Freedom
#2 of Tale's of the wanderer's
Chapter I
The engaging scent of pine trees relaxed Ayden. He stretched against the trunk of a tall willow and closed his. The midday sun warmed his supple white fur. A single blade of grass rested in his mouth and he chewed the end to extract the tart juice.
The scent of blooming apple trees somewhere in the distance filled the air with its sweet fragrance. A gentle cool breeze blew across the lush land. The songs of birds coupled with the soft sound of a nearby creek made the fox drowsy...
"GIT UP!" a sharp jab at the ribs made Ayden yelp "WORTHLESS MAGGOT," Ayden looked up to se a particularly fat lion sneered.
The fox was still drowsy from his now gone dream. He could only whimper and shrink back.
But for some reason this made the boar mad "GIT OUT 'ER NOW!" The guard shot out and seized Ayden's sandy blond hair and lifted him off the ground. Ayden began to yelp and attempted to free himself from the iron grasp of the slaver, he tried to free the locks of golden hair from the fat fingers of the brute.
The guard only laughed at the Vulpines feeble resistance. He retreated a single claw, and put it to the boy's soft chest, Ayden began crying out to stop, but even if the guard could understand him he would only mock him further.
Ayden screamed while his golden hair was ripped from his scalp and a razor sharp claw slowly traced along his ribs. Burning tears flowed from his baby blue eyes, and crimson droplets dripped from his new wound.
The guard released his hair. The fox landed on his side with a thud.
"NOW GIT UP OR I'LL SKIN YA LIKE A OX!"
Ayden sobbed to himself, he was helpless...
- + + +
Ayden was always a small fox. By the age of seventeen he was only 5.1 in height and only 124 pounds. His build was thin and trim. His fur, which was a light reddish color, caused him to be teased by his brothers. His slim fingers made him of little use for hunting or the heavier work in the family but he twice as nimble as his brothers and was training to become a tailor.
On his way to another homestead to sell a few tunics he had made he had foolishly taken a less safe swamp road. On the road he had spied a small dagger. Fine knives were hard to come by, and one so new looking would be valuable. When he trotted over to pick it up, his leg became caught and was sent flying into the air.
"Well, well, well... I came hoping for deer and caught a fox," A voice from behind him said chuckling.
He spun slowly around to see a nasty looking one-eyed bear "I had hoped for a good catch, but didn't expect one so rare..."
Fox's were a rare prize for slavers and only Griton & Gaillen had the rare red-fox as a native species. Buyers in the Markets of Thran or Zikh were known to pay amazing sums for one health Fox.
"Heh... heh... heh... you'll do nicely," the bear said like he was appraising a piece of meat. He grabbed Ayden's thin wrists and quickly tied them together.
"Let me go! Please!" Ayden cried. The bear simply grinned; he pulled out a long sinister looking blade. Ayden's terror grew when his eyes fell upon the piece of bronze.
"Ohh don be such a bitch," The bear said mockingly, he gripped the rope that held the left leg of the fox.
- + + +
A long line of slaves stood in the sand; all of them were dirty and exhausted. Five guards watched them from the walls of the stockade. The chains around their feet clanked as they moved slowly. The head slaver and a merchant haggled over the scraggly group.
Ayden watched from another line of slaves, this one though was not sold yet only getting a poor meal of hardtack and dirty water. He had to swallow the sharp fragments of hardtack fast in order to prevent a larger slave from taking it from him. While he ate his dismal meal a guard watched him from the ramparts.
The Slaver Ntin Had Sold his share of Slaves over the years, but most of them had been strong ones chosen for work in quarries and mines. Not as Dancers, or concubines. The Lion was not a pillar of virtue by any means. But something just seemed wholly unsatisfying on breaking the spirit of a weak boy who barely could move by the time he was deposited in his stockade. It also tugged at his weak principles to sell a slave who was stolen from his land. Normally the slaves moved through here were criminals or war prisoners who had no pity in his eyes.
But for some reason when a Caravan came thought carrying a group of slaves had came in he had just dismissed it until he came to a small one. A fox who could do nothing but whimper in his native language and try to shrink down as much as possible. It was Pathetic to watch him compete with other stronger slaves for the limited food and precious water. It was not until a guard finally felt pity for him and gave him a small portion of sustenance. But it was more likely the fact that a live slave held more value then a dead one.
Though the Lion tried to dismiss the pathetic slave it proved hard to ignore. It was hard to place any out of the ordinary quality, other then being a rarity in these parts, was a simple boy destined to work as a concubine to a wealthy noble or Merchant.
But for some mind-boggling reason he could not pull his mind from the fox for long. It soon became a daily event that he would pause in front the tiny cell he was kept in. slowly he became more bold and would take the fox out to the daily appraisal, all the time never so much as saying a word to the youth.
Ayden chocked down the last piece of the dry cracker, his throat was horribly raw even though he had tried to moisten the piece in the water given as long as possible. He then drank the water as fast as possible.
He and the other slaves of Gaillen were made to sit in the boiling sand while merchants and other perspective buyers passed occasional one would ask the Slaver in charge how much he was, only to be frightened away by the cost.
Ayden hated the feel of the buyer's stares; to be handled, poked and prodded and haggled over like a piece of meat.
- + + +
Atin watched the fox from behind, high on the walls. Exactly what was so fascinating about this slave the lion could not pinpoint. He knew the fox would be sold, to rare to go unnoticed for long...
Ramhoto the slave merchant looked over the sorry group of slave "too weak... too old... too old... too stupid... too ugly... too... Wait a moment" the crocodile's eye fell upon Ayden.
"What have we here?" he leaned closer to the fox who sat holding his knees. Ayden looked up only to be frightened back by two rows of razor sharp teeth.
"SLAVE, what is you're name?" the croc ordered.
"Don't waste your breath, that one don't speak a like of our tongue," the same boar who beat the fox earlier said with a malicious tone.
The croc narrowed his eyes, it was painfully clear that the slaver who was currently in possession of a treasure which he had no idea of how valuable it really was. It would have been proper conduct to inform his currant owner of how valuable it was... but a merchant of flesh was not a creature of principle...
- + + +
Ayden forced his eyes open. He was too ill to sleep, the tossing of the ship made him queasy. The dark tight room was stuffed to an uncomfortable number of poor squirming creatures. As he looked around he saw only a few other clansmen.
His tribe referred to any other of their tribe as clansmen, it made for unity.
Many of others, who had never been beyond the confines of their village, were sick to their stomach as the ship swayed from side to side.
Ayden held his legs to his chest; he remained in a terrified hush...
- + + +
Atin watched as the Croc led secured the line of slaves. First chain the together by the hardened leather collar, then the feet, then the wrists. Many of the slaves knew the drill all too well. Out of the corner of his eye he could see the guard who sold the object of his interest counting the twelve silvers he hag gained from the sale. Kushar would be lucky if he was not roasting on a spit when his superior caught wind of the transaction.
"You there! Guard help my men tie these slaves up" Ramhoto called not even looking over shoulder while he counted the money he saved off of the foolish slaver.
Atin began the process of securing the Crocs new assets... Atin stopped. He looked up at the eyes of the young wolf; broken, sad, terrified. A heavy feeling descended upon Atins heart.
The wolf watched as the guard 'adjusted' his shackle and listened to him 'adjust' the shackles of the other slaves...
- + + +
Ayden ran as fast as he could... he did not know where the others in his line had scattered to, but the croc and his two guards would never find the twelve running slaves. During the night when his new master fell asleep and the two guards fell asleep on guard duty. The wolf had shown them a kink in the chains. And after all of the shackles had been removed (quietly of course) all of them had silently slipped out of the tent and moved as fast as they could. At some point they had scattered.
It would be morning by the time his 'master' realized what had happened. The fox did not know why the guard had helped them. He did not know where he was running; he only followed vegetation in hopes of finding an oasis. He did not know what he would do when he got there. He only knew he had to run; he only had a few hours head start.
He preyed that his stamina would hold up. His eyes watched a strange shooting star. His best idea, run to the star...
End Chapter I; Freedom
Tale of the wanderers