Disclaimer: All Characters belong to their original owners.
Author's Note: I am Handicapped so please bare that in mind if my spelling is off. I use spell checker.
Introduction
Will and Cassandra are trapped as slaves in the Oberjarl's palace. For the past 10 years they have known nothing but misery and each other. Now a select group of Araluen's go to the Oberjarl to offer a peace treaty. They are hurt on the way. That is when they come face to face with two people they though was lost forever Cassandra and Will…
Chapter .1.
Evanlyn/Cassandra had been a slave for 10 years. She had to learn quickly to adapt. That doesn't mean she hadn't got punished she had a number of times. Will had the worst of it. They both kept each other together.
Evanlyn was scrubbing the kitchen floor. When she hears a man yell for her.
"GIRL!"
"Yes my Lord?" Evanlyn asks bowing to the man
"Get upstairs. We have guests. So I want the rooms spotless. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes my Lord", Evanlyn says filling a bucket of water and grabbing some cloths.
Evanlyn walks up the stairs and sees the room it was quite dirty. She doesn't complain she just gets to work clearing the floors and putting new blankets on the beds. Once she was sure the room was clean to the standards of the Oberjarl. She heads back to the kitchen her head down.
"Who do you think is coming?" another slave asks
"It is not our place to think", Evanlyn says quietly
"Why?" the new slave asks
"We are slaves. Just do as your told and you won't get punished", Evanlyn says moving to the sink to wash out the blankets she took from the room upstairs
"That is just stupid", the girl says
"You what did you say?" a man asks
Evanlyn sighs quietly 'Here we go again' she thinks
"This is stupid we should not be serving all of you. Your our a bunch of bandits", the girl spits
"We will teach you a lesson girl on respect", the man says grabbing the girl by the hair and dragging her outside
A few minutes later you can hear the sound of the whip. Evanlyn didn't think about it she just kept on working. She worked as the whipping went on outside. Soon the girl was thrown back into the kitchen.
"GET BACK TO WORK", the man says leaving the sobbing girl
Evanlyn looks up and mummers, "There is no escaping punishment or being slaves"
"Really?" the girl asks sobbing
"Yes. No one is going to rescue us. I have been here for a while. No help is coming", Evanlyn says putting down the blankets and taking out some sheets of cloth
Evanlyn cleans the wounds on the girls back and puts the strips of cloth on them.
"I am Vila", the girl says
"Evanlyn. But you can call me Evie. Just keep your head down and do what you are told. Best way to avoid punishment", Evanlyn says getting up and helping Vila up
"I don't know if I can do this", Vila says
"We don't have a chose. Now help me with dinner. Your still expected to work after being punished", Evanlyn says
"What will happen to my husband?" Vila asks
"My boyfriend Will will look out for him. Just keep working", Evanlyn says
"Have you got the brand?" Vila asks
"Will and I were some of the first to get it. So don't try and escape. They will find you. And you will be in more trouble", Evanlyn says
They work together Evanlyn not knowing some familiar faces were on the way…
Will was piling wood and sees a new slave being tossed in. Will sighs they seem to be getting more slaves all the time.
"I don't belong here. Let me and my wife go!" the man says
"Get to work!"
"No", the man says
Will shakes his hand trying to tell the man not too but it was too late. The guard had taken the man and tired him to the post and got out the whip. Will had been victim of the whip all the time. He took the blame for some of the younger slaves so they won't have to go through it. But this he couldn't help. The man had done it in front of a guard.
"BOY!" another guard says to Will
"Yes my Lord?" Will asks
"Take some wood up to the guest rooms now! And don't be all day about it", the guard says kicking Will
"Yes my Lord", Will says not reacting to the kick in the back
The whip was still going in the background. Will picks up a pile of wood and heads inside. He might have to help the man when he got back. Will pasted Evanlyn in the rooms she was finishing cleaning.
"New slaves", Will mummers
"The girl has gotten whipped", Evanlyn mummers
"So has the man. There was nothing I can do", Will says
"Somethings are out of your control", Evanlyn says
"I know. Be careful Evie", Will says finishing stacking the wood next to the fire
"I will. Be careful Will", Evanlyn says
"Always", Will says leaving the room and going back outside
The man had finished getting whipped and lay sobbing on the ground. Will helps him up.
"You can't stay down there. You have to work. Come with me. I will chop the wood and you stack it", Will says
"I am Travis", Travis says
"Will. Come on lets get this done before nightfall. By the way you back doesn't look too bad. Your lucky they only used that whip", Will says
"They have other whips?" Travis says
"Yes. Just keep your head down and do what your told. We are slaves and the truth is nobody is going to save us", Will says chopping more wood
Will believed that it had been a long time since he had been called a Ranger. He didn't even think of himself as a Ranger anymore he just thought of himself as a slave. Sometimes he would blame Halt or Gilan. But in the end he knew it was his fault and no blame was to lie with others. So with that Will helped instruct Travis in how to avoid punishment and what slaves do. Will didn't know that familiar faces where coming soon…
King Duncan was on his ship sailing towards Skandia. With him was Sir Rodney Battlemaster of the Redmont Fief, Baron Arald of the Redmont Fief, Sir Horace Altman, Lady Pauline senior diplomat, Crowley Meratyn of the Rangers, Gilan the Ranger, Halt O'Carrick a senior Ranger, Alyss Mainwaring, and a few other knights and officials. They didn't know the surprises waiting for them…
Author's Note: What do you think? Please review:)