Chapter three: A new Master
Her body fell to the floor as she was jerked to the middle of the platform.
Then she winced in pain as she was yanked to her feet. The man whispered to her in a sharp threatening tone, "You better stand up straight and smile pretty or your goin' to be sorry if you come home with us tonight. Understand?" she nodded slightly. "Good, then lets get on with it." She stood up better, but couldn't manage to smile. There was nothing to be happy about, her beautiful white hair was dyed with black ink so that she would look almost normal, and she had to show everyone her mis-matched eyes.
"This young woman, as you can see is the perfect bargain of the day, she has been well brought up, can read and write extremely well, is strong and a rather good novice to the art of fighting and no doubt, when trained could be the perfect mistress in bed" the announcer winked at the audience.
She looked at her feet, trying to hold the fierce embarrassed blush that was threatening to invade her small face. Ignoring the whistles and jeers that were thrown at her.
"A once in a lifetime opportunity ladies and gentlemen, to have a slave such as her, you can already see the beauty of her, no health problems and no diseases, she's as healthy as any of you!" he finished.
The man roughly began to pull her off the stage where she was to await her fate as others were introduced and shown off.
The young man stared impassively up at the platform, "Mother can we go? This is extremely boring and disgusting to witness" he muttered, arms folded in a pure defiant pose.
His mother turned to face him and raised an eyebrow, "Inuyasha, do you have to make a scene in the public hmm? We are in the market for some slaves that's why we are here" she commented in a very proud and prim voice.
He rolled his eyes, "Whatever" he muttered as he found interest in stirring the dust around his feat. He turned his gaze up to the platform as he heard the crowd all mutter and catcall at someone who was being thrown around up on the stage.
She was a pretty thing; long, long raven black hair with two-tone eyes, even through the simple cotton gauze dress that clung to her figure there was plain beauty that anyone could see. The small tears in the fabric tore slightly more at the movements she displayed and the long navy blue sash with the tassels jostled around. Loosening slightly.
"Well, she's definitely the sorry one isn't she?" he muttered sub consciously.
His mother turned to face him, "I thought you weren't interested in this whole boring and disgusting scenario?" she questioned quietly, imitating his voice and smiling at his pouting face.
"I was just commenting on her," he mumbled, watching, as the girl was lead over to the side.
"You interested?" she asked, fanning her face with the beautiful lace fan that she held in her hand.
Inuyasha didn't answer, but watched the girl in interest.
"I'll take that as a yes" she muttered, grinning from ear to ear. Her son had never really shown any interest in the opposite sex. Interesting.
Yasha felt like a little doll in the market just waiting to be sold. She shivered whenever someone inspected her by lifting her skirt up slightly to see her ankles, pulling the top of her dress down to see her shoulders and upper arms. Through out all of this she wept silently and looked dejectedly at a group of tied up horses. Actually, being a horse would probably have been better then her life. But she wouldn't let that get her down, not that she could be any more depressed than she already was.
A slightly older woman came up to her and stood in front of her, looking up at her with a slight frown upon her brow. "What is your name girl?" she asked.
Yasha looked down at her, "Yasha" she said quietly noticing the coat of arms on the ladies rings, so she was a noble?
"And how old are you?" the woman asked.
"Fifteen, ma'am" she answered.
"And how long have you been a slave?" a new voice asked her.
She looked up at the owner of the voice. A young man, long silver hair, amber eyes, pointy little ears on top of his head and long sharp talons for fingernails. A youkai.
"Well?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
She shook herself out of the trance, "This is my first time" she answered, narrowing her eyes ever so slightly at the arrogant look he was giving her and everyone around.
"Keh, a newbie! Mother we need experience, not people who don't know anything" he told his mother.
Yasha rolled her eyes; "I believe I was talking to this women, not you" she began tightly.
Obviously she had missed the 'mother' of his sentence, "And I believe I asked the question . . .slave" he ground out from his teeth.
Continuing to observe him, Yasha also noted he had sharp canine teeth as well. Yasha's eyes flared at the young man, something was slightly familiar about him.
"Would you stop staring at me!" he snapped.
Yasha stared at him and stepped closer, she looked him in the eyes desperately trying to figure out why he was so familiar.
Then, realizing what she was doing, stepped back.
Inuyasha's mother looked on in interest. She liked the girl, she was a little young,
but she was interesting, and a fine specimen.
The woman held her hand in the air and watched as a scruffy old man came towards her, "Yes Ma'am?" he asked, bowing deeply.
"I would like to purchase this young lady here" she said politely, waving a hand in Yasha's direction.
Both Inuyasha and Yasha looked up from their little squabble in surprise.
"How much are you willing to offer?" the man asked, gruffly, looking at Yasha's bare shoulder. "She's worth a pretty penny ya know. She'll do anything you tell her to."
Yasha stared up at him.
Inuyasha's mother smiled slightly, "A bag of flour and sugar, three kegs of ale, and two boxes of fresh boar meat"
The man's breath caught in his throat slightly causing him to cough somewhat.
"Oh and five shira" she finished handing him a small leather pouch.
"Yes ma'am. She's all yours," he said, grinning, bowing in appreciation. "And if she gives you any trouble, let me know. Her previous master is the lord of the catsnap district."
"Inuyasha?" the woman called sternly.
Inuyasha walked up to her, "Yes mum?"
"I have business to attend to here, I want you to take the girl home and look after the place whilst I'm gone" she said.
Inuyasha nodded, "Have you got guards?"
The woman nodded, "Yes they're all in their required positions"
"How long will you be?" Inuyasha asked.
She thought for a moment, "No longer then two or three days"
Inuyasha smiled and kissed her briefly on the cheek, "see you round"
"Take the brown mare for the girl, she's fast" her mother said quietly.
Inuyasha glared at her, "Anything else?" he asked in his usual sarcasm.
His mother clipped him around the ear, "Don't use that tone with me!"
"Sorry" he muttered as he covered his offended ear.
"You can also find out some of the girls background and history," she said quietly.
Inuyasha growled and looked around the place, "Do I have to?".
His mother nodded, "I'm late I had better be off, the girl can sleep in the spare room in our corridor for the moment, until we find a place suitable for her" she said.
Inuyasha nodded, "I'll see you around then"
"Be good," she told him sternly before turning on her heel and walking off with her two advisors behind her.
Inuyasha turned around to face her, "Oi wench!"
Yasha ignored him.
He stared at her back for a moment, "Wench!" he yelled, stamping his foot for the effect.
Yasha still ignored him.
He stomped forward and grabbed her shoulder and spun her around harshly, she stared up at him, fear passing through her eyes for a brief second before disappearing back into her normal dulled gaze.
Inuyasha blinked at the sudden change.
Yasha raised an eyebrow, "Can I help you?"
Inuyasha looked at her bare shoulder, "Yeah, we're going"
Yasha looked at him, then at the direction his mother left, "Yes sir." she whispered softly.
He rolled his eyes, "Well you better hurry up or I'll leave without you."
She nodded, and smiled slightly.
He walked forward towards the horses, listening to the girl's soft, almost nonexistent footsteps behind him. He would not let her attitude take him, she was enticing which was a huge compliment to her, he found that he asked himself questions about her in his own
mind, surely that was saying something? Suddenly the thought of his life looked up with companionship and entertainment threatening to consume the old life he had.
Yasha walked over to the mare and climbed on. "Shall we go now?"
"Yeah whatever." he answered. After they got out of the village Yasha began to look around frantically.
"What the hell are you lookin' for?" Inuyasha stared at her like she was stupid. Yasha didn't answer.
"I asked you a question wench!" he growled testingly.
"I can hear you just fine." she answered calmly and dismounted.
"Where the hell do you think you're going!" Inuyasha grabbed the mare and followed her. Then she ran into the trees and he stopped when he noticed that she was coming back out riding something, really, really, fast. When Yasha zipped past him, he noticed that it was a horse; and soon after, two really, really big dogs, a black one and a white one.
He kicked the horse harshly in frustration and took after her, his cape billowing in the wind behind him. He could finally see her up ahead, her skirt rippling on the side and it was just then that he noticed she didn't ride side saddled; she rode like a man, her skirts hiked up and slightly leaning forward and riding with the horse's movement.
All the other girls at his home rode like a 'lady' . . .well all apart from Sango, but that was a total different matter. Well, you learn something new everyday. He was gaining on her and finally after a few more sharp kicks was level again with her once more.
"What the hell are you doing?" he yelled, frowning in aggravation, keeping his eyes on the road ahead.
Yasha turned and faced him, "Getting my animals, if you don't mind!" she retorted.
"But you're a slave! How the hell do you have pets," he muttered.
Yasha didn't miss his comment, "Because I do. It's that simple."
"Never mind. Come on lets just go."
"Race ya!" Yasha said as she flew past him.
Inuyasha blinked at the sudden remark, totally bewildered by her attitude and personality.
Interest over took him, and he found he would probably look into the girls past and find out her history. After all, knowing more was better then knowing less? And in times like these, information was good.
"What the hell are you doing now!"Inuyasha called after her. Yasha stopped at the top of a hill, "Come on! If you hurry, I'll wait for you!" she teased. "O.K. Ready, Set, GO!"
Inuyasha and Yasha raced through the village, leaving behind stunned villagers and a trail of dust.
Inuyasha grinned as the feeling he had with the wind in his hair.
He liked this girl.
Yasha grinned as she heard a small river not to far off; she looked behind her to make sure the pack that was on her horse was strapped on tightly and tapped her horse on the flank.
"What are you doing?" Inuyasha yelled, looking at his pack too.
Yasha didn't turn around, "Just waiting for you to catch up!" And with that she was off.
Inuyasha shook his head, she wanted to race? He would race.
They galloped around the windy track clearly not caring if anyone else was on it. For all they knew someone could've been just around the corner, riding a large heavy
haystack cart with only a sturdy little donkey pulling it along, totally unaware of the three
stampeding thoroughbreds whipping quickly down the dusty and narrow track.
Yasha smiled as the sparkling river came into view and she slowed down a little as she urged the horse gently into its cold embrace. The waters surged around the mare's four brown legs and the bottoms of the torn and ragged dress quickly became saturated with the cool fresh water.
Suddenly something caught her ears and eyes and she stopped suddenly as an arrow whizzed passed her face, grazing her cheek slightly with the hardened dark red feathers, no doubt dried blood used for color. Her eyes widened in surprise, that arrow could have been her life. She turned slowly, tucking the reins in front of her and reaching for an arrow and her bow, remembering that she didn't have one anymore.
"Where's Koga when you need him?" she thought.
She could hear footsteps clambering through the rivers strong current of what felt like more then two people and knew straight away that she was in some kind of trouble, and when Inuyasha finally arrived, him being a nobleman probably had no idea how to even use a bloody sword, let alone physical attacking such as punches and simple kicks.
A childhood filled with defending herself from perving little boys (wolf-demon boys), living with the wolf-demons, and Koga whom taught her so much, and times like this on the way there and back when she went to the market with Koga occasionally when they didn't have something they needed.
But as she turned her gaze to see the two attackers she gulped as she saw another three nearby. There was no way she could do anything with all of them.
She screamed as one man clamped a large dirty and cold hand across her mouth and another snake around her waist. She was pulled roughly from her stallion that stood stark still in the middle of the river, as if noticing how much trouble his owner was in.
The men sneered and laughed with each other at the small girl that was in the rough hold, "Well, well, well look what we 'ave 'ere boys" one man with particular bad breath and a dirty face jeered, pulling at her tatty garments.
Yasha bit her lower lip, willing herself not to cry and tremble with the sudden spasm of fear that shot through her like a bolt of lightening.
"What's a pretty young wom'n like you riding unprotected around a forest like 'his?" the other man asked.
Yasha sank her teeth down on the hand that covered her mouth.
The guy yelled in pain and surprise and turned her around roughly and slapped her across the face making her fly towards the ground with a strong force.
Yasha lay there for a moment, her head throbbing and cheek burning, and to top things off her stomach rumbled. That would have been funny at a different time and place. Besides it wasn't like she was going to eat anytime soon. She was used to this. Her hair was covering her face and she was lying in a slightly less uncurled foetal position.
"She's just some dumb commoner whore, lookin' for some fun," another large man said gruffly, yanking her up by her hair. So that she was eye level with him.
His hands were large enough to crush her waist she noticed as she closed her eyes in the pain of the strain on her hair.
She wouldn't give in. . .At least not yet.
He threw her to the forest floor and sat on top of her.
She gasped at the sudden weight and her hand grappled the floor looking for a rock, a branch anything that she could use as a weapon to gain some time and slight distraction.
'Don't kill her yet! We wanna 'ave a go after you" a man drawled from another side of the small clearing.
Yasha closed her eyes, as her hand still moved around searching for anything. She clenched her teeth and sped up her pace as she felt the large hands start to yank at her dress. Finally after what seemed like eternity her hand collided with something cold and hard. She opened her eyes suddenly, blinded for a moment at the sight of the large burly man started to unzip and yank down his pants, but when she turned her head she saw she held a medium sized dagger in her hand.
She stared at it in disbelief. It seemed luck was with her today.
She pretended to be scared and winced in real pain as the man accidentally lent on her stomach with one of his hands.
He was so heavy!
When he was close enough, Yasha thrashed forward with a source of energy and drove the dagger deep into the man's left hand side of his chest.
All noise stopped and for a moment everything was still in motion, and all eyes were on the small girl and the large man.
The man grunted and looked down at his chest before staring at the girl and closing his eyes, "Bitch" he managed to spit out before he fell to the forest floor with a loud thump.
Yasha scrambled up and received a blow to the back of her head sending her careening forward into the river.
The water drenched her clothing, her hair was plastered to her face.
The man who hit her moved forward with a knife and a pure look of hatred, "You. Killed. My. Brother!" he managed to yell out in between furious breathing.
Yasha swallowed. This wasn't fair.
The man fell to his knees and picked her up by the bodice of her dress, ripping the weak material.
She stared down at her chest in horror, "You bastard!" she hissed. She was not going to be weak.
The man slapped her across the face, again and again and again until she began to feel like she was made of lead and her vision went blurry.
"Put her down" was the last thing she heard before she blacked out, totally unaware of the predicament she was in.