Time for Change - Zaenaeyrs Soliar

[S'Lon]

Ponutis 40, Spring, Era XIV

Spring was now well advanced around Natura and S'Lon had fallen into something of a routine, basing himself much more closely into the town than had been his wont in order to be available as Constable if needed.

This brightening though he was up as early as usual in the Hall, his routine was different. His bow was stowed with his gear, packed differently from usual since he wasn't going to be walking anywhere. Instead he shouldered it in the kitchen and walked out the back of the Hall towards the stables. As he did so, he reached out with his mind to his horse, casting befriend to him, not that it was especially needed any more, but the ranger felt more comfortable establishing a tighter bond with his horse.

He took the stallion from the stall, and walked him around before brushing him down the deep chestnut hair and fitting him with harness and saddle. He meant to be away at least a cycle and so he carried his full gear with him. He walked out of the Hall grounds and then shifted the horse into a trot. Soon they had left the town behind and then the very forest itself. His intention was to run the edge of the forest as far towards Riparia as he could. In part he wanted to extend his range to the very limit of what the Rangers normally did and in part, if he made it he wanted to explore what Riparia had to offer, since he had never been there before.

Everything was routine for the first two brightenings, stopping off in villages and farms as he went, and he settled into the routine of the ride though in truth he still wasn't accustomed to the saddle. He followed the main road at times, and as the evening of the second brightening started to draw in he came up to a caravan that had pulled over for the darkening. Normal curtisies of the road meant that they welcomed him to the fire and he hobbled the horse to allow it to graze, knowing that it wouldn't leave him far behind in any case. Passing over two rabbits that he'd shot during the afternoon over to the cook, he accepted a bowl of stew in return and settled down to conversation with the merchants. Thier stock in trade was not something that every merchant specialised in but S'Lon had few issues with it, aside from a natural caution as to his own safety.

[Zaenaeyrs]

Dark brown eyes swam in the cool darkness of the caravan wagon. Squinting a little the young woman's mind-fuzzied with sleep-though dreamless, or perhaps dreams long since forgotten tries to make sense of the hazy world. Zaenaeyrs, slender ears pick at the sound of voices the language is not unfamiliar but simply one she doesn't speak.

She swallowed the talk made her nervous, not because she doesn't understand but because of the feel of the words. She's heard this type of speak before it was business that the merchant spoke of perhaps. She inched her way to the end of the wagon, where the light created a window to the outside. Peering out of the wagon dark eyes focused on the merchants. She writhed a moment, remembering her hands and feet were bound, by cord, that she could not escape-not that she'd not attempted to.

She shudders at the memory, and curses her wayward and wandering feet. Those feet that took her far from her home that morning, out into the wood, beyond the reach of any of her family or friends. She only wanted to see the horses, left alone in the wood-which even to her knowledge was an odd place for saddled horses to be alone in. She remembered the footsteps and barely audible to her ears. She hadn't had the presence of mind to turn, and found her voice-try as she might muffled from screaming by a cloth. She'd felt the light thump of something against her body as she slipped into unconciousness.

Now she was here, bound and gagged, and unable to see much, leaning against the interior of the wagon, the elf began to sob. Footsteps inched closer. "She's awake it sounds like." a voice says,distinctly male, the light grows quickly as the curtain is parted more. "Want to see one?" the merchant asks S'Lon carefully, as if the being in the wagon was no more than a trinket, a gold necklace perhaps.

[S'Lon]

Meal over, talk had naturally turned to business, with S'Lon prompting them on the state of the roads and whether or not there had been any problems. The conversation soon turned to how the merchants own business was progressing.

Since they were discussing something that both understood, it didn't take long before they were discussing training techniques, finding some common ground and some novelties. Inevitably, he was offered to see their wares and even though he had no plans in that direction, he agreed.

The canvas was lifted and light flooded into the back of the wagon. "Interesting," S'Lon commented, knowing better to show too much interest since it would degrade his bargaining position. He hadn't seen an elf with that colouring before and he made an impulsive decision, ignoring whether or not it might cause him problems later on.

"Would you mind if I saw it better?" The merchant grinned and lifted the elf out and stood it where S'Lon could see it. He walked around it, lifted it's chin and checked it's teeth. "I might be interested," he said and nodded at the elf with a lift of his eyebrow. The merchant smiled and waved him to continue. Leaving the gag in place, S'Lon unbound the elfs hands and stripped the clothes off so that he could see if there were any hidden injuries or other defects.

He walked around, his hand wrapped in the elfs hair to keep her upright and smiled, before releasing the hair and turning his attention back to the merchant. "I'll buy it, if the price is right. Shall we have a drink and discuss it? There isn't any hurry, and we have the darkening."

[Zaenaeyrs]

Being removed from the back of the wagon, had made her realize what was going on, she'd seen others taken away in such a manner, though many had been cowed, and less vocal than she. Zaenaerys struggled for a moment in the merchants grip. Silently screaming to her captor that she was no bag of vegetables to be tossed about so.

Striking the ground at an odd angle, she winced, it had stung, more an insule to her pride than injury. In the light of the flames, her coloring showed, deep brown, almost bronze in color. If she'd been an animal, say a horse she might have been described as a light chestnut or perhaps a bay, for her skin was brown, clearly natural though some places darker than others it could have been a natural tan. Brown eyes, changed from tearing and somewhat red rimmed, to smoldering brown-black embers. She tried to remain still, who knew what these people would do to her.

She blinked and looked terrified and angry and her clothing, all that she had left, except for the small necklace around her neck, silver and shining in the fading sunlight, were torn away. She looked more than terrified, she looked angery, but perhaps it was the fear knowing what they could do to her, that kept her from acting. She looked on with tear-filling eyes.

She shivered in the cooler air, watching her dress, and muttering all the while in her elven tonuge. No defects, and perhaps a bit skinny, though she was clearly female. Her eyes seemed to roll as the man checked her mouth. For a moment to holds on to hope that maybe he'll not be like those she has seen before, but the moment hands clench down on her hair the past few days rush at her-what she has seen happen to the others in her position- she was going to be sold. She opened her mouth to speak, but then closed it, she didn't understand and and it was doubtful they understood her.