Hey, Amazingmicrowave here. I will be updating this story at weekends because during the week I am in boarding school. Thanks to and SatiaShade for reviewing.
Aleka shivered. It was now nearly summer but it was still cold this early in the morning. She filled a jug from a small stream that ran along the floor of the canyon. Nella, another slave, had just left with her own jug full.
Aleka knew that she should hurry back to the camp but it was early and she had not slept well that night. Dreaming of mother again, she thought, then quickly pushed the memories away. Some memories were more pain than they were worth.
She sat down on a rock and enjoyed the warmth of the sun on her face. Master Morano would not be up for an hour or two and any slave that should notice her absence would not report it for fear of Morano. One of the major flaws of slavery.
None of the other slaves would dare to take rests from their work but of course, they had been born slaves. All they knew was unquestioning obedience, but she was not just another slave, her light skin alone marked her as different.
A low growl snapped her back to reality. Her head turned to the side and her breath caught in her lungs. It was a Sachakan furak, a much larger cousin of the limek. It skulked towards her, drool dripping from long fangs that extended past its jaw. Its coat was an ashen grey colour.
She backed up against the wall of the canyon. It must have come here for water and any prey that water might attract, like squimps, zill, ravi and, apparently, slaves.
She looked about frantically, hoping desperately that her master would be there to save her. But Morano was back at the camp fast asleep and there was no way to alert him of her situation. The furak was creeping closer sniffing and growling. She feared to yell out in case it caused the beast to attack and she could not be sure she would be heard if she did.
The furak's legs bent and she knew what would come next. Fear rushed through her. This is the end, she thought. She was sad but at the same time slightly relieved. As her mother had said, "A slaves life is no life".
The beast pounced. She threw her arms in front of her face and she screamed, letting out all the fear and pain she had stored up inside. There was a whooshing noise, followed by a thud. She opened her eyes.
The furak lay on the other side of the stream, bloody and mangled.
She looked around for her master. This could only be the work of magic, but her master was nowhere to be seen. "Master?" she called, expecting Morano to appear, but he did not.
Something occurred to her. The way she had let out everything she had kept inside. Maybe she had let out something she hadn't expected. But no, that couldn't be possible. Maybe Morano was playing some sort of cruel trick on her, but he could not have predicted that she would be attacked by the Furak and even if he had come across her by chance it was unlikely he would think to fool her. And besides, he had been fast asleep in his tent about fifteen minutes ago, after drinking a bit too much wine the night before. He rarely went for a walk and he certainly never went before breakfast. She weighed out all of these possibilities and realised it had not been Morano who had used magic.
It had been her.