《Tiger Lily》 Prologue 1 Prologue 1 ¡°You''re not hearing me Nita.It¡¯s about the degree of freedom.For example:anymerchantor lordis still beholden to pay¡®his¡¯lordor the king,a portion of hisyearlyearnings.This is a form of slavery.Ifyou take ittoitsbase principles, his or her superior is putting a value ontheir work and stealing it from them.¡±Cid said, as their horses plodded alongthe high road; kicking alazyplume of dustinto the air.The prairie,open to the horizon, was painted in orange, yellow,andbabyblue as the sunrose over their path. ¡°Taxes pay for the army, and the kingdom¡¯s infrastructure. Youare,not,going to convince metaxes are slavery.Besides,youcouldjustdo nothing andexempt yourself,¡± Nitasnorted androlled her eyes. ¡°But they are!Why do you think the lords pay significantly less taxes than merchants? Many of them conduct the same kinds of business. Itgivesthe impression of more freedom at highersocialstrata.¡± Cid said, emphasizing his points with sharphandgestures. ¡°So¡­your argument is: we are allslaves.Therefore,I should get my masters brand,asitcements me in a higher socialstratum? That¡¯s some messed up shit. Besides most lords pay less because they collect the taxes.¡±Nita raised an eyebrow at Cid. ¡°It¡¯s only part of my argument. Therearealso thepracticalfacts. One:thatit is difficultto makea master into a slaveas there areonly a few specialized mind and ink magepartnerships in the kingdomcapable of it.Two: it reinforcesyour status. Three:It would give you an outlet to practice your magic.Four: there are a lot moreemployment opportunitiesif you have a few martial slaves: even if you stay in fathers employ.Five: Your dreams of independence require you to have your brand. Advancement in society is impractical without it.¡±He said,raising afinger with everynewpoint. ¡°All of thatdoesn¡¯t excuse the providence of some of these slaves.It¡¯simmoral to enslavenewborns strictly because of their parentage.Criminals and the militaries¡¯ take,I can get my head around,but being born a slave is repugnant.¡±Nita said indignantly. ¡°It¡¯softentheonly life they know. Most slaves are treated betterthan the serfs and freemen, there are more lawscoveringthem.I never said the system was perfect.¡±Cid said patiently. ¡°You mean if they don¡¯t misbehave,¡± Nita grumbled. It was an old argument between her andher adopted family. She didn¡¯t really know why she still resisted, other than to hold onto the values of home.Maybe she just liked the verbal sparring. ¡°As father would say: therealdistinction betweenthepoor,serfsand the working middle classcitizenis the ownership of slaves.You are not poor. You should at least have a body slave at the keep.¡± Cid saidreining in his horse,to lookather. ¡°I¡¯m¡ª¡± Nitaturned to look at himbutwas interrupted by thecloven air sound of a heavy javelin passinginches from her face. ¡°Shit!¡±She cursed,rolling off the back of her horse.Landing in a crouch with her back to thewell-trainedhorse her shield andshort sword in hand; shield forward, blade high.She had failed to do her job, caught in the argument, she silently berated herself. Cid had dismounted as well. His offhand filled with a runic dagger, a fire grenade in his main. The air was quickly heating around him, as he drew on his magic. ¡°Orcs,¡± Nita spatout,astheir quarry rushed fromthetall grass alongside the road.Anotherjavelin was thrown at her withimpressive strength. She angled her shield slightlyand took a small ducking sidestepanddeflected the missile togroundather swordsideandaway from Cid.She quickly repositioned tocover Cid once more as 3 Orcsrushed them. The horses took that moment toclear out. Cidglancedbehind them and sawan orc approaching from behind. ¡°One behind.¡± He said beforetossing his grenadebehindthethree-approachingorcs ducking behind Nita as it went off his back tohers.Two of theirattackers were blown from their feet and lit on fire.The third was in front of hercompanions whotook the brunt of the blast. Nita rushed the woman.Knocking the first thrust of the Orc¡¯s spear asidewith her shield, Nita lunged forwardwith alightning-quickthrust of her bladeinto the woman¡¯s stomach. The orc¡¯s eyes widened inshocked disbelief as she fell to herknee¡¯s hands going to her wound: the move completed in asmall fraction of a second.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°Good,¡± Nita saidturning to find Cidleaningover the other Orc,his blade buried inits eye. ¡°Keep your guard!¡± Cid admonished scanning their surroundings. He took deep, calming breathes. ¡°Do you hear that?¡± Nita askedas the pounding of her heartlessened. ¡°Rider,¡± Cid answered, motioning her to the side. He had a new grenade in handand his other rune blade. The soundofrapidly approaching hoof beatsgrew louder.Then a horse crested the small gully they were ambushed in, and Cid sighed. The mount and rider were wrapped in the red and purple colors of theking.Not hesitating for a moment, the small man flew past them at agallop. The impressive beastvisiblyglistening with sweat despite the road dust. ¡°Must be important,¡± Cid commented dryly. ¡°Would have a least nodded otherwise.¡± ¡°Sorry I should have checked the gully¡­Hic¡­Shit¡­Hic¡­Fuck.¡± Nita said then swore as she got the hiccups as she came down from the stress. ¡°You really are a terrible guard.¡± Cid quirked an eyebrow. ¡°What!? We won, didn¡¯t we?¡± Nita shrugged. Cid just shook his head. ¡­ Kit whimpered as the lash bit into her back. Her shoulders cramping further with the blow as she tried to instinctively move away fromit. She was tied to a pin nailed high on a tree limb overhead; the tips of her toes barely touched the blood-soaked ground at her feet. She idly consideredthe factthat the blows made her stomach, shoulders and arms hurt more than the sting of the lash itself. She let out a harsh giggle at the thought but was brought up short as this hurt almost as much as the lash.Is that irony?She questioned herself and giggled-winced again.I think I am finally losing my mind.She thought after another blow. Her tail started to rise as the mirth assaulted her and she had to remind herself to keep her tail down. To keep it around her leg. The thing was near useless already, and the last thing she wanted was it to be removed by the masters. The thought made her snort, prompting another wave of agony too pass through her body. I¡¯m officially better at torturing myself than this guy she lamented with an actual laugh and whimper.This too shall pass.The quote reminding her ofa better time. The greatest mockery was she was sure her tormenter was as bored of the situation as her. At least he doesn¡¯t derive pleasure from it. She groaned to herself as another giggle forced its way out: bored. Serves them right buying a fighter and expecting a whore. Another giggle-groan escaped her as she thought of the reason forherlatest discipline. The Soldier complained! complained that she was to tight and he couldn¡¯t get it in.Thanks April, crotchand thighstrengthening exercises are good for more than just pleasuring a man. Although she had to admit it took some real balls to bring that complaint to the higher ups.She thought with another laugh and groan; the lash all but forgotten now. As if to mock her she peed a little and laughed all the harder for it. ¡°There is a reason prey-kin make better whores; this is exhausting. I swear she¡¯s laughing, not crying sir.¡± Her tormenter grumbled to the elegantly dressed human beside him.Robert Fucks-His-Sons Peacockwas her master, by all accounts an excellent mercenary company commander, and a Dandy. She laughed-groaned again as she mentally butchered his name. ¡°Well that¡¯s certainly new. You don¡¯t suppose she broken, do you? It does happen you know. Been a few years since the last one, and that wasn¡¯t for something so mundane as the lash.¡± Robert Peabody yawned and scratched his eyebrow. Bored they are all bored! Kit thought desperately trying to suppress a belly laugh and failing. The agony made her vision narrow and she blacked out for a while. When she came to, there was another man with the two, mounted and dressed in royal colors. A messenger she slowly put together as the new man left and Robert opened the missive and read. It took a few moments to realize that the lash had stopped falling.They forgot!She giggled again with new agony. ¡°New contract.¡± Robert said hitting the letter against his hand and smiling at her tormenter. ¡°Have someone ditch her in Ashville and buy me something that can fight. We move in the morning.¡± He finished turning on his heel and setting off at a brisk pace.¡°There is something to be said about the beauty of apredator.¡± He muttered and shook his head as he went. She was pretty sure that might be irony.Idiot.She thought as she was taken down and unceremoniously tossed over the bear-kin¡¯s shoulder. She giggled-winced again when she realized how comfortable and warm his shoulder was. She spent the remainder of the day and most of the evening vacillating between uncontrollable giggles and blank nothingness as she was; collared, her brand deactivated, tossed in a cage, and sold at auction. Chapter 1 If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. th Chapter 2 The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Chapter 3 rd This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. Chapter 4 You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. Chapter 5 The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. rd Chapter 6 th Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Chapter 7 The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. Chapter 8 Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. Chapter 9 The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. Chapter 10 This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Chapter 11 If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Chapter 12 The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Chapter 13 Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. Chapter 14 The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Chapter 15 The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. Chapter 16 If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Chapter 17 This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. Chapter 18 This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. Chapter 19 This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Chapter 20 Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Chapter 21 Moira Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. Chapter 22 Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Chapter 23 Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. Chapter 24-M Notification interruptus This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Chapter 25-M bear with it. Moira quickly pulled her clothes back on properly and pulled her cloak around to ward off the cold, before giving her attention to the figure tied to the tree. She picked up her gun and switched the magazines, before getting unsteadily to her feet with the help of the nearby tree. Strangely the cold ache in her feet was overpowering the pain from the blows she had taken. She groaned in annoyance, as she realized she would have to walk out of here soon with her now significantly battered body. She shuffled her way over towards the bear-like being, and slowly lowered herself into a sitting position just out of its reach. At this distance the beings¡¯ size was intimidating she realized. The being was easily three-four times the size of a large man and she found herself shoving down a bout of instinctual fear; that choked her momentarily when she looked into its bear-like face. The intelligence in the eyes only added to the effect. She made sure to keep the unconscious Gnoll in her sight and to keep a firm grip on her gun. Remember they are called Gnolls. You never know what someone might find offensive. She reminded herself as an attempt to distract herself. She studied the Gnoll for a moment, it had fallen to the side, its head in the snow. Before concentrating on the bear-person. She caulked her head to the side with what she hoped came across as a clear question. ¡°I dias. It is unadvisable to undress in this weather rof a namuh. Od you dnatsrednu em?¡± The being said correctly interpreting her look. Moira sighed loudly with a put-upon frown. She held her hand out and tilted it back and forth; hoping they might recognize the gesture. I guess I just need to get them talking. I only got about half of that. Hmm. Them? She studied the creature more, but there was no clear indication whether it was male or female. Better safe, then sorry. She touched her chest and said. ¡°Moira.¡± Then pointed at it and used one of the words she had picked up. ¡°You?¡± The being frowned at her in confusion at hearing the distinct word in its language. ¡°Gia.¡± The being said clearly touching their chest. Then continued. ¡°Yhw are you gnitca the loof nehw you ylraelc wonk emos fo ym egaugnal?¡± Moira smiled, shrugged, and shook her head. Hoping it would encourage Gia to keep talking. With a moment of inspiration, she tried a stilting greeting in some of the Gnoll she had picked up. ¡°Good, meet you Gia.¡± Gia¡¯s look of confusion morphed, taking on clear signs of pity and horror. ¡°Ho, sseddog on! T¡¯nod llet me you werg pu with Gnolls! Oh, you roop gniht!¡± Gia¡¯s clear agitation and raising voice, made Moira shuffled back. A loud painful groan escaping her at the sudden instinctive movement. ¡°Right, apologies! Your Gnoll is pretty bad; must be because you head isn¡¯t shaped for it.¡± Gia said in the barking and growling language of the Gnolls, clear enough that Moira got it. Moira shook her head. ¡°Need you say in your tongue, get after hear once.¡± She tried to clarify with her minute understanding of Gnoll. Gia¡¯s confusion seemed to grow as they processed this. ¡°How is that elbissop?¡± Moira shrugged and pointed at the sky. They got the gist. ¡°Right, well what do you know about Gnolls?¡± Gia asked in Gnoll. Moira tilted her head and shrugged again then said in Gnoll. ¡°Nothing, please enlighten me.¡± ¡°Ok.¡± Gia said and started talking in a quick, steady and deep voice. At first Moira only got the occasional word, but after a good half an hour she found herself listening to an in-depth treatise on the migration, habits, and traditional diets of the Gnoll tribes and why they might be migrating to this area. Which was not a normal area to encounter them in. The area was more known for small goblin tribes and orc hunter-gatherers which were significantly less dangerous. Gia had adjusted their method and started repeating ever line they said until Moira was getting the majority of what they were saying. At which point they adjusted again, and Moira started indicating when she didn¡¯t get a word. Moira found herself deeply immersed in the subject, in large part due to her recent encounter with the beings. According to Gia, Gnolls generally hunted the large bison herds on the steppes south of the range they were currently near and wintered in their mountain caves for the winters; hunting the local long horn sheep and other small nearby game. They were often cruel to their prey but no worse than a small cat playing with a mouse. They gave their food about the same consideration. Goblin was considered a delicacy to them, but they rarely hunted and killed other sentients. Mostly because of the trouble such actions brought to the tribes: not some moral reason. They would do it when they felt they could get away with it. However, they did take slaves, like all sentients. What Moira had witnessed was a little out of typical character for Gnolls, but truly terrible tribes were known to appear occasionally. They also took on such habits when subjugating a new territory; which was part of what worried Gia.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. The revelation on slavery brought Moira up short, but she decided to let it go, to be discussed later, as she continued to listen. The Gnolls being here indicated that either some other force was driving them from their caves, or that the tribes have been multiplying and overcrowding had forced them out. They speculated that it could be a nearby conflict between a Human Kingdom and a Troll Nation that was causing the shift. Either way they probably needed to inform the local lord of the change, if possible. Moira found herself getting comfortable with Gia as they spoke with a voice that was clearly interested in their subject matter. The upbeat delivery helped. But as time passed the whole situation made Moira a little uneasy; it was surreal. The cold was having a distinct tempering on her mood, but Dandy had joined her in her cloak which helped. His pleasure at being petted and additional warmth helped keep her relaxed. The cloak pooled around her crouching form and she enjoyed the warmth slowly returning to her feet as she listened. She made sure to shoot the living Gnoll the odd look. It seemed to be still alive chest slowly rising and falling. ¡°Alright¡± Moira said raising her hand to stop Gia. ¡°I have a couple questions. First you haven¡¯t said anything about being tied to the tree or the collar around your neck. Why? Second are you female or male? Gia sounds a lot like a female name from my home...¡± She trailed off as she saw Gia¡¯s shocked and curious look. ¡°You¡¯ve never met a Bearkin?¡± Gia asked making their last word obvious by touching its chest. Moira slowly shook her head not sure how much to let out. The email had made her cautious. ¡°Huh, well I¡¯m a female Grizzly bear-kin. It¡¯s easy to tell once you have seen several us. Males are usually at least a third larger than females. Though it can be a bit confusing if you see a large black male and a female Griz like me, as we can be close in size, though our faces differ greatly. Mine is a disc shape, a black would be narrower. Unfortunately, we don¡¯t have something as easy to spot as obvious breasts like a lot of other sentients do. Our young are easy to spot as well, but harder to determine gender, they have more downy fur. She tends to give too much information, doesn¡¯t she? Moira contemplated momentarily, before holding up a hand to halt Gia¡¯s ramblings. ¡°My other question?¡± She inquired. ¡°Right, uh, hmm, well, about that. So, if I¡¯m not mistaken you are not from around here. I¡¯m not sure how Brands and Collars work where you are from.¡± Gia said looking significantly at the weapon in Moira¡¯s hand. ¡°Pretend I know nothing.¡± Moira said following her gaze. I guess the cat is a little out of the bag. Will have to do my best to hide it, and maybe some other things in the future. ¡°Right, I¡¯ll give you the sequence of events first. So, Harrold over there,¡± She indicated one of the dead bodies, ¡°Was my Master. The bastard didn¡¯t order me to help them fight, instead the idiot told me to keep myself and their gear safe. So, I couldn¡¯t do much else or my stupid brand would have punished me. I watched as half of the expedition was killed before the idiot had the curtesy to die, removing his order so I could help. I managed to kill three of the Gnolls and remove that one''s arm with her own axe before a couple managed to jump on my pack and bring me down and collar me.¡± Gia said bitterly, but in a weirdly upbeat tone, pointing out bodies as she spoke. ¡°Wait you¡¯re a slave? But you seem so well educated!¡± Moira asked shocked almost coming to her feet. The pain made her rethink the movement and she flopped back onto her butt. ¡°Please let me finish. You need the whole picture.¡± Gia said slowly. ¡°Once they got the collar on me, they told me to sit here and tied me up. Which was easier since my Brand died with Harrold, and returned to the crowns¡¯ brand, allowing me to move freely for a couple hours before I would be compelled to the nearest Kingdom administrator. These Collars don¡¯t let you disobey in any way and have the side effect of making us happy with whatever we are told to do. They also deaden all negative emotions. The only checks are they can¡¯t be used to make us do something we would never do, even on the pain of death. Orders to kill ourselves don¡¯t work either.¡± Gia overexplained cheerfully. ¡°Ok, what aren¡¯t you saying? You¡¯re obviously avoiding something.¡± Moira asked sensing Gia¡¯s hesitation. ¡°Fine. When you killed the large male,¡± Gia said pointing at the first one Moira had shot, ¡°The Collar¡¯s control band switched to you. Many consider the, you kill it, you keep it, function of the collar¡¯s a flaw, but it is useful in some situations as killing the holder can stop large parts of a fight. Most legal owners have family brands like Harrold did, where the ownership reverts to other family members: Harrold had no family. Illegally obtained slaves are easy to track, because in order to Brand someone you need to use a Kingdom Ink mage and they always check providence with a mind mage; they are the only ones trained in such methods. The band should be on your right arm. In short I haven¡¯t said anything about being tied up because you¡¯ve been asking quite open-ended questions that I have to answer at length.¡± Gia explained in a rush not letting Moira interrupt her. ¡°What!! No. Oh no. Just no. Nu-uh. No!¡± Moira said rolling her right sleeve back to find a thin copper band around her wrist. ¡°Get it off! How do I get it off! What''s wrong with this place!¡± She shouted trying to pry it off her wrist. ¡°WAIT!... Please don¡¯t.¡± Gia begged. Moira looked at her in horror. Chapter 26-M Hysteria and anger Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Chapter 27-Kits Morning The rest of the auction was relatively uneventful and once Otto had left, Nita helped Evelin, fixing her breasts, before finding herself falling into her bed in the wee hours of the morning. ¡°Mistress, you have a delivery to sign for.¡± Lilly announced attempting to wake Nita with a shake early the next morning. ¡°Busy¡­¡± Incoherent mumbling. ¡°Tell them¡­ receive me later¡­ got to sleep.¡± Nita mumbled rolling over and presenting her back to Lilly pulling the covers closer. Nita¡¯s shifting and Lilly¡¯s words served to wake Kit who was curled into a ball sleeping at the foot of Nita¡¯s bed. ¡°What ungodly hour is it?¡± Kit mumbled once her eyes were properly focused on Lilly. ¡°5:00, according to mistresses¡¯ clock.¡± Lilly responded demurely. ¡°Right,¡± Kit said; rolling from bed to her feet in one smooth motion. She rubbed the stump of her ear as she thought for a moment, standing in the middle of the room: giving herself some time to wake properly. ¡°Right,¡± She repeated, pushing her hands into her spine till it cracked. Huh, I feel great. Just an itchy ear and pleasantly aching muscles from the workout yesterday. She let out a delighted laugh, playing with her tail before returning her gaze to Lilly. I must remember she¡¯s so young; her size makes it hard. ¡°Tell the messenger that you couldn¡¯t wake her. She returned late last night due to the auction and has only been asleep for a couple hours. See what they want to do.¡± She finally said with a hop shaking out her arms. This is amazing. She grinned. Lilly left. She heard a quick conversation from the adjacent room, before both voices faded from hearing. She bent to retrieve her belt with her new kukris, that the captain had gifted her from the Count¡¯s armory, and the purse Nita had made her carry the night before. She dug into the purse and pulled out one of the kings; slipping it into her mouth. Nita had told her to take the money and deal with her own armor needs in the morning if she decided to sleep in; her meeting with the smith was at 9:30. Looking fondly at her drooling master, she shrugged. It didn¡¯t look like she would be waking anytime soon. She pulled on her small skirt and adjusted her breast wrap before striding from the room. Maybe I¡¯ll be able to find a colorful wrap as well, this tan one is getting a little ratty. She thought, fingering the garment. She found herself standing in the hall, lost for a moment, before she decided to head to the training grounds, to see if Captain Grey was there. He would know where she should go to get decent armor. The king that Nita had allowed for her needs should be more than plenty. When she arrived, she found the Captain, Sir Edward, and roughly 20 others, running laps around the bailey. Shrugging, she waited for them to pass nearby, before joining them on their run. She opened her mouth to ask her question, but Captain Grey shot her a disapproving look, so she sighed internally and just continued running. They finished up a good half hour later and Kit went to start walking it off with the others. However, before she got far the Captain spoke up, signaling her out. ¡°By my count you have another 5 laps.¡± He stated, not letting her stop. ¡°Should be another 10 for being late, but your new here, so I¡¯ll let it pass this once.¡± With a groan Kit headed off to finish her laps. She pushed to do them at a sprint and when she was finished, she paced back and forth as Edward and the Captain paired the others off for sparring. ¡°I know your master isn¡¯t awake; especially after the night she had last night. Now since you were late, you get to be paired off with Sir Edward.¡± Captain Grey said by way of greeting, when he finally acknowledged her. ¡°But...¡± Kit tried to protest, before he cut her off with another look. I was never told to be here this morning!If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°Fine.¡± she grumbled grabbing a training spear before joining Edward on the field. How am I going to get anything done this morning if I keep getting shanghaied? ¡°Good morrow.¡± Edward Galloway smiled at her as she approached. ¡°So, Nita bought another slave last night. I admit it¡¯s surprising, she is moving so quickly. I thought she would be more hesitant, considering her morals. Though I should never underestimate a woman¡¯s misplaced belief they can fix people: he is missing an arm after all.¡± He said speculatively as they got ready by doing some light stretching. ¡°I think she is just taking the Count¡¯s recommendation seriously.¡± Kit answered after determining that there was a question in there. She took a quick look around the field before spotting the huge Bear-ogre. He was holding a very large shield in his one hand, warding off the strikes of two others wielding spears. She wasn¡¯t sure how she missed him in the running group. He was doing surprisingly well at keeping his opponents separated, so only one was engaging him at a time. ¡°Maybe. Still a quick change.¡± He mused watching the man with Kit. ¡°He¡¯s obviously military trained. He doesn¡¯t talk much, one syllable answers; that¡¯s hard to do with the collar. Corten is looking into him, there wasn¡¯t much documentation on him when he was delivered. Make sure Nita talks to Corten later. Also, I signed for him and her other purchase, so she¡¯ll have to come find me later.¡± He added with a smirk. ¡°She doesn¡¯t exactly treat us like slaves. I think she would feel more guilty if she sold us. The security and treatment are nice though. Yeah, he looks good. Scary that he can move that fluidly, with his size. I will let her know.¡± Kit pointed out. Feeling she had to defend Nita. ¡°Fair enough. Though that behavior can lead to other trouble down the road. Thanks.¡± He said jumping on the spot lightly. ¡°It¡¯s too bad about the arm. Captain Grey is going to look into some different shield strapping options. It will take some training though; it appears his missing arm was his dominant and it hasn¡¯t been long. It¡¯s likely the reason he was sold. Now, show me what you can do with that stick.¡± He grinned wider, brandishing a heavy wooden saber and large round shield. It was another half hour before Kit found the opportunity to bring up the reason she came here to begin with. After she explained, Edward contemplated for a minute before answering. ¡°You should seek out Smith Los in the Kin quarter. He¡¯s the best for Kin armor might have to wait a few days but it¡¯s better to have gear that fits, then castoffs. Though he can be hard to deal with at times. How much did she give you?¡± She opened her mouth to show the king on her tongue. ¡°Flower. I swear I don¡¯t know what you''re thinking sometimes.¡± He muttered quietly shaking his head. ¡°Give me that and go get Viktor. She gave you more than enough for what you both could possibly need. I¡¯ll take you.¡± He said wiping the sweat from his brow with a rag; after racking the training gear. He took the coin from her with the rag and wiped it before dropping it in his own purse. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do that.¡± Kit reasoned. ¡°Nonsense, I have nothing planed for the morning and your mistress has an appointment with Master Durgon this morning; that you should be present for.¡± He waved off her protest. It wasn¡¯t long before Kit found Viktor and herself ushered out of the keep and on their way to armorer, following in Edwards wake. His guards worked efficiently to block any potential hindrances'' as they make their rapid way to a small, but will kept, smith in the Kin quarter. The smithy was open to the street on 2 sides, letting the breeze cool the 5 workers hard at work inside. The whole set-up was very neat and tidy for a smithy. With clear bins and places for everything. ¡°Wow, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen a smithy this tidy before.¡± Kit marveled. Viktor grunted. This was the first sound Kit had heard him make. She eyed him for a moment, realizing how truly massive he was now that he was beside her, before she was interrupted. Damn those tusks are scary. Bran is he ugly, I wonder if ogres or bear-kin find him attractive. ¡°Why thank you dear. However, I find myself a tad baffled, it¡¯s unusual for Edwards servants to speak out of turn.¡± She found herself address politely, with a touch of disdain, by a surprisingly burly Elf, of all things. ¡°Master Smith Los, please forgive Kitten. She has the fortune, or perhaps misfortune, of belonging to Lady Alexander. She has the habit of letting her people speak their minds.¡± Edward said sardonically, while shooting Kit a look that said be quiet. ¡°Ah, yes, I can see how that would be her way. Very well, forgiven. Now what can I help you this fine morning Mage Galloway?¡± The very straight-backed Master Los addressed Edward respectfully. An aristocratic smith? The world never ceases to impress. Kit kept quiet as Edward quickly ran through what Viktor and her might require and the budget they had to work with. Nita is spoiling me, and since when do I talk out of turn? She flicked her ear in annoyance, at herself. Los had one of his people take quick measurements of her and Viktor while him and Edward debated various items based on what Edward had observed of their skill. He seemed to be very knowledgeable on the subject, so Kit listened intently. Armor was something she knew little of, having spent most of her life aboard a ship. Viktor made no comment or movement throughout, standing there stoically like a soldier at parade rest. I think Edward is right about his background. Once the list was agreed upon Kit was made to try on a few items. She sighed. It doesn¡¯t look like I¡¯ll be getting a new wrap after all. Chapter 28–N ’Earrings’ Nita groaned as she blearily forced her eyes open the next morning. There was a not insignificant pool of drool soaking and crusting the side of her face and matted into her hair. She lamely forced herself to roll over and out of the mess. The colored light from her window blinded her as she rolled into it, sharp pains shot through her skull. ¡°Gah! What the hell! Bloody light.¡± She cringed waving her hand and rolled over once more, depositing herself onto her hands and knees beside the bed, before groaning loudly again, and flopping onto her back to stare at the ceiling. ¡°I really need to stop drinking so much.¡± She lamented aloud as her head spun and pounded. It took her a few minutes to gather her wits enough to crawl to the nightstand and grab the pitcher of water. Chugging straight from the pitcher she downed over half of it before setting it on the ground and flopping onto her back again to continue her perusal of the ceiling. Slowly burning some of her reserves and essence she moved the water throughout her dehydrated body. Relief came in waves for a few minutes before she had her wits about her again. She continued to stare at the boring white ceiling for a while. If I continue doing this maybe I should get someone to paint a mural on the ceiling, something nice to look at maybe something nautical. I wonder it Kit knows how to paint. She giggled. Not likely. Now wasn''t there something I was supposed to do this morning? ¡°Shit!¡± Nita swore rolling to her feet before leaping towards the door. Half way there she noticed she was in knickers and nothing else, then swore. ¡°Damn! Clothes!¡± She dove into her wardrobe and dug out a set of her leathers and quickly dawned them grabbing her sword belt and purse from the floor before heading out; strapping them on as she went. In the main room of her apartment she studied the clock and let out a relived sigh, it was only 8:45. She had time to make it to her appointment if she hurried. Huh, I wonder where everyone went. It¡¯s not like it¡¯s that late. Poking her head out the door into the hall, she looked both ways, not finding anyone. Huh strange, kind of creepy. Where is everyone? She shrugged and set off towards the kitchens. They should have something I can grab for on the go. When she got to the kitchens and poked her head in, she found the usual bustle of the morning meals. Thank the goddess. That strange for a minute there. Like the start of a bad horror movie. Lost in her own thoughts, she failed to notice Cid lounging in a chair in the corner watching the cooks go about their business. When she finally noticed him, she did a double take, before approaching. ¡°Why are you lurking in the kitchens? Don¡¯t tell me you are already looking for a mistress. Elena will kill you.¡± She teased, punching him lightly in the shoulder. Before taking the chair beside him. ¡°My god! your hair is terrible. What¡¯s on your face?¡± He said with a belly laugh, after taking in her presence. ¡°And no. I¡¯m avoiding Father and Ander. Thought I would get a bite to eat in the bargain. Stacey isn¡¯t being very forthcoming, however. I think she is employing delaying tactics.¡± He said glaring at one of the cooks. ¡°Shit!¡± Nita exclaimed looking around the kitchen. Seeing a water barrel, she headed for it. As she was about to dunk her head, she felt a sharp tug on her ear and her head was manipulated to looked up at the Head chef Yos, who was glaring at her. He pointed out the side door. ¡°Ow. ow! Please let go!¡± She whimpered. He released her and she made haste for the door. Finding a rain barrel, which she dunked her head in, scrubbing her face, then wrung out her hair for a minute before returning to sit by Cid.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. ¡°Ass.¡± She muttered. ¡°Why are you avoiding your father? And I have a better way to avoid them; I have that appointment with Master Durgon in less than an hour. Want to come?¡± She asked him. ¡°Also, do you know where I can find Corten? I need to get the mithril from him.¡± ¡°Hey Stacey, think I can get something to go? I have an appointment with Master Durgon in half an hour. Pretty please?¡± ¡°They want to read my memory of our two battles on our trip. Likely, so they can criticize our skills.¡± He lamented with a shudder. ¡°Even though he¡¯s my brother, the mind magic wigs me out.¡± ¡°Of course, Lady Nita. Here you go.¡± Stacey said passing her a couple steaming buns stuffed with eggs, meat and gravy. ¡°Thanks, you¡¯re the best!¡± Nita chirped rising to look at Cid with a raised eyebrow. ¡°Yeah screw that, you are definitely coming to the smith with me.¡± She started heading for the door, hair dripping down her back, soaking her blouse. ¡°Hey, what about me?¡± He asked the cook. ¡°She asked nicely.¡± Stacey pointed out. ¡°Can I please have a bun?¡± He rolled his eyes at her. Giving him a smile, she handed him a roll. ¡°She got two!¡± Cid protested. ¡°Are you coming?¡± Nita¡¯s voice came floating back receding into the distance. ¡°Shit, fine, be that way.¡± He said glaring at the smiling cook before hurrying to catch Nita. ¡°Corten?¡± Nita asked when he caught up. ¡°Shod b¡¯ in hi¡¯ of¡¯ce.¡± He said around a bite of his bun. ¡°Right we need to hurry.¡± Nita started to pick up the pace, breaking into a jog. What seemed like moments later Nita was knocking lightly on Corten¡¯s slightly ajar door. ¡°Come.¡± He said looking up from some paperwork. ¡°Ah, Anita, good. Your mithril is in that bag. Be sure to read any documentation that old weasel gives you thoroughly before you sign it. Cost should be under 4 kings. Now scat your running late.¡± He said pointing at a sack before promptly waving her out. ¡°You have 20 minutes, you better run. He really dislikes tardiness.¡± Corten''s voice followed her out, and they broke out in a run. They quickly passed out of the Keep and bailey into the city itself. Dodging wagon and pedestrians as made their way. In short order they found themselves in front of a large manor. A wrought-iron gate set into beautiful white washed stone walls was maned by two large Kin in full armor. They stood eyeing the two as they paced to catch their breath. Nita straightened up and presented herself formally. ¡°Lady Anita Alexander, to see Master Durgon. I have an appointment.¡± The guard on the left nodded at her in confirmation. ¡°And your companion?¡± ¡°Sir Cid Galloway.¡± Cid said. ¡°Alright, follow the path to the right, master¡¯s workshop is behind the manor. Do not stray from the path. Your other companions have already arrived.¡± he cautioned, indicating a path that followed the wall. ¡°Other companions?¡± Cid asked Nita once they were out of earshot. Nita shrugged. ¡°Beats me.¡± They followed the path around the manor, eventually finding themselves facing a large stone building with many high arching windows, there shutters thrown open revealing people moving about almost franticly and shelves upon shelves of various items. Metals, herbs, gems you name it were strewn on every surface without apparent care. Working their way around to the massive double doors, that were spiked open with what looked like two massive polearms, Cid and Nita shoot outside and peered inside. Curiously four guards in the Counts colors stood outside keeping a wary eye on their surroundings. When they saw Cid one of them shot him a frown, but left it be when he shifted his gaze to Nita. Cautiously approaching the door, she peaked inside at the bustle. She spotted Edward, Kit and her new slave Viktor of all people. Huh I wonder how they ended up here together. She thought scratching her damp head before shrugging and moving up to join Ed who had yet to notice her over the din. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Nita asked from beside him, having the pleasure of seeing him startle at her sudden question. ¡°Flower! Why I¡¯m here to make sure you don¡¯t make any stupid decision of course.¡± He recovered quickly giving her a smirk. ¡°And speaking of stupid decisions.¡± He said holding up his hand revealing two familiar earrings dangling from between his fingers. ¡°Really, shiny permanent earrings? What if you need to hide? Your hair or a hood won''t always be reliable cover.¡± he admonished. ¡°Give me those.¡± She said trying to swipe them from his hand which he held above his head out of her reach. ¡°Gah! I don¡¯t intend to put them in my ears. Now give.¡± She tried for another jumping grab. He raised an eyebrow at her and smiled wide. ¡°Oh? Do tell!¡± He teased. Nita blushed and turned away. ¡°Ha! I made her blush.¡± Ed said in greeting to his brother.