beginning

Though the path to the future can be well mapped, it is the uncertainties of each footfall and all the possible detours that create the intrigue of the journey. Somehow, somewhere deep within I knew this one would be much more than a change of ownership. The dismal insulas fell behind me, the middle caste streets became history. House Caethlong was one of Ar's great Houses. Its heritage spanned back for generation after generation. As many floors as one could see upward of the cylinder, there were an equal number beneath the hustle and bustle of the city streets. None of this once slid into my peripheral vision as the agent led me through the entrance and along the winding corridors. It was beyond all of this that I was focused, at the end of those halls was my single purpose.Gathered within the assessment chamber were other slaves of the house. The casual banter was warm and welcoming enough, I merely did not acknowledge them. I awaited my appraisal. As I stepped to the podium, every tef of my training should have surfaced to be perfection and it was until ... He touched me. Despite all I had been taught nothing could have prepared me for the onslaught of sensations that simple caress, the slaver's kiss illicited. The rush of ... The flood of ... The race of ... yessss everything I had been bred to be had been ignited. Even the chromosomes for my gender felt the skill. I knew then, I was a woman. I was a woman in the hands of a true gorean male, and no mere one at that, a slaver, one that is superb in his craft.

repercussion

Create the order lift me out of the engulfing chaos
Offer what glimpse may be
impartment and refinement
drive on
Randomness flee from me
Ascendency not reproof such
sweet perfection
succor me

~hers

Strings

A tentative
hover
of my hand
held out to you
as it should
trembling
oh so nervous
how you must
must find
it all
amusing
and praying
you find it
good
faltering
frightened
beneath it all
trusting
and too
within
I find
a comfort
a smile
that you
have always
known
I would

~hers

and a new journey began

And a new journey began
A guest had been brought to the let chamber of the inn. qui found an ease in serving the man and took note that his gaze often found her with every movement. Shorl kept quiet for most of the eve, chewing on a bit of bread and dipping it into his wine rather than spending his time in entertaining the man. Each of her movements came with a fluid grace as she seemed to glide about the pair. The goblets were never allowed to empty and dishes were gathered as the bits of food were abandoned. The girl was unobtrusive to their conversations though the guest would often lift his eyes to watch her before speaking again to her protector. The ahn was not late when Shorl growled and snatched his coin pouch and without a word stalked out the door. It stopped the girl in her tracks for a moment but it hadn't taken much time to recover. She knew .. she understood. She had been sold. The request for her to gather her things came in a much softer tone than she had become accustomed to with the other men. All she took with her was the cloak she had been allowed. Even the small card she'd been given in the insula was left behind. She would not need it now.
It was almost a relief to step out into the fresh air of the streets and heel behind the man. There was no compacency in her actions now as she strode just to his left with her head lifted. She simply never looked back.

Stale perfume

The room at the inn was by any and all means more lush than the previous insula. The girl had fidgeted with the small card tucked in her sash and had not paid attention to the name of the establishment. She caught sight only of the thick carpets along the corridors at the base of the stairwells. Keeping count of her steps she numbered them as her feet flew along the risers to keep up with Shorl and Dolht.
Meals this eve would be taken in the room and the girl served them both well. She was given a mat in the far corner rather than spare the expense of coin to have her kenneled. At some point after retiring she overheard a heated argument among them though the baritone of both men left the topic a bit vague, though the jist of it was something about glana perhaps having more worth . It was only the oddly generous invitation of Shorl to find some wine and wenches that ended the dispute.
When the men left, exquise rose long enough to extinguish the lights and return to her mat. She had no idea the prophetic nature of her actions. Only one of the men returned that night. Shorl's pouch had a fullness to it that it did not have when he left though he reeked once more of paga, stale kajira perfume and something latently lingering beneath it all ... a whiff of acrid copper. She feigned sleep until she was assured of the snores coming from the remaining guardsman.

extreme failing or pure genius

Flora only beginning to bud into a renewal of life swirled about the stone pathways of the gardens. The hubbub of the city almost stopped at its' gate and became a calm within. It was a world apart.
Those that strolled within the peaceful beauty had an elegance of their own. Freewomen bathed in signature fragrances were well hidden behind silvery masks and walked with diminutive steps at the side of their escorts. The men were adorned in brilliant colors that denoted the pride of their castes and signets of rank and position. The snap of booted heels along the walkways left a measured cadence echoing only to fade into silence once more as they passed.
Exquise sought a spot out of the way to rest. The journey thus far had not been exhausting in its rigors but rather in the stark unsureties. How long she had awaited the summons from Shorl she wasn't sure, but today she knew at least she been given more time. Without any real thought she had drifted into a quiet daze when she found herself engulfed in a broadening darkness. The sky had few clouds that would forewarn any storms so she lifted her rich gaze. Before her stood a man who had seen more than a few envars experience though he had a kindly disposition about him. It was instinctive for the girl to turn a genteel smile up for his pleasure. In a conversation heard only by the two, he questioned her of her attendance there and of her owner. With a tender guidance he lifted her to her feet and drew her into the cradle of his arm holding her against his side.
The more the man sought to know of the girl, the more it became apparent that whether it was an extreme failing on the part of her creator or a stroke of pure genius, exquise mind was empty of her own personal thoughts and opinion. It was a vast expanse only partially occupied by her training of the finer arts. She was bred to be pleasing without resistance, she was thoroughly complacent. Slowly this dawning came to the man as he gave in to the complexities of what her capabilities were. She could be the most wanton of sluts without hesitance to obey the least command or if in the hands of another she could be just as easily a cold blooded killer. Either way despite the perfections and effort of her creation ... she was completely expendable.
The realization of what he held in his arms was intriguing. In low growling whispers, he rationalized aloud whether owning such a piece was suitable to his own needs. Withdrawing the curl of warmth between the two, he spoke only that perhaps he may seek the guardsmen. Then he was gone.

amidst the masses

The hovels of the district became consumed by the shadows of the high cylinders. Decadence and depravity seemed to scurry into the recesses beneath the splendor of the glass and steel towers. The streets took on a noisy vitality as citizens pushed and vied for the best choice of path between carts and mounted tharlarian.
The grasp at her arm had lessened in its severity over the past few days but amidst the masses, it held firm. She found herself grateful for that minute amount of security even from Shorl. It was with a wide eyed wonder she noticed, there seemed to be a rhthym that came natural to those whom reside in this portion of the city proper. Almost an unspoken courtesy not to speak or acknowledge those around them. Traffic along the lanes divided into two directions and even at intersections, there was a silent understanding of which group had priority to cross where.
The guardsmen sought out an Inn where they could base their pursuit of profit and begin canvassing the city for a particular merchant they believed had some wealth and an appetite for an innocent though unique slave girl. This days' regime of exercise would find the girl taken to a quiet public garden.

The card

It was almost midday when the men woke the next day. Despite the aftermath of the paga, they began to formulate a plan for the visit to the high cylinders. It took only a bit of persuasion by the girl to convince them a good meal, blackwine and decent baths would be necessary first.
While Shorl and Dohlt saw to making themselves more presentable to a higher standing of patronage than they had encountered in this district, exquise was sent down the alleyway to the little cafe for food and the steaming hot drink.
The shop was well occupied with a variety of people although it could not be said to be very busy. Most were simply milling about, bantering a bit among themselves. After having told the proprietress of her needs, the girl slipped into the shadows of the cafe to watch while the order was being prepared. All eyes turned to the entrance as an unseemly looking couple arrived. The man of average height was quite impressionable. His nose was long and sharply pointy in a way that reminded one of a herlit. His eyes so closely set and small and beady seemed as if they were merely bits of coal balanced on top. He was dressed in a dapperly fashion as escorted a woman at his arm in among those gathered. For all of the notability of the man, it was the woman who made the most impression. She was an assault to the senses in a myriad of hues, textures and scents. Many ahlils of light bright green satin had long ago faded in streaks into an almost golden color. Lace of what was once a cream color seemed to be wound around her in an endless supply, but it was the coloring of her hair and face that could not be blinked away. Beneath the coiling tendrils of almost copper tress was a complexion that had been powdered white. Her cheeks obviously blushed an unnatural cherry red and lines of aquamarine had been painted on the overabundant eyelids. To make the whole appearance quite complete, her mouth had been drawn with a dark ramberry to make the thinning lips look fuller.
The girl tried to fade farther into the shadow only to have the woman loose her escort's arm and stride directly to her. exquise had been displayed before but this encounter left her with the feeling of being so much meat in a butcher shop. Gloved fingertips rose to clinch the delicate jaw line and turn her face one direction then the other before lifting her chin high to read the inscription on the steel about her throat. The woman's voice came in a low spoken thick accent as she withdrew her touch and fumbled within a small lace pouch to retrieve a card. Shoving it into exquise hand roughly she spoke where all within the cafe could hear. "When you have no where else to go ... come to me. You will be Marlenus' Talena." Then with a garish aplomb, the woman turned away with a wave of her hand to all within the small diner and blew kisses nonchalantly. If any of this had truly affected the girl, what happened next had cinched it. Everyone within the establishment rose, men and women alike stood and offered thunderous applause. The hook nosed little man lifted his arm to the woman and the two seemed to glide away before the accolades ceased.
As if an torrent wind had blown through, everyone grew uncannily silent after the departure. For several ihn one could almost hear the dust settle. While exquise tucked the card into the sash at her waist, the din of the cafe once more filled the emptiness. The proprietress brought out baskets lined with waxed rence paper containing stewed meat and fried sul wages. With fattened hands dimpled at the knuckles she curled her fingers about the girl's refusing payment for the meals. She simply told her in a quiet monotone, "One day you will return."
Whether it was an omen of the future or an attempt to find hope amid such a dreary life, exquise gave it all no further thought than to wonder how the little cafe could survive without revenues.

argumentativeness of the non argument

The girl kept herself amused during the ahns that the men were away. There was no chezhar to play and despite her culinary skills there was only so much one could do with a crust of bread and a bota of water. Nibbling at the hardened rind of the loaf while she began tidying up the flat, she opted not to think far into the future but rather gave in to the whimsy of what she would say to the young man if she had an opportunity again. For a moment she was enticed to slip down the alleyway to the physician's and finagle a piece of rence from him. It was short lived only in that she would find reason to have the guards stop by the following morning during her exercise. It was only after the streak of light from the central fire receded and was replaced by a sliver of glow from the street lanterns that the guardsmen stumbled back into the apartment. They reeked of paga and not only were their coin pouches hanging on the outside of their breeches but it was evident by the low swag of them they were much lighter. That same impassiveness followed the argumentativeness of the non argument. It was not entirely the paga that had them both saying the same thing and refusing to realize it. "We should have asked for more coins for the slip." "We need to go to Ar." "We should ask a higher price." "We can do that of the merchant .. in Ar." "We could make double the coin for her." "We will go to Ar."The debate was settled when one finally offered no rebuttal. He had fallen face first onto the splintered wooden table ... passed out. The girl had watched the tirade between the two as if it were a kaissa match, looking from one to the other as they spoke about her. When Shorl fell over and shortly thereafter Dolht did as well it made her head bob as if nodding her own agreement. They were going to the high cylinders ... when ... they woke.

Past the copper bit brothels

Every city has in some form or another a district similar to the Anbar District of Ar, where the rents are low and coin can purchase many things that an honest merchant would turn down profit for. Ar's is just more renowned. Within the twists and turns of the alleyways into darkened passages between a shop of inexpensive brands and the seedy physician's tenement where no questions were asked of the purpose or patient for whatever vial of drug needed, past the copper bit brothel, the guardsmen had leased one of the insula apartments. The less coin invested the greater their take when they sold the girl.
It seemed a matter of ihn after returning to the flat, Dohlt and his comrade were out the door again leaving exquise to herself. In a way she was being thoughtful of their coins in not lighting the lamps but in the dimness, the ragged rep cushions and tattered furs didn't appear as obviously dismal. The fragrance of stale paga and other noxious aromas was masked only by opening one of the shutters a crack to let in air.
Drawing off her cloak, she immediately began brushing off the dust and grass fragments that had adhered during her service at the springs. One or two hitch-hiking seed pods were carefully plucked away before she folded the cape and set it aside. It wasn't the stream of cool air that filtered through the shutter that made her shiver and sigh deeply. It was the skepticism of the future. Only hands ago she knew well what her life was to be and now ... its details came only moment by moment.
The bantering among those gathered earlier today had not escaped her as she held out her hands before her to study them. She had not been opposed to hard work, she had merely never been exposed to it nor had there ever been any reason to be. Was she so pampered as described by the man and woman speaking today? As her fingertips touched and brushed each other, something or rather someone else slipped into her thoughts. A piece of rence folded within a young man's hands had caught her attention as she was forced to leave the natural baths. She had wished to see what became of it when he had lept from the boulder to his feet. It had been almost startling when she looked up into his face, so beautiful, so perfectly chiseled but his eyes ... It was not like the girl to express emotions often and for some reason he had provoked a smile. It would have been bold to speak to him but in a sense was grateful that Shorl had intervened. She would not have known exactly what to say. 'Silly girl, there is little chance you will meet with him again. When the guards return surely they will have found a new owner for you.' The envisionment was not of the grandeur she had once expected and that shiver coursed over her more fiercely

Insula

Insula
Fed, watered, exercised, the guards would see the woman had at least the basic of necessities. She was allowed a few ihn within the clearing of the springs. The walk had brought a bit of color to her cheeks as well as a bit of purpose to her day in being allowed to serve. Silence had been much of her world and she had been hesitant to speak within her serve. Given chance she chose the season.
The time alloted had come all too soon. She was offered release to rejoin the guardsmen as they departed. It was only then that she caught sight of the young man indulging in a lost art of folding rence. Something about him beckoned to her and she had slipped from the harsh grasp of the men only long enough to offer a smile before they forced her down along the path.
The dreariness of the rented insula would become the womb once more. There had been no major expense offered in the furnishings, meager, dank and ill-used. The men would leave her within to search for an offer of coins or the festivities of the taverns. She gave no thought to why they did not partake their pleasures of her. Simply finding the absence of light soothing.

markets

Seizing the opportunity to make profit, the small entourage wove along the streets of the city. Amidst the flow of the crowd, they wound their way through crudely crafted stalls and the vast array of blankets tossed along the sides of the market. A buyer would be found, cheaply enough if their package gave them much trouble.
Wedged between the two obviously adroit guardsmen, the cloaked figure seemed unusually diminuative. Though the men buffeted their way with heavy booted footfalls, the smaller form would appear to glide from here to there within a wisp of breeze. The drape of hood concealing any detail of what lay beneath.
Roughened hands of the men caught at the petit upper arm gripping firmly to drag their prey off the curb and across to the far alleyway. Even without the benefit of the features under the cowl, the impassiveness was evident. Slowly extricating from the grasp, a small hand smoothed the lines of the cape again in brisk motions.
Only briefly in the turn to glance back at the throngs was the glmpse of finely carved features and delicate shading of the face beneath visable. The eyes, pools of blue green liquid that danced over the masses. Decadently gossamer veilings too scandalous for a free woman scarcely hid the intricate beauty.
For the spanse of a moment, the gaze sought to rest on just one. The childlike innocence of it disarming. Within it too was perhaps a desperation of need for validation ... a reaching out within it before the hardened grip caught hold again, guiding her into the shadows.

Upheaval

Knowing lifelong what path lie before her, she had been readied for dispatch to her new world. The painstaking ahns of preparation, training, studies were now to pay off. Though a series of ill fated events would turn it all upside down. Created as a gift for a ubar, it was the belief that he would reign for decades ... centuries, in one solitary moment of tyranny, he had been cut down. The end of an era became the turning point of a journey. The creator having been paid well no longer had interest of what became of his art, the investor believing his gift had been accepted sought new adventures elsewhere, the guards given their coin now felt the dilemma of what to do with the girl. A design without implementation, a purpose without destination, this was the woman's world for the moment.