To Continue...
Feeling quiet today. After wild weather yesterday (huge wind and snow and rain all day yesterday, it left me tired and worn out. Perhaps it was the overindulgence - Jimi and I went out to an early supper at our only Chinese restaurant within 30 minutes of our place, but then went on a movie binge as well, and wound up staying up late... The baby woke early, much to my disgruntlement. So, today, I'm going to lay low and hope for a good afternoon. At least we have sunshine, especially since there were more snow showers in the forecast for today!
Thran, Part Three
Thran listened as Naythin snapped the reigns and the wagon lurched forward. He refused to look back at his former master. He could only focus on the elf who guided him forward and prayed that he would not have to go into one of the crates. The smell made him jumpy and sick. The elf was dressed in very fine linen and wore rings on his long, narrow fingers. His hair was trimmed short and his demeanor was more regal than anything else. Thran shuffled behind, his feet heavy and his body weak with hunger. Swiping at a piece of hair that stuck in his eye, he caught movement from the crates as those that appeared to be human shifted to look out at him.
“Karn!” the elf called, waving at a man who stood in front of the crate.
Thran’s small heart thudded, knowing this was going to be his fate - to have to go into the crate and never come out again. Karn was a slender man with large, haunted gray eyes. Thran stared up at him as the man looked him over like a new calf.
“Did you see any others?” the elf asked mildly, his eyes passing over the crates.
The man turned Thran around and shook his head. “Two others. This one is too skinny. I’d doubt he last through the winter.”
“Tell the porter we’ll take the two,” he said calmly. “Put this one in the cart with the others. I need to stop in the market then home.”
“Of course, sir,” Kern said, starting towards the small desk beside the platform. Thran stood still, unsure of what to do. “Come along, boy. I don’t take kindly to idiots.”
Thran glanced at his new master then hurried along. Karn’s long strides were hard to catch up to, but he came up behind him, earning a grin from the sandy haired man. The porter was a rat faced elf, who’s lavish clothing made him look all the more heavy and shallow. Karn talked quietly to him and Thran was left to lean quietly against the corner of the desk.
“You’re stronger than you look, aren’t you,” Karn remarked as the porter stood and waddled off, a fresh heavy purse tied to his thick belt. “Master Ilios is fair, but doesn’t tolerate laziness or brash behavior. Keep your tongue still and your hands working.”
Thran bit his lip as he looked into the man’s face. Nodding, he felt very small. He knew then that his lot in life had not grown better. He wondered if this master would be as cruel as his last if he made a mistake. He wondered if Karn enjoyed beating the boys as much as Naythin. He pulled at his shredded shirt as his belly growled loudly.
“When was the last time you had food?” Karn asked, looking down at him with a raised eyebrow. When Thran shrugged, he shook his head. “I’ll make sure you have something soon.”
The porter returned with three girls and two boys in their early teens. All of them had a distant stare in their faces that was etched with pain and fear. Thran swallowed hard as Karn waved them to follow. One of the girls looked at him and took his hand in hers, holding it firmly. His brow furrowed as he was lead forward by her, surprised at how soft her skin felt and the gentleness of her action. They walked towards the far side of the field where a cart with a heavy canvas cover waited with four heavy work horses hitched to it. Karn took down the gate and the five older children climbed up. Thran reached and tried to pull himself up, but Karn grabbed him by the back of his breeches and boosted him up. The girl waved him over to her side and Thran felt strange, but went right to her and pressed against her side. She was soft everywhere and when she wrapped her arm around his shoulders, he felt sensations that he had never felt before - comfort and safety. His small fingers brushed across her arm and up to her face. Her dark hair was clipped so short, but it was silky and fine under his touch. Her skin was so pale, almost like the linens that the Master’s wife would put outside in the summertime. Without a thought, he found his eyes were closing against his wishes and fell into a restful sleep, marked by the swaying of the wagon and the thudding of the girl’s heart.
“Boy!” Karn said loudly, snapping Thran to attention.
He sat up straight, his eyes puffy with sleep. Karn held out a scrap of bread and an apple. Greedily, he bit into the bread, his mouth nearly gagging at how quickly he was stuffing in the food. The others watched him quietly as they were given food and began to eat. The cart moved forward, making them all sway back and forth. Thran had finished his bread and bit into the apple with a slight hesitation. He had seen Naythin eat apples when the Master had them, but he had never tasted one. The juice ran down his chin as he was surprise at the tart but sweet taste. He had never tasted anything so good. He smiled at the others as he wiped his face and took another bite.
“I’m Thran. Do you have names?” he asked, wiping at his face again.
The boys glared at him, but the girls seemed to lighten just a bit. “I’m Rilia, that’s Po and she’s Cyna,” the girl who sat next to her answered in a quiet, soothing voice.
“If you keep talking, we’ll all get it,” one of the boys said harshly.
Two of the girls seemed nod and Rilia tucked her arm around him again. “Tired?”
Thran nodded and she tucked him in closer to her. With a full belly, he slept more, completely unaware of the world around him. It was nightfall when he felt the cart roll to a stop. The others remained still, as if unsure of where they were. Karn stuck his head in the back of the cart.
“You will remain in here for the night. We stop for now and will leave early. If you need to relieve yourselves, do so now,” he said sharply, his voice that of authority. The boys jumped down and the girls were close behind. Thran staggered to the back of the cart, his small face confused and dazed from resting for so long. “You will help me with the Master Ilios’ tent and fire when you are done, boy.”
He swallowed and hurried down out of the cart. He was quick to find the boys and take care of himself. The older boys took no heed of him and were quick to leave him behind. Thran felt very alone, perhaps more alone than when he had been locked in the cellar. At least there he knew Jert would be waiting for him outside. Trudging back to the cart, he saw the others had already returned to the cart and were eating once again. Karn waved him over and Thran reluctantly walked towards him, his stomach churning with hunger.
“You’ll get yours when this is done, boy,” the man replied, handing him stakes. “Hold them down.”
Thran bent down, but when Karn held up a mallet, he pulled his hands away, shaking his head in fear.
“Not going to hit you, boy, just the stakes. Hold the stakes in the loops, I hit the stakes into the ground.”
Thran’s brow pinched with worry, but he held the stake down again and leaned his body back away from his hands. Closing his eyes tight, he tried not to move when Karn brought the mallet down. Must to his relief, the man had not hit him, and kept true to his word. Looking up into Karn’s face, he bit his lip as he smiled.
“As I said before, if you work hard, you have nothing fear with me,” he said quietly, moving to the next corner of the heavy canvas.
The small tent was just large enough for the Master to sit up in. Karn had Thran hold onto smaller sticks while he set into building a fire. He sent Thran out to find stones to make a ring around the fire. He settled into the work quickly and found himself running back and forth, eager to please Karn. When the camp was set up, he followed the man back to the cart and was lifted up into the back. He was given another piece of bread and this time a small piece of dried meat, something he had only tasted once before. Returning to Rilia’s side, he ate as she smoothed back his hair.
The boys were already sleeping across the floor of the cart, leaving the girls the narrow, splitter filled benches. Rilia scooted into the corner and let him lay back across her. Her belly was softer than her side and he nestled into her, liking the way her smell enveloped him.
“You’re only doing that ‘cause he’s pretty,” one of the boys muttered darkly, sitting up and glaring at Rilia.
“He’s a little boy,” she whispered, her hand on the top of Thran’s head. “Look at him, he needs attention. I’m surprise he’s not ill.”
“I’m stronger than I look,” Thran murmured thickly.
“Hush now, Thran,” Rilia said in a soothing voice. “This is probably going to be the most sleep you get in a while.”
Thran stared down at the boy who had spoken. He had a sour looking face with long shaggy blond hair. His bony body was long and his clothes were actually mended, save a large hole that appeared more like a gash than a tear. Thran settled back and was lulled by Rilia’s fingers as they worked through his hair. The night air turned cool, a sure sign that autumn was not long off. He was thankful for Rilia - she would be a friend.
The morning came early and Karn ordered the boys to take down the Master’s tent while he scattered the fire. Thran stayed back with the girls until Karn turned his eye on him and ordered him and Rilia to tend to the horses. The sky had dark rain clouds that hung precariously to the north and the air was heavy and damp. With the camp cleared and the horses hitched to the cart, they were all back in their places from the day before, Karn handed out pieces of bread with bits of potato and carrots in it. Thran had never had so much food and wondered if it would continue one once they reached the Master’s farm.
The day was windy and thankfully the clouds were held at bay. Thran was snuggled tight against Rilia’s side until mid day when it seemed that Karn turned the cart sharply. Turning on the narrow bench, he peeked out the bottom of the canvas and his mouth slackened at the sight of a huge manor house flanked by fields that seemed to go on forever. There was cattle and sheep in the far fields, while alfalfa and wheat grew in the inner fields. There looked to be four different barns and two large chicken roosts. There was a narrow building that ran adjacent to the first barn and Thran wondered what kind of animal would be housed separate from the cattle and sheep as he turned back and looked up at Rilia. She smiled and tucked her arm around him.
“I may not see much of you now, Thran, but I will see you,” she whispered as she bent low next to him. “I promise.”
Thran, Part Three
Thran listened as Naythin snapped the reigns and the wagon lurched forward. He refused to look back at his former master. He could only focus on the elf who guided him forward and prayed that he would not have to go into one of the crates. The smell made him jumpy and sick. The elf was dressed in very fine linen and wore rings on his long, narrow fingers. His hair was trimmed short and his demeanor was more regal than anything else. Thran shuffled behind, his feet heavy and his body weak with hunger. Swiping at a piece of hair that stuck in his eye, he caught movement from the crates as those that appeared to be human shifted to look out at him.
“Karn!” the elf called, waving at a man who stood in front of the crate.
Thran’s small heart thudded, knowing this was going to be his fate - to have to go into the crate and never come out again. Karn was a slender man with large, haunted gray eyes. Thran stared up at him as the man looked him over like a new calf.
“Did you see any others?” the elf asked mildly, his eyes passing over the crates.
The man turned Thran around and shook his head. “Two others. This one is too skinny. I’d doubt he last through the winter.”
“Tell the porter we’ll take the two,” he said calmly. “Put this one in the cart with the others. I need to stop in the market then home.”
“Of course, sir,” Kern said, starting towards the small desk beside the platform. Thran stood still, unsure of what to do. “Come along, boy. I don’t take kindly to idiots.”
Thran glanced at his new master then hurried along. Karn’s long strides were hard to catch up to, but he came up behind him, earning a grin from the sandy haired man. The porter was a rat faced elf, who’s lavish clothing made him look all the more heavy and shallow. Karn talked quietly to him and Thran was left to lean quietly against the corner of the desk.
“You’re stronger than you look, aren’t you,” Karn remarked as the porter stood and waddled off, a fresh heavy purse tied to his thick belt. “Master Ilios is fair, but doesn’t tolerate laziness or brash behavior. Keep your tongue still and your hands working.”
Thran bit his lip as he looked into the man’s face. Nodding, he felt very small. He knew then that his lot in life had not grown better. He wondered if this master would be as cruel as his last if he made a mistake. He wondered if Karn enjoyed beating the boys as much as Naythin. He pulled at his shredded shirt as his belly growled loudly.
“When was the last time you had food?” Karn asked, looking down at him with a raised eyebrow. When Thran shrugged, he shook his head. “I’ll make sure you have something soon.”
The porter returned with three girls and two boys in their early teens. All of them had a distant stare in their faces that was etched with pain and fear. Thran swallowed hard as Karn waved them to follow. One of the girls looked at him and took his hand in hers, holding it firmly. His brow furrowed as he was lead forward by her, surprised at how soft her skin felt and the gentleness of her action. They walked towards the far side of the field where a cart with a heavy canvas cover waited with four heavy work horses hitched to it. Karn took down the gate and the five older children climbed up. Thran reached and tried to pull himself up, but Karn grabbed him by the back of his breeches and boosted him up. The girl waved him over to her side and Thran felt strange, but went right to her and pressed against her side. She was soft everywhere and when she wrapped her arm around his shoulders, he felt sensations that he had never felt before - comfort and safety. His small fingers brushed across her arm and up to her face. Her dark hair was clipped so short, but it was silky and fine under his touch. Her skin was so pale, almost like the linens that the Master’s wife would put outside in the summertime. Without a thought, he found his eyes were closing against his wishes and fell into a restful sleep, marked by the swaying of the wagon and the thudding of the girl’s heart.
“Boy!” Karn said loudly, snapping Thran to attention.
He sat up straight, his eyes puffy with sleep. Karn held out a scrap of bread and an apple. Greedily, he bit into the bread, his mouth nearly gagging at how quickly he was stuffing in the food. The others watched him quietly as they were given food and began to eat. The cart moved forward, making them all sway back and forth. Thran had finished his bread and bit into the apple with a slight hesitation. He had seen Naythin eat apples when the Master had them, but he had never tasted one. The juice ran down his chin as he was surprise at the tart but sweet taste. He had never tasted anything so good. He smiled at the others as he wiped his face and took another bite.
“I’m Thran. Do you have names?” he asked, wiping at his face again.
The boys glared at him, but the girls seemed to lighten just a bit. “I’m Rilia, that’s Po and she’s Cyna,” the girl who sat next to her answered in a quiet, soothing voice.
“If you keep talking, we’ll all get it,” one of the boys said harshly.
Two of the girls seemed nod and Rilia tucked her arm around him again. “Tired?”
Thran nodded and she tucked him in closer to her. With a full belly, he slept more, completely unaware of the world around him. It was nightfall when he felt the cart roll to a stop. The others remained still, as if unsure of where they were. Karn stuck his head in the back of the cart.
“You will remain in here for the night. We stop for now and will leave early. If you need to relieve yourselves, do so now,” he said sharply, his voice that of authority. The boys jumped down and the girls were close behind. Thran staggered to the back of the cart, his small face confused and dazed from resting for so long. “You will help me with the Master Ilios’ tent and fire when you are done, boy.”
He swallowed and hurried down out of the cart. He was quick to find the boys and take care of himself. The older boys took no heed of him and were quick to leave him behind. Thran felt very alone, perhaps more alone than when he had been locked in the cellar. At least there he knew Jert would be waiting for him outside. Trudging back to the cart, he saw the others had already returned to the cart and were eating once again. Karn waved him over and Thran reluctantly walked towards him, his stomach churning with hunger.
“You’ll get yours when this is done, boy,” the man replied, handing him stakes. “Hold them down.”
Thran bent down, but when Karn held up a mallet, he pulled his hands away, shaking his head in fear.
“Not going to hit you, boy, just the stakes. Hold the stakes in the loops, I hit the stakes into the ground.”
Thran’s brow pinched with worry, but he held the stake down again and leaned his body back away from his hands. Closing his eyes tight, he tried not to move when Karn brought the mallet down. Must to his relief, the man had not hit him, and kept true to his word. Looking up into Karn’s face, he bit his lip as he smiled.
“As I said before, if you work hard, you have nothing fear with me,” he said quietly, moving to the next corner of the heavy canvas.
The small tent was just large enough for the Master to sit up in. Karn had Thran hold onto smaller sticks while he set into building a fire. He sent Thran out to find stones to make a ring around the fire. He settled into the work quickly and found himself running back and forth, eager to please Karn. When the camp was set up, he followed the man back to the cart and was lifted up into the back. He was given another piece of bread and this time a small piece of dried meat, something he had only tasted once before. Returning to Rilia’s side, he ate as she smoothed back his hair.
The boys were already sleeping across the floor of the cart, leaving the girls the narrow, splitter filled benches. Rilia scooted into the corner and let him lay back across her. Her belly was softer than her side and he nestled into her, liking the way her smell enveloped him.
“You’re only doing that ‘cause he’s pretty,” one of the boys muttered darkly, sitting up and glaring at Rilia.
“He’s a little boy,” she whispered, her hand on the top of Thran’s head. “Look at him, he needs attention. I’m surprise he’s not ill.”
“I’m stronger than I look,” Thran murmured thickly.
“Hush now, Thran,” Rilia said in a soothing voice. “This is probably going to be the most sleep you get in a while.”
Thran stared down at the boy who had spoken. He had a sour looking face with long shaggy blond hair. His bony body was long and his clothes were actually mended, save a large hole that appeared more like a gash than a tear. Thran settled back and was lulled by Rilia’s fingers as they worked through his hair. The night air turned cool, a sure sign that autumn was not long off. He was thankful for Rilia - she would be a friend.
The morning came early and Karn ordered the boys to take down the Master’s tent while he scattered the fire. Thran stayed back with the girls until Karn turned his eye on him and ordered him and Rilia to tend to the horses. The sky had dark rain clouds that hung precariously to the north and the air was heavy and damp. With the camp cleared and the horses hitched to the cart, they were all back in their places from the day before, Karn handed out pieces of bread with bits of potato and carrots in it. Thran had never had so much food and wondered if it would continue one once they reached the Master’s farm.
The day was windy and thankfully the clouds were held at bay. Thran was snuggled tight against Rilia’s side until mid day when it seemed that Karn turned the cart sharply. Turning on the narrow bench, he peeked out the bottom of the canvas and his mouth slackened at the sight of a huge manor house flanked by fields that seemed to go on forever. There was cattle and sheep in the far fields, while alfalfa and wheat grew in the inner fields. There looked to be four different barns and two large chicken roosts. There was a narrow building that ran adjacent to the first barn and Thran wondered what kind of animal would be housed separate from the cattle and sheep as he turned back and looked up at Rilia. She smiled and tucked her arm around him.
“I may not see much of you now, Thran, but I will see you,” she whispered as she bent low next to him. “I promise.”