p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;"Alix felt the ship shudder and nearly skidded onto the dirty wooden floor as the ship rocked back and forth before it finally came to a halt. After she had steadied herself against the wooden sides of the cell, she put her ear to the wall. From the muted commands and shouts in Latin that trickled into their small cell, she could tell that the ship had arrived at their final destination. She looked across the dim, cramped cell at her sister, similarly resting against the wooden walls./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;""Brianna? Are you ok?" she said./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;"The thin blonde standing across from her nodded and gave her a ghost of a smile in the dim light. Oh, dear little Brianna. Alix had sympathy for the poor girl. Whatever she had endured along the long journey of the slave—ship, Brianna had felt it ten times worse. Unlike Alix, she could not handle the mocking shouts and lecherous stares of the men, the disgusting gruel and stale water that was served as food, or being chained and locked up in a cell for weeks. Worst of all, Brianna easily became seasick./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;"Unlike Alix, Brianna wasn't made out to be a hardened warrior. Alix wistfully remembered that back home, however, she was a fine scribe and poet, when father was still alive. She still remembered the time that father let Brianna read from memory an entire saga at one particular feast to the astonished awe of the other chieftains. Yet that was all there and now they were here. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;"As if on cue, the iron lock turned and creaked and the thick wooden door to their cell came open./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;""Come out!" ordered a harsh voice./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;"Brianna looked at her in fear, her blue eyes glistening./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"emspan style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;""We'll walk out together."/span/emspan style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;" whispered Alix./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"emspan style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;""Ok."/span/emspan style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;" Brianna nodded her head carefully in reply./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;""Come out now!" ordered the guard, insistently./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;"Giving her a last, comforting glance, she and Brianna cautiously walked outside, bathed in sunlight for the first time in weeks. If she had been able to look in a mirror, she would have hardly recognized herself. She was noticeably thinner. Her skin was covered in layers of accumulated dirt and sweat while her long auburn hair had become matted in tangles and her clothes were ripped and tattered. Brianna was similarly bad off. She was dirty and her clothes had become tatters and her normally brilliant blue eyes were dull with fear and exhaustion./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;"If her late mother had been witness to this, she would've clucked like a mother hen and made them both bathe thoroughly before fixing them both a big, filling meal. But that was the least of her concerns./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;"Suddenly, she felt Brianna pulled roughly away from her hands and herself pushed away./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;""No!"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;""I just want a little kiss, is all!"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;""No! Stop!"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;"Rage burned when she saw the guard who had accosted Brianna on their way out. Anger flared in her chest and she protectively pulled Brianna back from the clutches of the guard./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;""Don't you emdare/em touch Brianna!" Alix snarled, and glared fiercely at the vile guard, emerald eyes blazing, teeth clenched in anger, as she stood protectively in front of her little sister./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;""Your request is my command, emslave/em." the guard mocked./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;"Alix noted the long, jagged scars that ran down the man's left cheek. With a bit of pride, she recollected how she had she had given him it the last time he had tried to touch her. The guard had been screaming hell and hadn't dared to try to touch either her or Bri afterwards. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;""I am no slave! My name is Alix, daughter of a chieftain! Oh, and I wonder who was it that gave you those ugly scars on your face, pig? Surely it wasn't a simple woman emslave/em, right?" she taunted./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;"She knew she had struck a foul note with the guard because with blindingly quick speed, the guard slammed a hardened fist into her gut sending her flying, falling hard to the rough wooden floor, chains clattering as her bound hands and legs could not break her fall./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;"As Alix coughed and retched on the wooden floor, the pig-eyed man mused./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;""I did hear once from a slave boy speaking out of turn that you were emquite/em the fiery heir to his tribe's king. Though, after that, I beat him up so thoroughly for his insolence that never ever spoke of it again and seemed to become mute afterwards."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;"His gaze hardened and he let out a maddening, mocking laugh, barking in her ears./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;""Your name emwas /emAlix. Now your name is Alexa, emslave/em. Now, you'll be nothing more than a rich man's toy. Know your place, bitch!" he sneered./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;"She tried to let out a snide retort involving how he smelled like a donkey's posterior but before she could, she was pulled up roughly, painfully to her feet by the iron collar on her neck, choking her./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;"He ignored her feeble attempts swings with her chained arms. Normally, she could've easily taken him on, but her hands were tied, and worst of all, they had starved her aboard the ship and gave them little water. She had tried to spare what little portions she got of the mash for Brianna. And it looked like he knew./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;"She wheezed and coughed, weakly kicking chained feet as he lifted her up, and her vision grew dim as she gasped for air. She heard the pitiful sobs of her sister behind her./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;" "You both will sell for quite the fortune at the auction. It's almost a...emshame/em to let you two go to some aristocrat." he said ominously, leering at her and running a greasy hand across her body, groping her bosom before going down to touch her thigh, and with a sickening grin plastered on his face, was about to snake under the torn hem of her tunic... when the portly merchant suddenly called out above deck./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;""Cassius! Let go of the merchandise right now! We'll buy you your whores to play with later, but you can't ruin this priceless property! Now come here, I need your help.", the merchant ordered, primly. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;"The guard named Cassius glanced between her and the merchant and with a reluctant grunt and an annoyed huff, finally let her go before stomping away to go above deck. Alix fell to the wooden deck of the hold with a hard thump, gasping and shuddering for breath./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;""...Sis?" said Brianna, voice wavering. She anxiously held out a weak, pale hand trembling in terror./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;""No, it's alright Brianna. I'm fine." Alix gave her a small comforting smile./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;"The clanking of keys and the clanging of chains and various shouted commands filled the ship's hold as more cells were opened and various faces appeared, most mute and silent, in various shades of dread, fear while others were others stony and fixed. While she waited, her wrists and ankles ached and burned, chafing from the hard iron cuffs that bound their feet at the ankles and their hands at their wrists and her lips were dry and chapped./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;"Another shout from above deck, and the miscellaneous mass of various slaves began to shift and move, like a herd of sheep./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;""Let's go now with the others. It will be alright." she said to Brianna, holding her sister's hand tightly and smiling as if she feared nothing. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;"That was a lie./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;"Impending dread had been lurking in the back of her mind and what the guard had said earlier had confirmed her fears. Her stomach churned. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;"They were going to be sold./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;"They were going to be auctioned off like livestock./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"emspan style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;"Oh, dear gods./span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"emspan style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;"Why have you abandoned us so?/span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;""Brianna? Are you ok?" she said./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;"The thin blonde standing across from her nodded and gave her a ghost of a smile in the dim light. Oh, dear little Brianna. Alix had sympathy for the poor girl. Whatever she had endured along the long journey of the slave—ship, Brianna had felt it ten times worse. Unlike Alix, she could not handle the mocking shouts and lecherous stares of the men, the disgusting gruel and stale water that was served as food, or being chained and locked up in a cell for weeks. Worst of all, Brianna easily became seasick./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;"Unlike Alix, Brianna wasn't made out to be a hardened warrior. Alix wistfully remembered that back home, however, she was a fine scribe and poet, when father was still alive. She still remembered the time that father let Brianna read from memory an entire saga at one particular feast to the astonished awe of the other chieftains. Yet that was all there and now they were here. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;"As if on cue, the iron lock turned and creaked and the thick wooden door to their cell came open./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;""Come out!" ordered a harsh voice./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;"Brianna looked at her in fear, her blue eyes glistening./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"emspan style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;""We'll walk out together."/span/emspan style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;" whispered Alix./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"emspan style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;""Ok."/span/emspan style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;" Brianna nodded her head carefully in reply./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;""Come out now!" ordered the guard, insistently./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;"Giving her a last, comforting glance, she and Brianna cautiously walked outside, bathed in sunlight for the first time in weeks. If she had been able to look in a mirror, she would have hardly recognized herself. She was noticeably thinner. Her skin was covered in layers of accumulated dirt and sweat while her long auburn hair had become matted in tangles and her clothes were ripped and tattered. Brianna was similarly bad off. She was dirty and her clothes had become tatters and her normally brilliant blue eyes were dull with fear and exhaustion./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;"If her late mother had been witness to this, she would've clucked like a mother hen and made them both bathe thoroughly before fixing them both a big, filling meal. But that was the least of her concerns./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;"Suddenly, she felt Brianna pulled roughly away from her hands and herself pushed away./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;""No!"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;""I just want a little kiss, is all!"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;""No! Stop!"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;"Rage burned when she saw the guard who had accosted Brianna on their way out. Anger flared in her chest and she protectively pulled Brianna back from the clutches of the guard./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;""Don't you emdare/em touch Brianna!" Alix snarled, and glared fiercely at the vile guard, emerald eyes blazing, teeth clenched in anger, as she stood protectively in front of her little sister./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;""Your request is my command, emslave/em." the guard mocked./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;"Alix noted the long, jagged scars that ran down the man's left cheek. With a bit of pride, she recollected how she had she had given him it the last time he had tried to touch her. The guard had been screaming hell and hadn't dared to try to touch either her or Bri afterwards. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;""I am no slave! My name is Alix, daughter of a chieftain! Oh, and I wonder who was it that gave you those ugly scars on your face, pig? Surely it wasn't a simple woman emslave/em, right?" she taunted./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;"She knew she had struck a foul note with the guard because with blindingly quick speed, the guard slammed a hardened fist into her gut sending her flying, falling hard to the rough wooden floor, chains clattering as her bound hands and legs could not break her fall./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;"As Alix coughed and retched on the wooden floor, the pig-eyed man mused./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;""I did hear once from a slave boy speaking out of turn that you were emquite/em the fiery heir to his tribe's king. Though, after that, I beat him up so thoroughly for his insolence that never ever spoke of it again and seemed to become mute afterwards."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;"His gaze hardened and he let out a maddening, mocking laugh, barking in her ears./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;""Your name emwas /emAlix. Now your name is Alexa, emslave/em. Now, you'll be nothing more than a rich man's toy. Know your place, bitch!" he sneered./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;"She tried to let out a snide retort involving how he smelled like a donkey's posterior but before she could, she was pulled up roughly, painfully to her feet by the iron collar on her neck, choking her./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;"He ignored her feeble attempts swings with her chained arms. Normally, she could've easily taken him on, but her hands were tied, and worst of all, they had starved her aboard the ship and gave them little water. She had tried to spare what little portions she got of the mash for Brianna. And it looked like he knew./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;"She wheezed and coughed, weakly kicking chained feet as he lifted her up, and her vision grew dim as she gasped for air. She heard the pitiful sobs of her sister behind her./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;" "You both will sell for quite the fortune at the auction. It's almost a...emshame/em to let you two go to some aristocrat." he said ominously, leering at her and running a greasy hand across her body, groping her bosom before going down to touch her thigh, and with a sickening grin plastered on his face, was about to snake under the torn hem of her tunic... when the portly merchant suddenly called out above deck./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;""Cassius! Let go of the merchandise right now! We'll buy you your whores to play with later, but you can't ruin this priceless property! Now come here, I need your help.", the merchant ordered, primly. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;"The guard named Cassius glanced between her and the merchant and with a reluctant grunt and an annoyed huff, finally let her go before stomping away to go above deck. Alix fell to the wooden deck of the hold with a hard thump, gasping and shuddering for breath./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;""...Sis?" said Brianna, voice wavering. She anxiously held out a weak, pale hand trembling in terror./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;""No, it's alright Brianna. I'm fine." Alix gave her a small comforting smile./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;"The clanking of keys and the clanging of chains and various shouted commands filled the ship's hold as more cells were opened and various faces appeared, most mute and silent, in various shades of dread, fear while others were others stony and fixed. While she waited, her wrists and ankles ached and burned, chafing from the hard iron cuffs that bound their feet at the ankles and their hands at their wrists and her lips were dry and chapped./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;"Another shout from above deck, and the miscellaneous mass of various slaves began to shift and move, like a herd of sheep./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;""Let's go now with the others. It will be alright." she said to Brianna, holding her sister's hand tightly and smiling as if she feared nothing. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;"That was a lie./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;"Impending dread had been lurking in the back of her mind and what the guard had said earlier had confirmed her fears. Her stomach churned. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;"They were going to be sold./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;"They were going to be auctioned off like livestock./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"emspan style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;"Oh, dear gods./span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"emspan style="font-size: 13pt; font-family: AppleSystemUIFont;"Why have you abandoned us so?/span/em/p