AUTHOR'S NOTE: Wow I got six reviews rather quickly, I shouldn't update yet but I just can't wait.
THANKS TO:Sarah Says BITE ME, ShadowMoonDancer, Litara, dares to dream, Bookflower, and Lady Addoris of Meleria Sheild for their reviews on chapter nine.
for subscribing to The Shadow:1. BACswimma 2. Bookflower 3. EllaAngel 4. Lady Addoris of Meleria Sheild 5. Litara 6. NyxDragon2023 7. SabbyRinaBanina 8. Sarah Says BITE ME 9. blackkat09 10. gaya2081 11. melissa treehugger 12. xxTunstall Chickxx
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Also thanks to xxTunstall Chickxx for her great Beta work and putting up with me for this long ;)
And lastly Sarah says BITE ME for listening to me ramble on late into the night and often into the early(very early) morning
THANKS TO ALL OF YOU!
One more thing, I will continue sending excerpts to those who review
I AM NOT TAMORA PIERCE
CHAPTER 10: Escape
Kate leaned against a wall, her lips were dry and cracked from lack of water. Some of the crew men decided that giving Kate and Jarret fresh saltwater every other day instead of stale fresh water everyday would be much more satisfying. Jarret lay on his stomach with his chin resting upon his hands, facing Kate. Neither of them had been allowed above deck since their last ordeal where the captain thought he found out how to control Kate but soon decided that he didn't want his cargo damaged, and the only interaction they got, other than the insulting men from the ship crew, was each other so no one relized the fast healing injuries.
"So where did you hide our things?" Kate asked him through dry lips.
"In a barrel of ropes. It was marked to be sold so it should be unloaded with us." Jarret let out a dry cough.
After a few more moments of silence they heard footsteps coming through the dark towards them. A mop of dirty blond hair carrying two trays came into view. Scally slid the trays under each of the metal bar doors, "eat up, we hit land soon and we want ye lookin' nice an purdy now don't we." He laughed and left them once again.
They examined the trays and were surprised to find, an apple, bread, smoked fish, and a water skin on each tray.
"Ye heard the mage, 'eat up ' we dock soon laddy buck." Kate mocked Scally between bites of fruit.
"Hard to believe he's a mage isn't it." Jarret crunched down on the fish.
"I know but they had to have a mage here somewhere. Just because his gift is so small that I couldn't sense it and you had to squint to see it. But at least we get food now." she took a long drink from the skin.
"I wasn't squinting" Jarret mumbled around his bread.
"We're taking everyone else out of here." Kate's voice suddenly turned hard and it wasn't a question but a demand.
"What? We can't get them all out you know." Jarret almost choked on his food.
"Well I'm not leaving those girls to become bed warmers and you know that's what their main sale option is." Kate snapped at him
"Well I'm not going to get them out of the city, let alone Carthak." Jarret folded his arms over his chest.
"No, you won't. You will steal all the paperwork and I'll get them out." she raised her chin.
"What about the collars?" His voice was on the rise.
"Hush. Mage, remember? I can take out the collars with enough time." She pointed to herself knowing she had won.
"Fine, but if we get caught I'll turn you in as a mage and leave you for the pens." He now knew he was defeated as well.
"Fine." her voice sounded almost hurt but she hid it in anger and went back to her meal.
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The captain and the mage, Scally, marched their 'cargo' up onto a large platform. They started auctioning the men off first. Jarret waited with his, calm and patient gaze for Kate's word to start, which surprised him. He rarely took orders from anyone that wasn't officially posted in a higher rank than him yet he found himself considering, and agreeing with her logic.
Kate waited anxiously for the guards to decrease. It seemed though, that the only time guards left was to escort the the sold men away. She looked, only two men remained, one with gray hair, and Jarret. There were four girls other than herself and she was about to take responsibility.
"Sold!" yelled the captain who was acting as the auctioneer and shoved the aging man towards two guards who half carried-half dragged him away.
Then Jarret was front and center of the stage. "A strong young buck, good fer da barn or da bed..." the captain yelled and smacked a hand on Jarret's chest for demonstration. Jarret's gaze shifted over the people but gave no clue to what he was thinking.
Kate went back to examining the area. There was a guard posted at each door, ready to stop anyone who attempted to pass off counterfeits. It wasn't easy odds but Kate knew it as now or never. She began probing the collars of the girls around her. Scally noticed, his eyes scanned the people out in the small crowd, looking for the mage who was causing the disturbance. Then she managed to break the hold he had on on the collars. "Now!" she yelled and in a burst of aqua, the girls', Kate's, and Jarret's collars all fell to the floor.
Jarret slammed his elbow into the captains face, knocking him out. Scally tried casting a locking spell on the stunned girl's ankles as murky orange sparks crackled around their feet. In a slash of aqua the locking spell was gone and Kate stood in front of the girls.
"You?!" Scally's wide-eyed look became one of anger as he flashed another murky orange attack at Kate.
Kate whipped the attack from the air with a cool aqua fire. "Yes, me, and that is a pathetic excuse of a gift" she pushed her gift at him and as soon as the fire touched Scally he became immobile. The aqua glow began to sink into his skin, holding him in place. Kate smirked.
"Follow me and run!" she yelled at the gaping girls and took off towards a back door still searching for that dark brown hair and emerald eyes.
One of the guards stood in the way of their escape, baton raised, and Kate heard frightened gasps come from behind her. "Keep running!" she yelled again. Kate picked up the pace easily pulling ahead of the small pack. In one swift moment she jumped, bringing both feet off the ground and kicking into the man's chest. He fell to the ground gasping and Kate stood over him in the doorway ushering the girls through.
Then a hand reached out suddenly and grabbed her wrist, she turned to swing but stopped after hearing that enticing voice, "Rendezvous at the rock bluffs northwest of the city. I'll find you." Jarret shoved her sack into her hands and charged two more guards who came at them.
She slung her pack over a shoulder and ran to catch up with the girls, "Follow me!" she commanded and turned down a dark alley leading the frightened girls away from the slave pens.
"There they are, git 'em!" A man yelled from behind.
Kate pushed forward, urging the girls to run and trying to decide to lead them or stay behind. If she took the lead she could get them out without yelling directions. If she ran in the back of the group she could fend for herself and the girls against the guards trying to catch them, she had to think fast.
The adrenaline in her system was starting to dwindle and the best meal she had in two weeks was the smoked fish, apple, bread, and water that she ate earlier that day. She was going to get tired sooner or later but she couldn't afford to just yet.
Some of the pursuing guards were catching up, Kate heard the stomping of their boots. She stole a glance back and saw one of the youngest girls trip, her mind was made up. She turned and charged right at the man that grabbed the girl. Kate's fist connected with the man's face just before her heel slammed down on his instep. "Run!" she picked up the girl and pushed her forward. The lead girls' seemed to get a basic idea of where they were headed and kept to darker streets.
Kate caught up and was starting to lose her breath she didn't want to kill anyone just yet, so she grabbed a a heavy rock off the ground and turned to face the two guards chasing them. She clubbed one in the head with rock just hard enough to drop him. The other saw that she knew how to fight and turned to run and get back up. Before he could get to far away she chucked the rock at him just as he turned to look back at them. The rock struck him in the jaw, knocking him unconscious.
Kate returned to the group who was slowing down, she was able to remove them all from civilization and managing to swipe some food from the stalls at the same time.
They marched through dusty grounds and scrambled up the rocks with the occasional, sob, gasp, or yelp from the girls but other than that, they were fairly quiet. Kate led them to a rocky valley and down into a small crevice.
"So, who is the oldest here?" Kate looked around at the girls. The younger ones turned to one with light brown hair who held the one that took Kate's place in the captain's chambers close to her as if a mother would.
"I am." her voice was shaky.
"Well, we will sort a few things out later, right now I want you to know that I will get you out of here but first come tomorrow, we have to move farther back into these bluffs until we know that we aren't being searched for."
"Okay." the girls mumbled.
"We're all cousins and sisters." The oldest said, "My name is Laney, I'm seventeen. This is Annie, she's my sister and she's sixteen." She spoke about the one she held close, "They are our cousins." She pointed to the other girls who had the same visage as Janey and Annie butinstead of being brunettes they had blond hair, "Lily is fourteen and Rochelle is twelve," she nodded to each.
"I'm--Sara, I'm sixteen but I know what I'm doing, trust me. Now then, get some rest, I'll keep watch." Kate spoke in a soothing voice, trying to comfort them as she looked them over, noticing how broken some of them seemed, How could you let yourself just...fall apart and not put up a fight? No matter what, I don't think I could ever become so submissive. She thought watching the girls curl up in the dark.
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A/N: Good? Bad? thoughts? Let me know what you think in a review or PM and get an excerpt from chapter 11 :D