Here the sun sheds no light (Arabella)

[Gillar]

Season of Summer, 509 AV The darkness seemed impenetrable. No matter how much she struggled against it, the darkness surrounded her like a blanket of living ice; sliding all over her body, chilling and suffocating. She dare not scream or risk the it sliding past her open lips and down her throat; consuming her and freezing all that remind of her sanity. There seemed no hope for escape and even what pure thoughts of happiness and safety remained now felt as though they too would forever give themselves away to oblivion. Then, a pinprick of light amidst the infinite darkness. Without full realizing it, she yearned for that light; she pleaded for it to grow, to save her from the end of things. Indeed the light did begin to grow as it slowly took shape in that of a undulating beam of bright colors that moved quicker with each passing second. As its pace increased, the colors of the light became more chaotic in their movements until it was so mesmerizing that she lost sense of the chilling night that was squeezing the life from her only moments ago. Suddenly, without warning, the light with its myriad of color, exploded in a flash; replaced by warmth, blurry images of movement and muffled sounds. Arabella's eyes opened and her vision, blurry at first, began to clear as did the rest of her senses. Whatever had been used to drug her was finally waring off and in a few short moments she found herself sitting on the ground; her wrists bound with manacles attached to a long chain hanging from a tall, very thick iron pole. The air smelled of unwashed bodies and the sounds of talking, shouting and groaning filled her ears. The familiar sight of a slave market greeted her waking being.

[Arabella Sintos]

Darkness, something that Arabella knew so very well and yet couldn't get used to no matter how she was placed in it. She didn't know where she was, didn't know what was happening, all she knew what that she was being suffocated by the blackness around her. Every instinct in her body was telling her to panic, scream, run, anything to somehow escape what was holding her and yet she couldn't bring herself to do it. Dare she scream, the icy feeling might slip inside and truly suffocate her from the inside and suffocation seemed like such a messy way to die. What frightened Ara most about this dark place was no matter how she tried, she was unable to reach her grey dreams, she was trapped and had no way of finding a way of escape. She didn't realize how much she needed light until a tiny glimpse was seen, her heart fluttering with slight hope as she silently pleaded for it to grow, to put an end to the darkness that entrapped her. Please... She silently begged, needing some relief from the frightening blackness.

Her wish was granted slowly as the light grew and colors were introduced. The icy cold darkness was being penetrate little by little, giving Arabella more and more hope. Suddenly, in a bright flash, color exploded in front of her amber eyes and she cried out in slight pain and confusion. The cold had been replaced by warmth and the darkness by colors, sound reached her once deaf ears and she began to realize that she was not alone.

Blinking a few times, Arabella only just realized that her eyes had been closed, her body fighting off some sort of drug that had put her under. She couldn't remember where she had last been, what she had been doing before she succumbed to the pitch blackness. She didn't remember being drugged or who had done it. Had she done something wrong? Upset her master somehow? She hadn't tried to escape that she could really remember, so how did she end up...here? She had to wonder of course where 'here' just happened to be, her vision was blurry still and for a few moments, she couldn't really place where she was. She was in her human form, she knew that much, the warmth on her skin telling her that much, her bare skin it seemed.

As the drug began to wear off, Ara heard what had once been muffled sounds, a lot clearer now, she could make them out. She heard groaning as though people were in pain, bartering, people talking loudly, and the sound of tears. Such noises often meant only one thing as far as Arabella was concerned, slave market. She groaned, her head thudding as she tried to move her hands only to find them bound in thick manacles meant to keep a Kelvic like her in place. Even if she tried to change her shape, she would be unable to escape and if anything, she'd draw more attention to herself, something she didn't need. She wanted to cry, she was being resold again, a new master, a new danger.

Arabella bent down low, trying to regain some composure. Her white-blonde hair fell in dirty waves over her face, hiding her face for the most part from anyone that sought to look at her. It wouldn't last long, she knew this, she would be grabbed, poked, prodded, and shown off due to her Kelvic nature. She brought up her knees and rested her chin on them, since they weren't chained like her wrists were. She didn't know what slave market she was in, what city she was in either, so the danger was doubled since she had no idea what sort of species of family to expect. "Nysel help me." She prayed silently to the God of dreams, not that he had ever heard her call before, why would he now?

[Gillar]

As soon the prayer was formed in her mind, Arabella's attention was drawn to the sight of a man walking past another one of the tall iron poles a few yards from where she was bound. At first it appeared as though her eyes may be playing tricks on her; perhaps further effects left over from the drugs that were used to sedate her. The man's form seemed to flicker as he walked; almost as if he were blinking in and out of existence as he took each step. Long black hair cascaded down his shoulders and his muscled form was thin yet defined. He wore no shirt; only a pair of black pants and high black boots. His flickering form was only there for but a short moment before he turned to look upon Arabella. His eyes were the purest of white and gleamed as he softly smiled; a smile that sent icy pin-pricks down her spine and left her with an overwhelming feeling of loneliness. Then, just as quickly as he had appeared, the man's form flickered one last time and was gone. Though there were dozens of people around her, none of them seemed to have noticed the man. They continued on their business of inspecting various other individuals bound to poles just as Arabella was though there was something of a commotion gathering as various individuals bound similarly to her, were led up to a large central stage for what looked like the beginning of an auction. Given only a minute or two to contemplate what she had just seen, Arabella was soon approached by a rather large man with a bald head and lightly-tanned skin dressed in a brown vest and black pants. In one hand he held a thick wooden club and in the other a ring of keys which he was flipping through as if looking for just the right one. Looking from Arabella to the pole where she was bound, he grinned and said gruffly, "I is bett'in you gonna fetch a mighty fine price, missy." Presumeably finding the right key, the man reached to unlock the chains that held her manacles to the pole while closely watching her; his club at the ready. "Now if I's you, I'd behaves myself else I be crack'in you upside dat pretty little head uh yours."

[Arabella Sintos]

Arabella's head was still spinning, coming to in a slave market was never cause for a calm state of mind of course. She wanted to rub her temples, since usually that helped her head but her hands were bound, unable to be pulled from the other, so she was left to suffer. Her silent prayer had lifted upwards to higher ears then her own, whether they would reach or not was a question that would drive her mad should she think on it. Ara blinked as her amber eyes adjusted on the crowds around her yet despite all those around her, her eyes were drawn to one singular man. She followed him yet there were times Ara believed him to be a figment of her imagination, perhaps brought on by whatever drug had been used on her, because the figure she followed seemed to flicker as he strode along, as though he was there and yet he wasn't. It was confusing to watch yet Arabella couldn't pull her gaze from the figure, he was entrancing when she could see him. She studied him carefully, he was a muscled man, his long black hair seemed to match the rest of his black attire. His attire though was not the most striking on the elegant looking man, it was the pure white eyes that peered up at her.

Shivers of ice ran up and down her spine, those pure white eyes left her with the oddest overwhelming sensation of loneliness that she almost cried then and there. She continued to watch until he flickered and vanished, not to return again, she searched for his form once again, but he was truly gone. Had he even been there or had she just been imagining him? It was hard to tell in her current state of mind, perhaps her years of slavery and slave markets had finally driven her completely insane to the point she was seeing men who were not there. Or maybe he had been there, he was real, but no one else seemed to notice him...

Arabella shook her head, trying to shake off what she had just seen, needing instead to focus on the crowd that surrounded her and the other poor souls who were being auctioned off to the highest bidder. There was a great danger in slave markets because no slave knew who would buy them and what would await them when they were taken from the market. Being a Kelvic, Ara would sell for a good amount of coin, especially since she knew the business, having been in it for years. She had been 'broken' by various masters before being resold again and again, it got tiresome really. Ara rested her head against the pole where she was chained, knowing just how this all went down for the most part. Given that she didn't know the city that she was in, she didn't know the types of families all that well and this worries her. She watched as a few other slaves were taken up on the block to be sold to random people, their lives were nothing to those with money. It made her sick to see children being auctioned off, tore from their mothers or fathers or even their siblings to endure a hard life before them, Ara had been fortunate that she had no family to be torn from.

The crowd was wreaking havoc on the Kelvic girl, the loud sounds, the various scents, and the different people just tore at her keen senses. Arabella waited for her inevitable turn to come, her heart pounding as she finally saw a large bald man coming towards her, it was her turn it seemed. Struggle would only give the surrounding people a show and she had no interest in showing that she had a spirit that was to be broken. She growled deep in her throat at the thick club held in his hand, a feral growl that resembled one in her tiger form. She wanted to tear his throat out, it would have felt so good and had she been in her other form, it would have been so easy. She tensed as he bent down to unlock her chains from the pole, his sickening words caused her to turn her gaze away from him. She was tempted to not move in an act of defiance, but he didn't seem the sort that would hold back from using the club on her and she didn't fancy limping around after a new master.

She chose instead to remain silent, glaring at the sky as she attempted to stand to her feet, she doubted he wanted to drag her up to the block and risk damaging the goods moreso then she already was. She was terrified, a new master always meant new dangers and horrors to be visited upon her. Ara kept her eyes down on the ground, not looking up unless she was threatened by the man who led her. She wanted badly to shift, to become a vicious tiger that could protect herself, but she had done it before in the middle of a slave market and it hadn't ended well. There was too many around, too many that most likely knew what she was...it wasn't worth it in the long run. With her head hung down low, she followed the bad man.

[Gillar]

The man with the club smelled of stale cabbage as he leaned in and unlocked the chains connecting the manacles to the pole. Tucking the keys into his belt, he gathered the chains in one hand and firmly yet not harshly pulled on them thus causing the manacles to dig into Arabella's wrists. With his club still at the ready, he pulled her through the crowd toward the stage. As he led her, Arabella caught glimpse of something posted on a nearby support beam that held up the massive pavilion that loomed over the stage. It read: Up For Auction This Day: Attractive young female with a bit of fire left in her; a fire fed by the blood of the beast that flows within her. It took five strong men to bring her down; only two of them survived. Quite a find this one; Kelvic she is, through and through. Welcome this rarity to the Market with an offer we can't refuse and she could be yours. There were some in the crowd that reached out for a chance to touch a real-life Kelvic while others were obviously afraid and gave Arabella a wide berth. It was a relatively short, unpleasant walk to and up the stairs leading to the main stage. Once there, Arabellas was forced to wait while another slave was auctioned off like livestock. The one before her, a short, thin dark-skinned man with short brown hair, was sold to a woman dressed in white linens for an astronomical amount of gold mizas. He was led down the other side of the stage where he was presented to the woman who then took him away; disappearing into the crowd. It was Arabella's turn. She was led out into the center of the stage where the bald man with the club stood next to her and waited. Another man, this one finely dressed and decorated in a number of rings and jeweled necklaces, began shouting to the crowd. "Here is she folks! The one you have all been waiting for! The Kelvic!" The man's voice was deep and clear and the crowd cheered before eventually growing quieter. "A man-eater she is! Killed three men before the other two were able to take her down! Still some fire left in this one to be sure! Defiance? Likely, but that makes this one all the more fun to break! Young, pretty, fierce, who could ask for anything more out of a product! Careful about bedding this one down boys, you may lose a limb if ya know what I mean! So let's start this one off at, oh, how 'bout 1000!" Several individuals in the crowd began raising their hands as the amount of gold mizas began to climb. Who would end up winning? It seems that Arabella would soon find out.

[Arabella Sintos]

The stench of the bald man caused Arabella to recoil some, she never was fond of cabbage, much less stale cabbage and she was quite wary of the club he gripped tightly in his hand. She so wanted to fight, pull at the chains and surprise the man with her strength, but she had a feeling he wouldn't be too surprised and she would be knocked out before she could really run, such a thing was not worth being sold whilst unconsciousness. Being as weak as she was from the drug and others circumstances, she nearly stumbled when he jerked at her manacles, the metal cutting deeper into her already tender wrists. She bit her lip to keep any sign of pain from escaping past her lips, she wouldn't give him that satisfaction. At least he wasn't dragging her through the crowd, she had gotten that before and gods how humiliating it was for her.

Still no sign of the flickering man, she was beginning to think he had just been part of her imagination or a true sign that she was really starting to lose her mind. Her amber eyes were instead placed on something that was quite real and rather distressing. Apparently she was a highlighter here in the slave market, the slave of the day sort of deal that only made matters worse. It was being displayed that she was a Kelvic slave and it had drawn a good sized crowd, surely people of wealth as well of cruel people that would feel it was their gods-given duty to break her of her fiery spirit.

What caused her to really halt in her movement was the fact that she had apparently killed three men before she had been caught. Ara didn't exactly know if this was true or not because she couldn't remember what had all transpired before she had been drugged and brought here. Perhaps she had tried to escape again, she had been known to kill when she was in her white tiger form, protecting herself of course, but five men trying to take her down and she didn't even remember it? Must have been some powerful drug that had been used to knock her out. Maybe they were making it up to make her seem all the more interesting and his men all the braver for retrieving 'such a find' as her. Did it really matter though? Not really, though she did have to wonder if she had three men's blood on her claws or not.

Given how it had been phrased in the board announcing her, she didn't believe this would be a short auction, the slaver would only take a real offer for her which meant hours standing there in front of everyone in chains. Would she be forced to shift into her tiger form? Most likely, it wouldn't be the first time such an indignity had been placed upon her. Shifting for humans...

While Arabella had never been the sort that enjoyed inspiring fear in others, she was glad to see some had reason to fear her and kept their distance. Others were braver and sought to touch her, as though she were some sort of relic or something. She wanted to growl and snap, keep them from touching her but she was chained and she would be beaten most likely if she was 'rude' to the customers. She had to put up with stray fingers upon her dirty bruised skin as she waited for it to be her turn on the block, another slave being sold before her. She tensed as she heard the final price called for the other slave and he was led off to be with his new owner, the stage now open to accommodate her. She wanted to fight, gods how badly she wanted to fight against the slaver, she could have surprised him, but what good would that do her?

She was led out into the center of the stage where the bald man with the club stood next to her and waited. Another man, this one finely dressed and decorated in a number of rings and jeweled necklaces, began shouting to the crowd. The cheers caused her to growl, apparently her nature had gathered a large crowd and they were excited as well. There were times she hated being Kelvic and times like this was most definitely one of them, she didn't want to be a 'rare' find for anyone.

Once she was placed in the middle of the stage, her eyes downwards rather then on the crowd, the slaver began describing Arabella, though some details seemed quite exaggerated. She was defiant of course, but only to a certain degree before she just gave him and she was no man-eater! She protected herself, she didn't kill for fun! Her cheeks turned bright when when the inevitable mention of bedding her was brought up, she had only ripped an arm of a man once and he had nearly killed her before hand, another example of self-defense. A thousand miza...that was a high starting bid and yet hands rose in the air, this was going to be a long day and it had only just started. The entire crowd before her disgusted her, greedy bastards that owned other lives as if they were nothing, she wanted to kill them all. She could feel fur growing in response to her anger and yet she held back from shifting, causing the shift to halt. It was a flaw of hers, shifting in times of extreme duress and anger.

Again she offered up a silent prayer to Nysel. "Protect your little dreamer." Perhaps someday he would heed her prayer and help her.

[Gillar]

Unbeknown to Arabella, she was in a city dominated in nearly every aspect by a single God and the people of the city were devoted to him whether they knew it or not. Their actions, their thoughts and even their prayers were His for He was Rhysol, God of Evil and Bringer of Chaos; the Betrayer, The Black Sun. As soon as the prayer entered her mind, once more she caught sight of the flickering image of the strange man with the white eyes. He weaved his way through the crowd all the while none seemed to notice his presence. Time seemed to slow as he approached; whether it really did or not, who was to say. Regardless, he neared the stage and then in a single flicker, he was standing next to her. Still nobody seemed to realize he was there. There was a smell to him that immediately drowned out that of the cabbage-man standing next to her. Arabella could almost taste the strange man's scent; jasmine as it smells after an early morning rain, fresh and exotic. Time seemed to halt entirely as he leaned in from the side and brushed his nose against her cheek. It felt cold; as cold as the darkness had felt just before Arabella had wakened in the market. In a very light whisper that felt like a feather falling upon one's flesh he teased, "Oh sweet Arabella, he can't hear you. This is my city and I will not allow it. You, like everyone else here, are also mine; your prayers, your tears, your joy and oh yes, your sadness and pain belong to me. Since you insist on reaching out to a God, then allow me to answer." The white-eyed man stepped back and waved his hand toward the crowd; drawing Arabella's' attention to a specific spot. "Here now is my blessing to you. Either you will find strength from it and perhaps gain MY protection. Or you will break into a thousand pieces scattered across eternity." With that, the man was gone and everything returned to normal. At the spot where he motioned, the crowd parted somewhat as another man, this one dressed in a fine silk robe of crimson made his way forward. He was a solid looking mountain of a man with a well-muscled physique noticeable even through his flowing robes. His blond hair was worn in a neat tail and on the left breast of his robes there was a symbol; a white sun pierced by a black blade. As he got closer, he raised his hand and spoke in a snake-smooth voice that even though it wasn't very loud, everyone seemed to hear. "Five-Thousand gold mizas and you will now consider this auction to be over." Arabella could not help but notice that much like the strange, flickering man, this one too had white eyes though carried himself much differently.

[Arabella Sintos]

When it came to the various gods that littered the heavens, little Arabella was most definitely not well read on them, she found religion for the most part rather boring. Nysel had caught her attention because he was the God of dreams, he seemed to fit her and her mind-frame best. She knew nothing about the God that this city worshiped, knew nothing about any God of Evil mostly because Arabella was not evil. Had Arabella known what God ruled this city, she might have saved her prayers so not to call any undue attention upon herself, but she didn't, so her prayer floated upwards but did not reach the ears it had been intended for but rather was intercepted. Standing there, rather hopeless, the slave Kelvic looked out on the crowd and once again took notice of the flickering man, his pure white eyes entrancing her once more. Once again, no one seemed to take notice of the man as he weaved his way effortlessly through the crowd towards where she stood.

Who was he? This question hung in the air as she blinked and he no longer stood in the crowd. For a moment Ara thought she had lost him again, as she had when she had first seen him. However, one glance to the side revealed that he had somehow flickered up onto the stage next to her and no one seemed to even notice him, which frightened the young woman to some degree. Why did no one call out to the strange flickering man, surely his presence would ruin the auction or at least cause some worry amongst the people. Her entire body tensed with the flickering man standing so close, his scent drowning out the cabbage man's scent quite easily, he smelled of exotic jasmine and rain. She remained quite still as he leaned over, brushing his cold nose against her cheek, sending chills all through her body. It was the same cold she had felt when she had been trapped in the drug induced sleep, which give her a small semblance of being trapped in the darkness once again.

His voice was very much like the caress of his skin against her own, a certain amount of teasing in his voice. She tried so hard to remain calm but she could feel her entire body shaking as he revealed something very important to her. The flickering man was no mere mortal but rather a God...

There was no hope that the great God Nysel had gifted her with his presence, no, this God was thoroughly enjoying the fear that came off her in waves at his very presence. Nysel couldn't hear her prayers in this city, wherever she had been brought, this God wouldn't allow it. Another revelation that nearly caused her knees to buckle beneath her trembling body, but she tried to remain strong. She had been broken by man's hand over and over, but to be approached by a God that laid claim to her...well that was daunting at best. She wanted to snap at him, to tell him that she most certainly did not belong to him, but that would probably only make him laugh at her and she had no wish to make a fool of herself, so she remained silent.

Never had Arabella met with a God like this, one would think Arabella would have been somewhat excited at least, honored to have met any God really, but she felt nothing but fear and dread. She wanted to cry, knowing now that no matter how much she prayed, her prayers would be received by none other then this God who claimed the city as his own. Her amber eyes were motioned towards a particular spot in the crowd, the God bestowing her with his supposed 'blessing' before vanishing from her side and everything returning to normal, people talking, trying to touch, and bidding on her. Her eyes remained on the spot where the God had directed her, intent on seeing what blessing he had given to her. After a moment, she would notice the crowd parting to make away for another man, a man of fine breeding from the looks of it. His very presence caused her to shake as the God's had when he had been there, she didn't like his scent, didn't like how he made her feel just by his presence.

Her heart dropped low when the rich looking man called out a bid to end all bids, the greedy bastard of a slaver surely wouldn't turn down such an offer as five thousand gold mizas! A singular tear was shed from her amber eye as she stood there on the stage, wrists still bound, heart broken and fear ripping at her soul, the entire uncertainty of what Rhysol had said to her... The man's white eyes didn't pass her notice either, it was another reason why her heart broke, if he wasn't a God like flickering man had been, then he was a follower and really, surely she could have been bought by another. She wanted to pray but she pushed away the urge, it would do her no good here and she would not willingly pray to Flickering Man, she wouldn't give him that pleasure. She wanted the slaver to demand more, to deny the white eyed man the satisfaction of buying the Kelvic, but she doubted that he would. Her fate was sealed as far as she was concerned and while she tried, she couldn't tear her gaze from the white eyed man that could be her master.

Either you will find strength from it and perhaps gain MY protection. Or you will break into a thousand pieces scattered across eternity. Which would happen?

[Gillar]

The crowd went silent as soon as the robed man spoke. The atmosphere grew to one of fear and respect and none dared challenge his bid. The man running the auction swallowed the lump in his throat and looked to Arabella and then back to the robed man. He stammered a bit at first and then coughed the hesitation from his voice before responding to the robed man.. "Yes, of course. Five-thousand crowns. Bidding is closed. Congratulations, Sir Lazerin on your purchase. As always, we here at the market are blessed with your presence and look forward to future visits." The auctioneer turned to leave the stage and as he did he looked over to Arabella and shockingly enough, gave her something of a sympathetic look before nodding to the bald man with the club. The bald man led her to the other side of the stage and down the short set of stairs where the robed man, Sir Lazerin, was waiting. Now, standing before Lazerin, Arabella was able to see truly how large and imposing of a figure he was. Not far from seven feet in height and looking powerful enough to push over an ancient tree with one hand, he was the epitome of might. Handsome and baring an aura of confidence that covered him like a heavy suit of armor, his presence was enough to keep the crowd standing quite some distance away. He took the accepted chains from the bald man who then quickly made off somewhere else. To the auctioneer who approached, Lazerin said in a silky voice, "An interesting find, Jarvis. For your sake, I hope that bit about being a man-eater is true for I have grown weary of the others you have sold me." From within his robes, Lazerin produced a rather large jewel that sparkled brightly as the light hit it. Tossing it to Jarvis the auctioneer, Lazerin turned and began walking away with Arabella's chains firmly held in one hand. He turned his head slightly and said to her, "Keep up, my dear. I do not suffer the presence of the weak for very long."

[Arabella Sintos]

Arabella remained silent as the crowd continued to make room, giving the white eyed man a good bit of room, which just showed how feared he happened to be. Belonging to a master that didn't just instill fear in slaves but in everyone as well was not exactly on her list of things to do, not that she really had much of a list anyway. Of course the bid remained unchallenged and was not rejected either by the auctioneer, Arabella had been sold with one smooth snake like bid. She tried to keep her gaze downwards, terrified of the white-eyed man despite not knowing anything about him, just meeting the Flickering God as well most likely didn't help her confidence. She waited for what eventually came, the bid being accepted and a name being given. Lazerin... Not a name she knew of course, but that wasn't saying much since everyone else seemed to know it very well.

From how the auctioneer spoke, Sir Lazerin bought slaves from the market quite often, which would possibly account for him being so well known there. She looked at the auctioneer with a slight pleading look, as though begging for him to reconsider and sell her to another and what she saw in return actually deepened the fear she had already been feeling, she saw sympathy in the man's gaze before he allowed the brute with the club to take her off. She didn't move at first, trying to defy fate and the thug but her chains wouldn't allow her to stand still very long and the club was still a threat to her.

In a few moments, Arabella was standing in front of Lazerin and gods was it intimidating. Due to all her training and such, she knew that such a man as this expected both obedience but also a certain challenge in breaking in a new slave. She didn't know his methods, if he tortured his slaves or not and how much he would take in terms of defiance. She would learn the hard way of course, trial by error for the most part and while every part of her was telling her to remain respectful and keep her gaze down, she brought her amber eyes up to look him directly in the white eyes. He reminded her of the flickering man, the aura of power and danger surrounding him much like Rhysol. She couldn't really hold her gaze upwards long before her chin was brought down, any defiance fading from her form for the time being as her chains changed hands.

Interesting find? What made him think that? It was true that she was a slave Kelvic, but surely they couldn't be too rare as they made it out to be. She kept silent as Lazerin spoke to the auctioneer, her chains being held firmly in his hand. He started moving and she was expected to follow of course, she was tempted to defy, stand her ground and for a moment she did. She stood still, digging her feet into the ground beneath her dirty feet. She could feel the undeniable need to shift and show him just what man-eater she could be. She might be a slave but she was still a wild animal, never tamed. She growled deep in her throat, her teeth elongating and her claws sharpened but she didn't fully shift. She didn't attack because he still held her chains nor did she seek to run, but she stood still, perhaps testing her new master to see what he would do in this act of defiance.