Title: Salvation
Summary: -book-verse- An extremely short look at a pair of Irish siblings, whose lives as slaves on the market take a turn for the better upon the purchase and release by a kind doctor.
Note: I just found this in Ye Olde Fan Fiction Archives, and thought it would be better put up here than gathering cyber dust in my computer.
Upon the whole, Mona had long since given up hope.
It would have been difficult to continue, after nights in the cold, and protecting her brother was no easy task. Kevin had nearly been purchased, by a foul looking older man, who, if either child had been able to grasp the concept, seemed to be a paederast. Only when Mona had instructed him to begin gibbering in Irish, had the horrid old man stalked away towards another slaver. True, the stripes across her back had stung, and the rebukes in a language she did not understand were coupled with slaps, but Kevin remained roped to his sister.
They were thin, and horrifically so. Grime was streaked across Mona's cheeks, and Kevin's nose was liberally smeared with dirt and sweat. 'Though the merchant did concern himself with making them look attractive to possible buyers, he never bothered in buying them clothing other than the strips of rag that they wore, or had them wash their faces.
It was another day, identical to the others – the merchant were walking them about, smiling genially and calling out to anyone who could be considered a potential customer.
Kevin stumbled. A sharp stone was jarred in his foot. 'Oh for the love of God,' he murmured, mostly out of habit. The pain was only just bearable. The stone fell, but the blood was there.
Mona glanced at her brother. 'Shush,' she mumbled out of the corner of her mouth, but it was too late. His words had brought attention to them; a man in the crowd had turned about, and was looking at them with curiosity.
Mona considered him for a moment. He was short, with scarce black hair, and his clothing was not quite so very familiar. This, added to the colour of his skin, the nature of his features, concluded her assessment – the man was foreign to this country, but was probably English. Possibly French. The merchant strode past the twins and laughed in greeting, first in one language they did not understand, then another.
The man responded in like, and shook the merchant away. He squatted next to Kevin and spoke to him – Mona's eyes widened. He spoke in the same tongue. She watched, awestruck, as Kevin answered his questions simply.
When the man had finished, he turned away and spoke to the merchant in the different language again. Coins passed hands and the slaver cut them away. To what fate?
'My name is Stephen, child – don't be afraid,' said the man in Irish. Mona stared. 'Everything will be all right, now.'
With those words, he took Kevin's hand in his, then the same with Mona's. Blankly, shocked, she allowed herself to be led away, quietly mouthing thanks to Saint Stephen for his salvation through his namesake.