If someone had asked me how it all started I would have to think rather hard for a moment. Yes I could remember my mother at least to some degree. And also our home. I remembered the small town where our family lived and the vast fields behind the tavern where my mother served.
Was I happy during those days? I think I was. Life seemed easy and straightforward. My older sister soon joined our mother and served in the tavern but Sharis and I, we've dedicated our days to idle play in the fields or hid behind the boxes near a large fireplace and listened to stories from various travelers who've passed by.
I did recognize us different from the other children. You can only be called "knife-ear" so many times before you realize that the villagers were not fond of us but as children tend to be flexible Sharis and I have soon learned not to give too much weight to the words. After all we've only needed each other for a company.
My mother often joked about us being so alike in appearance that she could not tell us apart. It had seemed foolish to us. After all we knew how different we've looked but being twins had its perks. Soon enough we've learned how to prank not only our mother but our older sister too.
Yes we were all happy during those days.
Things changed though and I've learned it the hard way. Although now when I look back at all which has happened it was perhaps not as unexpected as I have thought. One night I woke up to the sounds of dozens of hoof beats and people screaming. I can still remember Sharis who jumped into my bed and we held hands, our hearts pounded in our chests with fear but also excitement. We might have been twelve or perhaps thirteen years old. I cannot remember with certainty.
Our older sister Malya stormed into our bedroom. To this day I will never forget the fear and pain which reflected on her face as she grabbed my hand, her grip like iron and she dragged us downstairs. I could see houses burning through the windows and the screams and cries seemed ever louder.
"Where is mother?" I asked in tight voice and concentrated on moving my legs and avoid tripping over things which were scattered on the ground. It seemed that everyone in the tavern had left in a hurry.
"Shhh. Stay quiet both of you, no matter what happens, come with me." Was all that Malya said as she continued to lead us across the main hall and towards the back door. We stayed low and sneaked past the crates and behind fences. Now I could properly see what was going on. A group of around two dozen men on horses rampaged through our village, they threw nets at people and those who resisted or fought back were slaughtered on the spot.
The memories I have from that night are scattered at best. I remember trembling with fear and holding onto Malya with all the strength I had left. Somehow I felt that if we got separated it would mean the end, of everything. Another thing which has been forever burned into my mind was the moment when we saw the riders drag our mother in the net behind one of the horses. To this day I still feel guilty about what I have done next. I cried out to her and that single cry of terror and sadness resulted in all three of us getting captured. I know my sisters said over and over that they forgave me. But even if they went around and asked everyone to forgive me I would never be able to forgive myself. It was I who got us captured and therefore everything which has happened since was and still is my responsibility.
The transition from someone who enjoys personal freedoms in their lives to someone who suddenly has no rights or freedoms what so ever is a hard one. The hardest thing is to come to terms with one simple truth. From the moment the net closed around us and we were hauled on top of one of the wooden carts we ceased to be people, we became merchandise. Our lives were not our own anymore and everything we might have ever had shrunk to one small question.
What will happen next?
From there on we never knew what will happen next. The carts left with the prize, the slave hunters celebrated a good hunt and I saw our little village crumble to ash as few last houses burned down.
Over the next few days several of the slaves died. Some of them from injuries, older ones from shock and lastly some managed to kill themselves. I suppose I cannot blame them. Malya, Sharis and I we were still too young to comprehend what horrors lied before us but now I guess I can understand the merit some might have seen in ending their own lives to avoid life in slavery.
After several days of rickety ride our caravan finally arrived to its first stop. The little camp where we've stopped consisted of wooden palisade, several tents, armed guards and few holding pens. The memory I recall as most vivid from that time was mixture of fear and hunger but most of all the terrible cold. The skies poured over us in thick strings of cold rain and I huddled together with my sisters in meek attempt to secure some body heat. The thin nightgown I wore did nothing to protect me from the elements.
Moments after we've arrived we were hauled off the carts and rounded together in the middle of the camp. Next came the sorting. This happened several times and every time for different reason. We had to be sorted by age first and we were nudged inside one of the pens to join the company of dozens other children. That was the first time we have met with other elves. I noticed that all of us here were different ages but no one seemed to be younger than five or older than sixteen.
The pen seemed to follow some unspoken rules. Girls all sat at the left side while boys grouchily occupied the right. So we followed suit and sat together at the nearest empty spot.
Sharis and Malya huddled together but I felt like I did not deserve such comfort. If it weren't for me we would not have been in here at all. That was at least what I've believed in at that time. Little did I know that no one was spared from our village and that those who fled were chased down by large Mabari dogs and either herded together or torn to pieces by the ferocious beasts.
But I kept sinking into my own self pity and to occupy my mind I looked over at the others. I saw some human children here and there but elves were the majority and it had seemed that amongst our numbers, girls were more numerous. Some of the children were whispering, I could hear ferelden accent as well as voices laced with soft Orlesian. I knew as much from the tavern guests back home. But the accent which persisted the most was mixture from Nevarra and Free Marches.
Few girls next to us looked different though. They drew away from others and spoke in common mixed with foreign words. The sound of their speech gently tugged at something in my mind, the melody seemed oddly familiar but I could not recognize the words or meanings. That was the first time I've met with Dalish elves. Even now after so many years I sometimes wonder what had happened to them. I suspect that they must have suffered in the slavery more than others.
Days went by one by one, yet the passage of time felt almost unreal. We were fed twice a day though the weak soup and hard bread did nothing to satisfy out hunger. Some of the children were taken out of the pen and newcomers arrived instead. We had no idea what we were waiting for until after around two weeks our time to move on with our journey came at last.
In my whole life I never felt so intimidated by city walls as much as I did when my eyes saw Minrathous for the first time. When we've arrived with one of the slave caravans across the bridge it felt as if the enormous gates were about to swallow us whole. I was mesmerized by the sight of so many foreign people, odd sounds and songs echoed through the alleys and from the houses all around us. Our cart slowly pushed forward through the crowds, some of the people looked at us briefly but most were unconcerned or oblivious to our two vagons loaded with scared and crying children. The caravan finally stopped near a large building which faced the open market place and two men came to collect us.
"Descendam!" one of the guards yelled. I had no idea what that meant but all three of us just followed what the others did. We obediently left the cart, our legs stiff from the long treck, and stood in line before the men and the building.
Another sorting happened quickly, where boys where separated from girls and afterwards each one of us had received a makeshift collar made out of rough rope with a wooden tag tied to it. I looked down at it but the markings there made no sense to me. I figured it must have had to do with "reading and writing" but I knew neither. After all to serve in a tavern in our small village we did not need to read or write. Our mother never knew it and she had worked just fine.
One of the younger girls started crying and a whip cracked through the air above her head. I figured that the first time was a warning and prayed that she understood.
"Silentium!"
The guards then went and clasped one iron shackle around our left wrist then hooked an iron chain through and fastened us all in line. No escape indeed.
"Exeo citus." Was all we've heard before we were yanked by the chain and marched through the door inside, into the building. I saw several other children or young people move around, they had clean, white clothes of uniform design and the collars on their necks were made out of leather and the tags gleamed in coppery tint. I still remember the irrational pang of envy I felt when I saw them and I was marched around in my now beyond dirty and ragged nightgown with the rope collar and wooden tag.
After several flights of stairs we've arrived inside a circular hall where five women sat behind the tables, all of them looked middle aged and very hostile and regarded us with cold looks.
"Sescenta sexāgintā tres." Were the first words one of them uttered but no one moved. The woman regarded us all with even colder look then pointed at one of the guards who looked over our tags and pushed one of the girls forward. The same woman looked over at the guard again and paused as if thinking about something for a moment then spoke once more: "Ubi sunt a?" she asked and pointed at us with a black quill which shimmered in the faint candle light.
"Nevarra et Itinere Libre." The guard snorted our way and I heard the woman sigh before she turned her eyes to us all again.
"You will be re-educated later. For now I will use common tongue so you understand." She said in heavy accent and pointed her quill at the girl who still stood frozen, barely two steps before us.
"Six hundred, sixty tree. Go to the last table at the right. And swiftly we do not have the whole day."
They called our numbers and we moved to the tables which were pointed for us. Those like my sisters and I who could not read our tags were simply nudged forward when our numbers came up. Seven hundred and three was mine. I think I will remember it till the day I die.
We were stripped from our clothes which were tossed at a large pile. First they checked our teeth, then eyes, hands and feet. Whenever they found out something which was not agreeable for them the poor soul was sent out through the door at the other end of the room. I do not know what has happened with those children but we've never seen them again.
They washed us in a stone bathhouse. The water was cold but the pressure from the hoses managed to rip away all the dirt and dried up mud. Next was a stop at the small table where another woman checked everyone's hair for lice and tossed some sweetly smelling powder over our heads. The thing stuck to our hair for the next several days, the smell made me sick but it must have been effective against lice as we've never had any during our stay in that house. At last we were given new clothes, simple white tunic and linen pants and hemp sandals and our rope collars were replaced with leather ones though the small wooden tags remained. I figured it probably took them some time to forge metal ones for us.
"As of now you were all kindly liberated by the House Tertius from your previous humble and meaningless lives. To thank the House Tertius for this deed your lives which we have saved will serve as a commodity. You will all be educated in the proper language, reading, writing, manners, skills and behaviour and after the period of four years you will be evaluated and able to re-pay the debt to us."
Those were the words which welcomed us into our new lives in House Tertius' Education home. Since none of us three could read or write and we knew nothing about the language which was spoken in Tevinter we were assigned to the same class along with other children of various ages and backgrounds. The four years we've spent in the Education home were among the happiest I can remember.
We'Ve had few duties to attend to but mainly we were groomed into proper merchandise. The chant about generosity of House Tertius was repeated during every meal and before our classes and bed time and after several months we all felt grateful to our saviors. Everyday during breakfast we were given a bitter tasting herbal tea and with each passing day and each cup we drank the memories of our previous lives slowly faded into nothing more than foggy dreams or distant recollection of feelings and vanishing images.
By the time our fourth year of education was over I referred to my sisters and myself by the numbers which sparkled on the metal tags around our necks and my memory of my mother and our village was nothing more than the faintest whisper locked deep inside my heart.
Sharis and I both grew up to be regarded as beautiful by our peers and we were aware of the looks some of the guards gave us. But unlike my shy and delicate sister I enjoyed the attention. It sparkled a feeling of power in me and I was proud of my long and ebony hair and deep green eyes which left other girls jealous and my teachers often promised me a good service after my education ends.
And as expected all three of us were evaluated and processed. I truly felt happy and proud. Finally I will be able to pay my debt for all the good things the House Tertius did for me. Only problem was, I had no idea how. Yes I could now read, write, cook, dance, clean and sing. I could do all the manners of housework and entertain guests if need be but probably in my youthful ignorance I failed to see how all this could earn House Tertius any money.
My ignorance lasted only until few days later when my sisters and I together with other seven girls were gathered and walked through underground corridors into what had looked like shaded market place. I saw many people already gathered, they sat in chairs in rows along the walls and just now I have realized that it was not as much a market place as amphitheater. Small and shielded from the daylight with colourful veils and carpets which hung from the upper most rows. We all waited in the corner before a man stepped into the middle and pointed to the small marble stand.
"As you know, every four months House Tertius is proud to present our newest merchandise. Please remember the bids all start at usual value, raise your seals for each bid. All the merchandise you will see today is trained in all usual assets, we will auction elves separately. First item a fifteen year old girl from Nevarra. Auction number 709."
The whole auction proceeded in the same manner. The people in the rows above us yelled and raised their seals and different amounts of coins were exchanged for each girl which stood in the middle. Once sold she was pointed towards the exit and we never saw her again. A horrible fear suddenly grew in my stomach. If this continued all three of us would be separated and I would never see my sisters again. I thought that Malya must have realized the same thing because when they called her number she did not move. I felt split between obligation to push her forward so she would obey the order and my fear that if I did so I would never see her again. Moments dragged on when the next call bounced from the stone walls and discontent murmur interrupted my thoughts.
"Malya, you have to go..." I pressed desperately. I did not want her to get punished. I could not see my sister get hurt. But she grabbed our hands and just as one of the guards marched forward to find out what the delay was about she dragged us forward and to the stage with her. To my relief the auctioneer seemed to quickly collect his wits as he briefly addressed the crowd.
"Yes, well here we have the set of three items. All are pure bread elf maidens. Item number 701 is twenty years old, 702 and 703 are twins, seventeen years of age. The house Tertius offers them together or separately. Any buyers?" He looked around to see any seals. Few were already up and others soon joined.
The auction went on for what felt like forever and I desperately clutched Malya's hand and prayed. To the Maker and Andraste and to whomever would listen up in the heavens. I prayed only for one thing. That we would not get separated and it had seemed that my prayers were answered when I heard the three sharp blows of the wooden hammer. "Items 701 to 703 sold as a set to House Atorian."
Our new home revealed itself to be spacious mansion at the villa quarter of Minrathous. Together with several marble houses it consisted of large front and back gardens encircled with white wall with red tiles on top and shaded ponds and fountains which separated large stables and racing track.
But my sisters and I had spent most of our time in the servant quarters under the household where we've tended to our new duties. Malya was bought as a present for the lady of the house who used her for every little chore. During the first few months Sharis and I have barely even seen her. Our own arrangements proved a little more complicated. We were bought for the head of the house but he was visiting relatives in some other city and so our chores were mainly small tasks handed to us by the senior servant, a motherly looking woman with thick grey hair and firm attitude who disapproved of mistakes but proved to be sympathetic and kind.
From those first months in our new home I mostly remember my awe at the breathtaking beauty of that place and the sweet smells of flowers and trees which lingered in corridors and poured from the gardens through the open windows. The halls of the main house seemed endless and I grew to know every little dot in the marble tiles because I had to polish them again and again and again until I could see my own reflection in them better than in the mirror.
The master of the house had finally returned one late summer afternoon and Sharis and I were called in to the hall to greet him and present ourselves. After such a long time of only hearing about the man I admit I grew somewhat curious. I also harbored a small hope that the tasks given to us might now be a little bit less dull. After all Malya seemed so busy in her service that I grew rather envious. She looked tired but she also wore new clothes and on few occasions received trinkets as gifts and I had hoped for the same.
Master Atorian proved to be a man of few words at first. He regarded us with passing glance before he retreated to his study. He was perhaps in his mid thirties, with dark hair and dark mustache and his eyes were deep and grey as skies during storms. That was the first time we saw our master and for few days also the last. It was not until several days had passed when a small celebration was held in the house and Sharis and I were instructed to serve refreshments.
That was the first time I had ever seen nobles and their parties and I could still remember my eyes wide open as I tried to took in all the beauty of the evening gowns and all the splendor of the guests. They danced and laughed and walked around seemingly oblivious to my presence and I rather nervously made my way through the crowd and refilled their glassed or distributed silvery platters loaded with delicacies.
Later that same night when all the guests had retreated to their own homes and all three of us were soundly sleeping in our quarters we heard our masters summons. Calling for us at this hour was rather unusual but Sharis and I both hurried to tend to his needs. He called on us from his study and as we entered I noticed two things, our master was rather inebriated and he was not alone. An elven woman, who I have not seen before sat in a corner. She was dressed in plain black clothes and a small leather suitcase rested on her knees.
"Girls. You did such a wonderful work tonight." Our master walked to us with open arms and squeezed us in a fatherly manner, his strong arms clasped our shoulders as he drew us into the room. "Now for such a good service I have a reward for you...two rewards actually." He smiled and let us go, before he closed the door and I heard the key click in the keyhole.
"Now, this is one of my business associates. She will tend to the reward tonight. But first let us drink." Master Atorian pointed to the two crystal glasses on his table, both filled with lightly purple liquid. I felt confused at the situation. Never have I expected our Master to behave this friendly with us but I was not the one to complain. I smiled in my naiveté and drank the offered drink. The liquid dropped quickly into my stomach and it left odd and sweet aftertaste.
I felt like I needed to smile. Suddenly everything seemed so wonderful. I stopped caring if my sister drank her own drink and focused my eyes on the woman again. Only now I noticed an intricate tattoo which decorated her face, the ink had golden colour and it glittered in the dancing light of the candles. It looked so beautiful. I almost went to her, wanted to touch the lines with my own fingers but luckily I was interrupted by my Master's voice.
"Now, before we start I need to give you girls some names. I know my servant bought you in the set of three, so..you will be Second and you Third." He laughed and pointed his finger first at my sister then at me before he inclined his head and waited.
"Yes master." We replied unison and I had to force a giggle back into my throat. Third was a silly name but my Master gave it to me and somehow I felt proud of it and wanted to treasure it.
"Which colour do you want on which girl." The woman suddenly asked from her corner and my mind worked overtime as I tried to fight the lightheadedness and at the same time figure out what was she referring to.
"Hmm, which one do you think is more pretty?" My Master asked as he stood before us and leaned in a bit to inspect our faces.
"I think the one on the right has better spark in her eyes." The woman replied and my Master took hold of my chin with two fingers and tilted my head slightly from side to side as he looked closer. "Hmm you might be right. Start with this one then and make her in gold." He let go of my face and nudged me forward towards two small klinai in the corner.
"Undress yourself Third." He commanded and I obeyed without second thought although I felt my cheeks burn. This was the first time I had to take clothes off in front of another man since the time I've arrived into the Educational home and I felt my heart pounding in my chest as I untied laces of my light dress and soon stood naked with only the folded clothes pressed to my chest as a weak form of protection from my Master's eyes.
"Lay down on your back, I will start with the front side first." The woman said and I did as she had asked and layed myself all stiff on the small couch. "I will do the face first, do not move." She continued and I saw her lean over me before I felt tiny prick of a needle on the side of my neck. My body suddenly relaxed. I could still feel the cold, night air on my skin and her fingers as she brushed the stray locks from my forehead. But I could not even lift one finger and my breathing felt heavy. I swallowed an odd taste at the back of my mouth but I could not move my lips and my eyes felt heavy as my lids closed shut.
As I layed there trapped in my own body panic surged through me, but no matter what might have tried I could not move or scream or do anything at all. I felt cold cloth against my face as the woman cleaned my forehead, then cheeks and then continued down over my neck and chest. Panic which I had felt, now mixed with confusion, and I heard Sharis let out a small scared whimper but all I could do was to lay in this unbearable, powerless paralysis and wait.
Then I felt sharp pain pierced through my skin. Thousand needles pricked my face and were replaced with searing hot pain afterwards. I wanted to scream, to toss and turn but I could only endure. I felt tears stream from my eyes but the elven woman just wiped them away and continued. Amids the pain and despair about my situation I realized what was happening. The woman was tattooing my face. Make her in gold. My Master's words echoed through my head as the burning pain continued and centered over my eyelids. I wanted to die. Anything would be better than that pain. I had to focus on something else. I started counting my breaths but each one seemed separated by eternity from the next. I burned. Not only my face but my neck too. She continued, lower and lower. Across my collar bones, the needle resonated against my bones and set my teeth on edge. I felt the pattern change into spirals and swirls as she focused around my breasts and a new level of pain erupted when the focus shifted to my nipples.
It felt like an eternity before my torment ended with last few pricks around my navel but my body was still paralyzed by what ever substance the woman had used and she unceremonious grabbed my left arm and shoulder and tossed me over and turned me around.
I layed flat on my burning chest and stomach, the pain still seared around my flesh and it was hard to breathe now. My throat was dry and every breath I took was labored and harder than the previous one. But my torment continued as the needles engraved the searing golden substance into my back, around my shoulder blades and finally it ended with few strokes at the height of my kidneys.
My whole body trembled and I felt feverish. Strange warm rush surged through my skin and I drifted in and out of conscience. I could feel a light sheet draped over my body when the woman lifted me and sat me up. Only then I have realized I could somewhat move again and I let out a hoarse cry of pain, tears spilled from my eyes but nothing could stop the burning I felt all over my skin.
"Sit still. The pain will go away. Eventually." She said and pressed a glass vial to my lips. And I drank longingly, I did not even care what liquid it was. I needed something to help with my parched throat and I harbored fools hope that perhaps the drink could douse out the fires which licked over my skin. "She will be out cold for few days. I will start the work on the next one." were the last words I recognized before my mind drifted into a blissful darkness of oblivion.
Updated 18.3.2016
