled her off of him. He abruptly sat up, yelling something intelligible as the man spoke to Shiress. “Rocco, what the..” His head spun, and he fell back on an elbow to steady himself. “Something in those petching bottles got me high as shite.” He managed to grunt after what felt like chimes, then his eyes focused on Shiress and her delicate position.

“Lay off ya brute” Reed shouted. Rocco favored him with a dark look before he started chuckling and let go of Shiress. “A bit mouthy aren’t ya for one who just had his arse kicked.”

Reed just gave him a bleary look before turning to the side and belching out a glob of blood. He stared down at it for a lot longer than he should have before speaking again. “That ain’t purple to you is it?”

Rocco laughed again, grabbing him under the arms to sit him against the wall. “Ah, yeah whatever you got into has got you well done in. Just sit here for a moment till you’re sure you won’t pass out.” Reed nodded along until he wasn’t. Until he was staring at his lap watching the ants dance across it. Shite, he hoped those weren’t real either but an itch on his knee was telling him otherwise.

While Reed was otherwise concerned, Rocco turned to Shiress. “You got a wheelbarrow around these part. Thinking its best he decompress back at home before things get violent.” He said, a little less rough now that he knew that the goods were going to make it. “How bout training, you any good with wounds. We’ve got supplies if you are, though I don’t know how your master would feel about that. Don’t care really.” He said with a shrug, before he started a search of his own for things that he would need for the journey.

[Shiress]

The big man released Shiress, and she took the opportunity to shuffle a few steps out of reach, surreptitiously rubbing at her sore scalp. The man was not fond of her, that was certainly obvious, but Shiress wondered if it was a dislike of her personally, for females in general, or her being a slave. Maybe it was because she was a female slave. Either way, she took another step away to be safe, glancing toward the exit. Perhaps she should just run for it. Slink back into the house, lick her wounds, and try and pretend this day never happened.

Shiress's gaze slid from the door to Rocco to Reed, then back to Rocco. The abrupt change in the tall man's demeanor, sliding from irritate to amiable toward Reed, took Shiress by surprise. Now that Reed was somewhat conscious, Rocco seemed more relaxed. A friend then. A good friend, if Shiress had to guess. The thought almost made her smile. She was happy that Reed had a friend. She wished she had one too.

Wrapping her arms around herself protectively, and suddenly exhausted and achy, Shiress took a tentative step toward the door but froze when Rocco turned her way and spoke. Shoulders hunching, she shrugged.

"There's one just outside. I'll get it."

Before the last word was out of her mouth, Shiress was halfway to the door to escape to the house and disappear into her hole. As she reached the doorway, however, she paused, glancing back at Reed. Even though the Akalak seemed as if he could be just as brusque and unkind as his friend Rocco, Shiress couldn't help but think he wouldn't be in this mess had it not been for her. The least she could do was fetch a wheelbarrow for him.

Outside, Shiress slipped around the side of the shed, spotting the wheelbarrow handles up, leaning against the outside wall. Pulling it down, she rotated it on its one wheel and started back toward the shed opening, but paused, Rocco's offer of leaving, even if just for a little while, rolling through her mind.

Could she escape from where ever Reed lives? Shiress had never been away from Master Jordan's property before, and even if she couldn't escape, just a little while away from the confines of her every day enslavement would be thrilling. Even so, the opportunity to flee may never come again, and she just couldn't get the thought out of her head, and it had her heart assaulting the confines of her chest. But...Reed. His head did need stitches as well as his hand. Not to mention his ribs probably needed wrapping and...Shiress slumped, though, realizing that Master Jordan would never let her leave his control. Unless...

Dropping the handles of the barrow, Shiress pulled up the tattered remains of her dress and made a beeline for a small line of trees behind the shed. Counting trunks, she stopped at the fourth and knelt. Cursing and praying all at once for it to still be there, Shiress began vigorously pulling leaves and dirt from a hole in the base of the tree, close to the ground. Pulling her prize from the earth, she straightened and shot away toward the house, bypassing the shed.

Shiress only slowed her momentum when her feet met the front porch—pausing, her hand reaching for the handle of the door, before pulling open the door. As soon as she spied her Master, pacing angry groves into the wooden floor, Shiress knew her mistake; Master was still fuming after what had happened in the shed and, foolishly, Shiress had just offered herself up to be subjected to his ire.

Reed was hurt because of her.

Taking a deep breath, stilling her nerves, she crossed the floor and stood before Master. Eyes downcast, Shiress thrust out her hand, fist uncurling to reveal a single, muddy silver coin.

"A companion of Master Reyes party wishes to buy my services," she said, voice quivering as she quickly added, "for the night."

Master was silent for so long that Shiress lifted her gaze, wondering if he was still in the room. Just in time to see him take two long strides toward her, the back of his hand catching her between her lip and nose. Blood erupted from her nose, but she hadn't heard the telltale sound of bone snapping. Another backhanded blow caught her cheekbone, and, judging by the biting sting of it, her skin had parted. Shiress's vision narrowed, darkened, then swam back into focus. Master caught her roughly by the back of her neck before her knees met with the floor and twisted her around so that she was forced to look up at him.

"For what you have cost me today, I would let every last man in his party have you for free, just to rid myself of your presence." The hold the slaver had on her tightened. "If you are not back here this time tomorrow, I will hunt you down like a dog, and don't you dare think, for a tick, that I will not have more than one set of eyes watching your every move while you are gone." With that, Shiress was shoved toward the door, somehow maintaining her footing.

At some point during the exchange, she had lost her coin, but it didn't matter.

Stumbling, bloodied, and dizzy, the slave made her way back to the shed, pulled up the wheelbarrow by its handles, and rolled it into the shed. Shiress glanced up once to Rocco before her green gaze focused on the straw before her feet.

"I'm yours for the evening to see to Reed and any others that need medical attention, Sir"

[Reed]

When Shiress came back she would find Rocco kneeling over the crates, and Reed where she left him. Rocco was palming a bottle when he heard the wheel barrow come in. “You ain’t brought a knife?” He asked without looking at her, not moving until he heard an answer from her. Then he’d slowly put the bottle back glancing over at her as he did. Rocco cracked a grin.

“Where’s your mouth woman? For as bout as many marks as yous got, I expected a little trouble from you.” He said, sounding a little disappointed. His eyes flickered over to Reed. Rocco stood up, and adjusted his belt. “Well alright then, best we get off. I’d hate to have to smell the slag heap more than once today so don’t do anything stupid.” He said, walking into her if she didn’t move while he made his way to Reed.

Reed groaned as Rocco slung him over his shoulder and then into the wheel barrow. “Your carriage ser.” Rocco sneered as he picked up the handles. Looking over at Shiress, he jerked his head in the direction of the city. “You walk in front, I ain’t about to be stabbed by no filly. Never you mind where we’re going. You know where the water is, walk that way.” He prompted before they started to get going.

From the back, Rocco would periodically guide Shiress with curt remarks, mostly along the lines of “Wrong!” and “There ya go”. After a while it would appear that he was leading them to a rundown section of buildings by the docks.

For his part, Reed occasionally opened his eyes to look around, but mostly he just laid there. Riding the wave of sensation that coursed through his body. Perhaps it was good his body was numb. It made the jolts of the wheel barrow a lot less painful as he occasionally bumped his ribs against the side of his ‘carriage’.

About half way through, he started repeating the same hoarse phrase over and over. “Water” It wasn’t a question, or a command. In fact it was barely heard over the creak of the wheelbarrow, though that didn’t stop Reed from mumbling it every few chimes. Finally Rocco acknowledge the plea by lightly slapping Reed on the side of the face.

“Just shut up about it. We got it the first time, alright?” Rocco said as his eyes never stopped roving the streets around them. As they drew close, and the buildings rose around them, that was when Rocco started being a whole lot more cautious.

“Don’t you go get picked in one of these alleys my dear, I ain’t dragging your arse back.” Rocco growled low tone, loud enough for Shiress to hear. The man was palming a rather large knife as he pushed the wheelbarrow, and beside Reed he had tucked his club. With such obvious precautions most had the good sense to steer well clear of the party while they navigated the narrow streets between slumped over buildings.

Everything was going well till a pair of men in mismatched armor stepped out of an alley in front of them. Rocco rolled his eyes and stopped the wheelbarrow before squaring up towards the man that was closest. The fellow was a head shorter than Rocco with short dark hair, and a short sword strapped to his hip. His companion was of a similar height, with sandy blond hair. That man had his weapon in hand, a short bow with an arrow notched. Rocco shrugged, and nodded to the the one with dark hair.

“Ain’t got all day. I’ve paid my dues.” Rocco said, squinting at the pair. That prompted a sneering smile from the man with dark hair, but he stepped in front of the one with a bow.

“New tax goin around.” He said in a reedy voice while he eyed Shiress up an down. “5 coppers to take this shortcut”

Rocco sighed, and started digging through a pouch on his belt when the man added, “Per person.” Rocco stopped searching. He stared at the two men a long while before he threw five copper rimmed mizas at the men. Then he stepped around the wheelbarrow to stand behind Shiress, grabbing her roughly behind the neck.

“You’ll take five, and be happy for it. Like I said, I’ve paid my dues. Your lucky I’ve not a mind to go to your bosses about this to see if you’ve been giving them a cut of your new business.” He said calmly as he brandished the knife in his free hand.

The man with the dark hair snorted and spat in his direction while he glanced between the trio. “Petch that, you can’t say anything with a hole in you.”

Rocco breathed in slowly, his chest swelling against Shiress’ back as he pulled her close. “Well your welcome to try me. I reckon I can block a few shots with this slave here to get me in close enough to gut you both.”

The blond pulled back on his bow, and Rocco tightened his grip around her neck. Then the man with dark hair slightly shook his head. Both men scrambled to pick up the coins before taking off down the alleyway they’d come. Rocco relaxed his grip on her neck after taking a look around. He chuckled as he came around behind the wheelbarrow.

“Looks like they spotted some real daggerhands down the street there.” He said, jerking a thumb behind him. Then he was pushing the wheelbarrow again. It was scarcely thirty more chimes before they made it to their destination. A two story wooden structure with most of the windows boarded up save and little holes in the walls that shined with light from the fire within when you passed close to them.

“In” Rocco grunted to Shiress, following her through the side door he’d gestured towards. Down five steps they came into a subbasement with dirt walls and a wooden floor. A stone fire pit sat against the alley side wall, venting out into the street above. The room was large, but mostly empty. Iron collars attached to the wooden floors by chains adorned the corners of the room and there was a lone bloody table on the far side near a staircase that lead up to the first floor.

Rocco was not very careful with Reed coming down the staircase and the Akalak groaned with every heavy thump. Once he got to the bottom, the man spilled Reed out of it then picked him up to carry over to the table. “You’ll find everything thing you need at the cabinet near the top of the stairs. Bring it down, and get it started.” He groused, pulling a key from around his neck and handing it to Shiress. “An don’t take more than you need. I’ll know.” Rocco said giving her a toothy grin before walking up the stairs after her. At the top of the landing though, he just continued further into the room till he disappeared into another room, closing the door behind him.

The landing was more like a large closet. Light peeked through the sole boarded window in the room brightening the place up enough that Shiress could navigate in the dim light. The cabinet Rocco had referred to sat near the top of the stair, was one of two pieces of furniture in the room. A dresser right beside it being the other one. Both had locks on them, and if Shiress tried the key on the dresser she would find that it would not fit. Inside the cabinet was a tin of thread with a few sewing needles, some bandages, a small brown glass flask, and a tin of greenish paste. Below, Reed called out for Rocco.

[Shiress]

Being a slave, Shiress was used to be treating as something less than human; used to being subjected to abuse simply because someone needed to prove their control. All slaves knew that being a slave meant you were property, and you were treated as such, but never had Shiress been treated like a complete and utter imbecile.

Slave owners knew better than to purchase a fool as property, and Shiress was no fool, but if Rocco's treatment of her was anything to go by, shiress was an absolute dullard. Rocco's meanness and arrogance was grating, but it wasn't until their voyage was halted by two mercenary looking thugs that Rocco deftly demonstrated precisely where the female slave stood within his regard.

It wasn't until the man's broad chest pressed hard up against her back, and his thick fingers dug painfully into her neck that Shiress realized he intended on using her as a human shield between himself and the tax collectors. Shiress's entire body went rigid awaiting the blows, but just as fast as the confrontation began, it ended, and Rocco was back behind the wheelbarrow, laughing. He laughed while Shiress fought against weakening knees. The bastard. Fighting hard not to aim a murderous glare Rocco's way, Shiress stumbled a few steps, before gaining steady feet to continue their journey.

Once they reached the two-story house, Shiress lowered her eyes, better to go unnoticed, and didn't raise them until she and Reed were delivered into a dark and humid room. Judging by the smell and the downward staircase it took to get them there, it was a basement. Taking the key that was proffered toward her, Shiress followed Rocco back toward the stairs, mumbling "yes, sir" at the man's orders. Shiress opened her mouth to ask him for water, but the sound of the door closing in her face had her mouth snapping closed on the request, giving way for a quiet curse hissed out between clenched teeth instead.

"Insufferable piece of shyke vagik son of a whore asshole donkey ball licking prick "

Shiress felt marginally better.

Sighing, the slave examined the inadequate medical supplies: suture kit, flask, and goopy green stuff that she recognized immediately as a general cure-all for cuts, burns, and all sorts of opened skin wounds and abrasions. It also had a numbing effect that Shiress speculated Reed would appreciate. The flask, though...Shiress plucked the brown container from the cabinet and searched its outside for a label and found none. Popping open the flask's cork, she sniffed at its contents and promptly fell into a coughing fit as the strong odor from the unknown liquid inside nearly stole all the air from her lungs. There was the unmistakable aroma of spirits wafting from the flask, but the stench alone was intoxicating, let alone drinking it. Used to incapacitate a body, no doubt. Reed was incapacitated enough, so she recorked the flask and placed it back on the shelf.

She found flint and steel atop the cabinet and glanced around for a lamp or candle. Spotting the former at her feet, she quickly scooped the lamp off the floor and, after several failed attempts, finally got the fire to catch the wick, casting a dim light around her.

Reed calling out for his friend had Shiress hurrying back down the stairs to his side. Placing a soothing hand on the Akalak's chest, she whispered soothing words to calm the man and began her assessment of his injuries. There was nothing to do for any damage on the inside, so she focused her attention on the worse of the injuries her eyes could find, quickly noting the laceration on Reed's head as the most concerning.

Returning up the stairs to the cabinet, she retrieved the suture kit, if thread and needle could be called as such. She turned to retrace her steps back to Reed when the door Rocco had disappeared through suddenly swung open, causing Shiress to take a startled step back. An unfamiliar male face poked through the crack of light, took a slow perusal of Shiress, and moved to reclose the door.

"Wait!" To Shiress's surprise, he did, swinging the door open a bit further and looking curiously at her. "I need water, a lot of it, please."

The door slammed shut, and Shiress waited for what seemed like several long chimes before it finally reopened, and a bucket of water was thrust through, its contents sloshing over the sides as the stranger clapped the bucket down hard on the floor before the door, once again, slammed shut. Retrieving the bucket, the slave made her way back down the stairs.

Gentle hands guided palmfulls of water to Reed's matted and blood-caked hair until the mass of knotted strands parted enough to see the wound. It was deep, but thankfully not very long. Preparing the needle took several chimes, and once it was adequately threaded, Shiress paused, fingers hovering over the laceration, letting her gaze track over Reed's still form.

"This is going to hurt, please don't hit me"

With gentle pressure, Shiress pushed the tip of the needle through the swollen flesh surrounding the edge of the cut, over and over, in through the skin on one side, back through the other side until the cut pulled closed. It took half a bell, and she stopped counting stitches at ten, though she didn't think there were many more than that. Reed had gone very, very still about halfway through her ministrations, but she thought he was still conscious. Through it all, Shiress spoke soothingly to the Akalak, calming him anytime he seemed ready to bolt or pain threatened to overcome him.

Once a good amount of the thick, greenish salve was spread across the new sutures, Shiress pulled away what remained of Reed's shirt from his sweat-soaked body, leaving the man naked to the waist. Dragging the bucket of water close, pleased to see a cloth submerged just beneath the surface, Shiress made quick work of cleaning a myriad of small cuts and purpling flesh adorning the slave's chest and belly, wary of her eyes lingering on the pleasurable musculature arrayed beneath her fingertips.

It proved a difficult feat.

A sudden barrage of running steps and shouting voices jarred the slave's attention from her clandestine inspection of the peaks and valleys of Reed's abdomen to the door leading out of the basement room. The racket grew in volume as more voices joined the alarmed chorus raining down from the floorboards above Shiress. A loud curse in an angry voice, close to the door, caused Shiress to take a startled step away from the prone Reed, the now bloodied rag slipping from her fingers onto the floor.

The cacophony continued to grow until the frantic movements and shouts crescendoed into a loud crash of what could have been furniture or bodies, it was hard to tell. It was the eery silence that followed that had the girl taking a hesitant step toward her patient.

Pressing a protective hand against the Akalak's shoulder, she had to wonder what more the two slaves would have to endure before their cursed meeting would end.