Innocence questioned

"Father, why do we keep slaves?"

From across the richly furnished living Taless'naverine's father was writing, working on something important for the king as he always did.

It was growing dark outside but the young Ayleid loved this time of day, with way the sun set over the western forests casting Miscerand's great walls and slender spires in a fiery glow and how as dusk fell the street lanterns far below came to life.

Her father, a tall man with chiselled features lightly tanned skin and tied shoulder length black hair looked up from his studies, a delicate smile playing across his lips.

"Lessa, the humans are nothing more than primitive savages that waste their time breeding and killing each other, spreading out of the northern mountains like a disease and it is our duty to show them that there is a better way to live, serving us they have a purpose".

Jamin Iscario sat back in his chair chuckling at the distasteful expression on his young daughters' face, "They're made into useful and productive workers that without us would be nothing more than vermin eking out a living in some cave somewhere".

Thinking he had put her mind at ease, Jamin returned to his work.

"Father what about the ones who don't want to work for us, do we let them go back to the mountains?"

Jamin sighed putting down his quill and laid his hands on the desk. "Lessa, do you remember the other day when you called Kallita to heel and he didn't obey?"

Taless'naverine nodded, "of course, he was being a bad dog and I punished him,"

The older Ayleid nodded, "The same applies for humans my daughter, they aren't people as we are, nor do they have feelings above their base drives and like your pet if they disobey they're punished, it's that simple".

A gesture from her father brought any further attempt at conversation to an end "No more questions tonight lessa, prepare yourself for evening meal I will be along directly".

"Yes father" the girl stood and bowed before leaving the room.

Evening meal as with every other meal could remember was held in a large dining hall so cluttered trophy heads and other unsavoury mementoes her father had collected over the decades there wasn't a space left on the wall, she hated them.

All except one, high on the wall at her fathers back hung a fabulous painting of her mother dressed in a white robe playing a lute in the family rose garden with her silvery white hair blowing in the wind, painted by her father long before her and older brother Incra'te were born.

Taless'naverine and her father sat at opposite ends of a long table quietly waiting as a fine soup was placed before them by the house servant, she gave to quick smile to Nandi, a black skinned human woman who had served their house for several years and who despite her father's views, had grown quite fond of.

Bowing, the servant returned a quick smile before retreating to her place in the corner of the hall.

The girls heart skipped a beat when she saw her father watching, his eyes cold and full of malice filled her with dread, "Forgive me father I..."

His face softened, a hint of a smile returned "You are forgiven love, just enjoy your meal now and have yourself an early night".

"Of course father" Taless'naverine replied inwardly breathing a sigh of relief.

Rarely did she see him that angry, it wasn't a pretty sight when he was and so deciding to count her blessings the young Ayleid quickly finished her meal and retired for the night.

Sleep refused to come that night, her father always had strange views when it came to the keeping of slaves, most of which she still didn't really understand, but was only in the last year with his promotion to the Kings inner court had he begun to voice his intolerance of slaves, he had become more distant and the arguments he and Incra'te were increasing in frequency and hostility until he left the household to join the priesthood of the High Temple, so very far away. She missed her older brother every day and would never forgive her father for driving him away.

Taless'naverine's thoughts became troubled, worried that her father punish Nandi for what had happened, he would usually have a slave beaten only if there was good reason, but lately she just didn't know what he'd do.

The door to the slave shed creaked open loudly despite her best efforts and

With a small light sphere hovering above her Taless'naverine crept in, in search of Nandi.

The household usually kept around forty slaves at one time; they slept in a large building that always reminded her of horse stables with straw all over the floor and uncomfortable looking beds. Some slaves like Nandi had been given extra privileges and food for their long service to the family and it was to her room at the far end of the shed, past the slumbering slaves the girl tip toed.

The young Ayleid could see lamplight coming from the room as she approached, putting her ear to the door she heard people talking in low urgent tones.

"Young miss".

Taless'naverine spun about, almost crying out. Standing behind her was a tall muscular human man wearing little apart from his loincloth, his white skin and shaggy brown hair illuminated by her glow globe.

"Young miss", he said in broken Ayleid, "you should not be here, your father would not be pleased."

She raised her chin defiantly hoping to portray an air of superiority, "my father does not dictate where I can and cannot go, slave. Now take me to Nandi this instant".

He smiled sadly, "She is through here, but be warned young miss; your father has not been kind to this day".

"No!" She gasped. "What has he done?"

Before the man could answer taless'naverine burst into the room to a sight that would haunt her dreams for years. Lying on her bed with five slaves sitting around her was Nandi, her face barely recognisable through though the blood and bruising.

The others stood at once looking more than a little fearful.

Ignoring them the Ayleid sat at the woman's bedside, horrified at what she had been put through held her hand.

The slave's right eye flickered opened and focused on her. "My friend..." her voice trailed off for a moment, "you always were a kind one. Looking after me, always making me smile."

The girls' tears began to dot the sheets, shame and anger welling up inside.

"Shh, rest now." She whispered. "Ill make everything better, I can help."

"Too late for me little Lessa but there are others, so many others like me." Nandi laughed weakly, immediately coughing blood. "You have such a kind soul in you girl so I give you this token with hope, hope that one day when you are older and you understand, understand and do the right thing."

With that Nandi drew her last breath, struggling to speak; Taless'naverine thought she heard the words, Silver way.

The other slaves would tell her that night the stories of the silver way, a group of people working to free slaves across the empire and the token given to her, a simple coin etched with the Ayleid symbols for the sun, silver waters and home.

That night the girl made and oath over the body her friend, that she would one day join this silver way and bring an end to the barbarism that her people had become accustomed to for far, far to long.