Why hello, everyone! This is my second Tamora Pierce fic, yet this one is set within the Immortal Quartet. I'm not sure when I can update, because my muse is very erratic, but I'm hoping for it to be soon.
Also, I realize this is a very commonly-used main plot, with Daine belonging to Carthak, but I tried to put a bit of a different twist on it.
Dislclaimer: I do not own anything by Tamora Pierce.
Her heartbeat was frantic, just like the rest of her body. For a fleeting moment, she thought it would burst from her chest. Yet after that moment, human thought left her. In her mind, all she felt was the hunt. At the edge of her sight was the red of bloodlust. Fur brushed her naked side, and she knew her pack-mate ran beside her. From the scent it was Brokefang. Another wolf, Short-Snout, howled a hunting cry, joyful and melodious in her ears. She could see her prey in front of her, a hairy, drunk two-legger, and she leaped. She felt her teeth sink into flesh, heard the scream of a dying man, and had her first taste of the salty red liquid they call blood...
Daine sat bolt upright, a cold film of sweat covering her body, and she forced herself to breathe normally. She swallowed hard. She heard a shifting sound from the adjoining room, that of Emperor Ozorne, and her breath stilled. Only once she heard him snoring lightly did she let herself breathe again. Putting her face in trembling hands, the last in that terrible chain of memories flashed through her thoughts.
She felt the villager's knife in her side before she was even able to turn around. She screamed, writhing, trying to get her nails in the human...But shock soon overcame her, and she passed out cold. When she next woke, she was covered in big, flowering bruises, one eye swelled shut, on a slave boat headed for Carthak. She had been put into a burlap-type peasant dress. She recalled a woman coming to her, attempting to get her to eat, but she only snarled viciously and crouched in a corner, eyes wild enough to warn the woman away.
When they reached Carthak, it took three bulky men to remove her from the ship, for all that she was thin and malnourished. Ozorne had seen the wolf-child as an exception; she knew she would never forget even one of his 'lessons'. Over time she once again learned the ways of the two-leggers, but she was by no means her old self. She was simply Ozorne's pet, his favorite toy. She had been submitted to all sorts of horrible 'teaching' so that she was as obedient and docile as a mouse. Just about as timid, as well. Her free will was gone.
It was like that now. Everything she did was to prove to the Emperor that she didn't need more lessons. Somewhere, in the back of her mind, she remembered a carefree, loving girl, whose dreams were surpassed only by the size of her heart. She also remembered a cocky pony, who was motherly in a way that made her feel warm. Yet Daine could not remember who these creatures were. Only that she had a feeling she would never meet them again.
For some reason Daine's vision blurred. Rubbing at her eyes, she blinked in surprise as they came back wet. That night the girl went to sleep with confusion and restlesness in her heart.
000
The next morning Daine awoke in her normal routine. The slaves had a lavender-oil bath ready for her, as was the Emperor's preference. He liked his pet to smell nice. After that slaves dressed her in fine silks, ones that limited her leg movement and covered the slave-collar on her neck. Both of these things was to make sure she wouldn't run off, even though she was too docile to even think of that now.
Just as she finished said dressing, a customary knock came to the door. When opened, it revealed a hunched old slave, who spoke with a wheezing voice. "The Emperor... would like to... see you now." He seemed to have trouble simply catching his breath. Daine simply nodded and, with a slave escort, walked to the imperial aviary. That was where Ozorne always went in the morning.
As the slave opened the door, she was met with a big smile and cheering eyes. Ozorne would be an easy man to like, had she not seen his less appealing sides. Sure, he looked happy-go-lucky now, but that would surely change the next time he was met with bad news.
"Good morning, my dear. I have a bit of news for you." He paused, seemingly for dramatic effect, which was wasted on the stoic Daine. "A few friends of mine are coming from Tortall to pay a visit." Now this made Daine blink in surprise. She had not known Ozorne liked anything to do with Tortall. "Oh, yes. It should be most wonderful. Feasting and dancing, and a delightful after party show of a hanging." Ah. So that was it. Daine simply nodded mutely. "You will, of course, be serving them, my dear. Make the remaining days of their lives good ones."
A sickened feeling rolled in her stomach, but she simply bowed, noting the dismissal in his voice. As she turned to leave, he said one more thing to her back. "They will be arriving tomorrow. I would like you to meet them there. And..." His voice took a dangerous edge and she turned to look at his face. She would have flinched if she wasn't already used to such threats. "There will be no tricks with those animals of yours. Remember, they find out of your trickery, I will kill every animal from horses to mice in this palace. Do you understand?"
Daine's face had gone white, but she nodded and fled. She had been told that threat in her lessons. And she knew he would do it. She had not communicated with the People in the year or so since she had been here. She had blocked out their voices. She had no interest in causing a slaughter. Trembling and shaken, she began her preparations for the next day.
Ignore the size, since my first chapters are always short. Well, actually, all of my chapters might be like this... it just depends how creative I'm feeling.
Anyway, review, people! I love reviews!
