The Job
Kel looked around and noticed that she was alone. She sighed and sat down to relax. Kel was never able to relax and was hardly ever alone. It had been 2 months since she had woke up a small cell in King Maggur's dungon. It had been about a month since she had been last of the prisoners magically lifted out of that same cell, she had not been interrogated just shown what she was to do as a slave. It had been a whole month of pretending to be a deaf civilian who had never learned to talk. Kel was showed what to do and she was expected to do it. The one time she didn't do something she had been whipped.
Kel sighed again and pushed a stray hair out of her face. Being deaf and mute, Kel was to keep her hair to mark her a "special slave" who is aloud to serve at secret meetings. Though she had to be trained first, so she had not served at one yet. Thea couldn't wait, the information she could get out of such a meeting was priceless. Kel new she would not be able to get the information to Tortall but, she new of 2 spies in the castle. One was from Galla, she was disguised as a cook, Kel had walked in on her going through King Maggur's study. Kel was supposed to go in there to clean out the lunch trays, the girl was suprised and there was terror in her eyes. Kel had reasured her by smiling and just taking the tray and leaving. The second spy Kel new of was from Tyra, he was disguised as a common soldier, he didn't know Kel spotted him talking in to a magiced crystal in the Tryanian toung.
Kel looked aroung the slave quarters with a shudder. This place reaked of death, decay, dirty bodies and urine. Though kel had been here for a month and she was still not used to it. This place is a dirty rotten cage, Kel thought with that unfeeling way she had been since she had awoke in the cell 2 months ago. The only thing she had felt was intense rage and fear when she first saw King Maggur. He had the look of pure evil, he didn't even try to hide it. But when Kel had seen him a second time all those feeling were gone. She had also felt something like a spark of happiness when she learned that Greg had not been killed like the other nine Tortallian soldiers because of his gift. The only time she could talk was with him and that wasn't very often.
Kel knew she should be thankful for the numbness, but Kel wasn't. She wanted to sink into a state of self pity, she wanted to feal that pure rage to cloud her mind for a while, for just long enough to be able to feel something other than complete emptiness. But it seems Kel's Yamani training moved up another level from just hiding your emotions to actually not feeling.
Little did Kel know she that her state of unfeelingness was about to be pierced.
A door slamed open behind Kel making her jump. Fear shoot through her when she realized what she had just done. Deaf people don't hear banging doors. Kel turned to face the intruder slowly hoping that it was just Greg or another slave who was not paying attention. She was wrong on both accounts. It's was Malce, second son of King Maggur!
Kel stood there, terror streaking through her at intervals yet not staying with her. "Ah, so i was right, you can hear, and talk as while i suppose?" He went on before she could answer. "You look scared, well don't be i didn't mean to scare you, i just had to know if I was really seeing you, a deaf person, pretending not to listen to conversations. Oh and don't worry I am pretty sure i am the only one that noticed."
He looked at Kel noting the confused look in her eyes, he also noted that no other feelings were revealed on her face. She's good at that, he thought to himself remebering not ever seeign any emotions on her hard face.
"I think the only thing i can say to that is... Huh?" Kel said finally.
"What's Huh? about it. I noticed you were listening to conversations in the hall when by all rights you are not supposed to be able to listen, and i had to find out if I was just imagining it or not. And now I know that I wasn't imagining things."
"So now are you going to turn me over to your father?" Kel said without feeling because she was back to feeling numb again.
Malce winced, "Gods No! I am here to offer you a Job, a secret Job. you are almost done with your training and you are going to be serving at meetings that I am not permitted to go to, so you tell me what is said and after i get enough information, I'll help you escape. Sound fair?"
Kel looked at him like he was crazy "Why are you spying on your own father? or am I not allowed to know?"
"Look, I hate my father more than any Tortallian out there, I had to grow up with his evil presence always there. My older bother is just like him, and if I am ever going to right this place up I have to over through them, and to do that I need all the help i can get, so are you in or not?"
"I'm in, it's not like have anything else to do" Kel said without reluctance.
"Good, we'll talk details later, my charm to word of scrying and listening spells only lasts so long" He turned to leave and was half way to the door when he turn back around and took something out of his pocket. It was a necklace.
"I almost forgot to give this to you, it's a charm to ward off any spells that they will put on you to keep from writing anything about the meeting down, the spell will stop you from speaking about it also if you aren't wearing this.
He turned and left as Kel put on the charm and tucked it under her cloths that were basically rags, her Tortallian cloths had been taken away.
When the other slaves were comeing back from there jobs Kel realized something. She no longer felt empty. She felt useful and cautious (she still didn't know what to make of Malce). Kel smiled for the first time in what felt like years. This situation may not be so bad after all, she thought before going to look for the slaves supper.
Thanxs for the Reviews!! Also i realized when i fixed something in the last chapter i forgot to fit save so it wasn't there, Kel found out when she was underwater that the arrow that pierced the ice was spelled (kel hadher griffen band on) to shatter the whole lake so that it wasn't frozen anymore and kel could push through the chunks off ice on the surface. Sorry about that berlinchick90
