The streets melted into smaller, wooden houses, tucked among trees and rocks that added a more wild look. This was where they were headed, a place very different to the Alvadas she knew. Not that she knew it very well. Alvadas changed dramatically, and she often found herself lost whenever she was sent out shopping or to deliver a message.
Sayana gave her orders to not speak, and to stick close, and they entered the inn, Nephti taking in the new surroundings. Tables and chairs were scattered across the room, furs adorning them and the floor. It was fairly empty, with kelvics in one corner, hidden behind a roaring open fire pit, and pale looking people in the other corner. Nephti's new msitress looked around, before exiting, met by a hooded man who was obviously the man she had been looking for.
Sayana suggested that they walk, and began to talk, Nephti staying close behind her as a silent shadow, trying to make out the man under his hood. None of his features were clear, and she gave up trying, instead listening to the conversation with interest and fear.
He was to track her down if she escaped into the wild. Nephti didn't like the thought Sayana had given her, of being attacked by animals or zith, but having a man ready to track her down if she did escape scared her even more. Sayana suddenly seemed a lot worse than before, automatically preparing for the worse. Automatically assuming the worst of her. But he also said he wouldn't track her in the city, or if she left by boat, and she felt hope rise again, despite having not even considered escaping yet. It was too early for that.
While the words Sayana said next discouraged her from leaving by boat, as they would be visiting the docks the next day, most likely to inform people not to let her run away, she kept that in mind, feeling it was an important point. If one day, she did escape, it would have to be by sea.
And there was a city tracker too. Nephti listened a little doubting as Sayana started to lead her to her new house. To have spent time and money arranged both a city and wilderness tracker, just for her. Was Nephti really worth that much? She doubted it, but perhaps it was her mistress who was the problem, paranoid perhaps. Nephti only hoped her paranoia would disappear soon, giving the slave girl freedom. After all, cooped up in a single apartment wearing chains all day made slavery so many times worse.
Eventually, they reached the inn, a simple block-shaped building, that gave it its name. They entered, and Nephti braced herself, ready to meet the two boys she would be working for. Hopefully, they wouldn't be too bad.
Sayana gave her orders to not speak, and to stick close, and they entered the inn, Nephti taking in the new surroundings. Tables and chairs were scattered across the room, furs adorning them and the floor. It was fairly empty, with kelvics in one corner, hidden behind a roaring open fire pit, and pale looking people in the other corner. Nephti's new msitress looked around, before exiting, met by a hooded man who was obviously the man she had been looking for.
Sayana suggested that they walk, and began to talk, Nephti staying close behind her as a silent shadow, trying to make out the man under his hood. None of his features were clear, and she gave up trying, instead listening to the conversation with interest and fear.
He was to track her down if she escaped into the wild. Nephti didn't like the thought Sayana had given her, of being attacked by animals or zith, but having a man ready to track her down if she did escape scared her even more. Sayana suddenly seemed a lot worse than before, automatically preparing for the worse. Automatically assuming the worst of her. But he also said he wouldn't track her in the city, or if she left by boat, and she felt hope rise again, despite having not even considered escaping yet. It was too early for that.
While the words Sayana said next discouraged her from leaving by boat, as they would be visiting the docks the next day, most likely to inform people not to let her run away, she kept that in mind, feeling it was an important point. If one day, she did escape, it would have to be by sea.
And there was a city tracker too. Nephti listened a little doubting as Sayana started to lead her to her new house. To have spent time and money arranged both a city and wilderness tracker, just for her. Was Nephti really worth that much? She doubted it, but perhaps it was her mistress who was the problem, paranoid perhaps. Nephti only hoped her paranoia would disappear soon, giving the slave girl freedom. After all, cooped up in a single apartment wearing chains all day made slavery so many times worse.
Eventually, they reached the inn, a simple block-shaped building, that gave it its name. They entered, and Nephti braced herself, ready to meet the two boys she would be working for. Hopefully, they wouldn't be too bad.
