After a few hours of sitting slumped on the side of the old creaky bed, Alora observed the children who're sullen expressions never changed even when they slept, the chains clattering with there shivering. She had awoken and couldn't fall back into sleep, it just was easier to turn her attention to something others then her acing back, it felt raw and burnt at the same time. She sat in thought, knowing that she would have to do as told from now on. She had been publically shamed, and she was determined to not let it happen again. she winced when the scratchy material of her clothes rubbed against her back.
she laid down on her belly hoping that she could sleep but morning came before she could, well at least what the headmistress Mary thought would be an appropriate time for morning to start.
it was roughly past the third hour of the early morning, Alora hurried, from under her covers and quickly splashed the sleep from her eyes with the cold water of the bath. she didn't bother washing off, her Saur back would have made it too difficult, but she was presented with a new thin pale gray dress, the sewing looked like a toddler would have sown it by hand, but she ignored it and slipped the new dress over her head. It was itchy and rough against her skin.
After she finished she joined the group in the line, this time being one of the few first. she lowered her head and averted her gaze to the floor as Mary and her two followers stepped threw the door. Sweetly smiling at the slaves, for Alora it had turned less sweet and more like a snakes venom. she knew from the start that they couldn't be trusted but it had been painfully reminded to her. She kept her head low as they walked around them. Mary burst the deep silence of the room, "Today you will start the training that we brought you here for, now that I see yall are ready, we will continue to the main floor, please follow me, slaves". They slowly grudged along behind the three towering figures.
Walking threw the spotless halls reminded Alora of how rough it was in the outlands, all the sleepless nights she had to suffer threw because of the snow, and the far worse clothes. Of course, there wasn't any wiping, but there had been much worse than the treatment that had surrounded her here.
Her mind was pilling full of thoughts, the feeling of eyes on her caused her to reflexively look around. Meeting the familiar golden-green ones she had been so taken with the first time, "Why is he looking at me," She thought, flustered. The last time he looks at her all she saw was anger, did she look weird? Was there something wrong with her hair? Did she do something wrong? She calmed her thoughts down, realizing that she was overreacting because of one cute boy. She sighed annoyed at herself, and continued along with the pace, keeping her gaze far away from his.
Mary led the slaves out into the snowy courtyard, there bare feet stinging from the cold. Leading them into a dark hall inside the wall, the cramped together nearly tripping over each other. Mary opened a small door, and they finally stepped out of the long hall into a room, The door clicked shut behind them and heavy bolts locked it into place. The room's four walls were made of sturdy dark wood, and the floors were rough stone. Tiny dead roots climbed the walls and threw the stone. Mary stood in the center of the room motioning for them to come towards her. Her golden hair tucked tightly in a bun atop her head which she held high. Alora squeezed herself between the packed children. Wincing when her back shot pain threw her. A tall body squeezed in next to her, She looked up to find the wavy brown-haired boy, his eyes fixed towards Mary. Alora quickly looked away to the floor, her face heating up. Her head started pulsing, causing a wave of dizziness. "The beaten must have taken a toll on my body", She thought, and before she could catch herself her legs gave out beneath her, but to her surprise, she never fell. A arm wrapped around her back gripping her side supporting her body. When she regained her footing she looked at the boy holding her from falling before she could thank him, the pain of his arm rubbing her raw back, and his hand gripping a lash wound jetted again threw her. He quickly removed his arm from around her.
She slowly regained herself, "Thank you for that", she spoke in a whisper, his cold voice replied, "Is your back alright?" Alora looked up at him, "I didn't take you as a caring type", as quickly as the words came from her mouth she wished she could have swallowed them back down. His vibrant eyes seemed clouded over with an emotion that couldn't be deciphered, they held something dark in them as they look at down on her. She quickly looked back to the ground, instantly regretting what she had spoken.
Alora noticed the slaves walking past her, Mary had finished speaking and she hadn't heard a word. She gulped hoping Mary wouldn't notice her hesitation, but it was just her bad luck that she did. "Slave", Mary moved in long strides towards her "I order you to repeat what I just said". Alora's mouth gapped, A small stutter came but no words formed. She was to be beaten again for sure, her wounds weren't even scabbed they still were raw. Fear was now her only emotion to the shadow of Mary looming over her.
A soldier dressed in the shiny black armor enters the room, "What do you want", Mary hissed. "My mistress, I am sorry to interrupt, but the Lady has asked for your presence in her garden". Mary pries her gaze from Alora, "We will finish this another time, Falean, please keep the occupied till I Return". The elderly woman with dark brown hair nods her head.
Falean grabs a bucket and filled with muddy brown water, and throws a pile of dirty tattered clothes on the ground in a heap. "I want this room looking spotless by the time her misses returns". The slaves scrabbled to grab a tiny cloth and soak it in the dirty water. Alora was not new to this type of work, it was simple to work scrubbing the muck off the stone, but her back was causing burning pain, and made it hard to work properly. A girl fumbled around the bucket of water, dumping it over, fear flashed over her expression. A cold shiver crept under Alora's legs as the water surrounded her, the bucket had been closest to her and now her dress was drenched. The girl quickly looked from Alora to Falean before gathering herself and speaking. "Master, this girl has dumped the only bucket of water", her fingers pointed down to Alora. Alora searched over the room for someone to save her, the boy with the golden green eyes from before looked straight at her, but looked away to scrub the floor once again. Falean looked up from the book in her hand, she had an unreadable expression on her face but she was definitely annoyed. She stands up from her chair and hustles over towards them, her hand flies, hitting Alora to the ground. Alora bit her lip, tasting blood in her mouth. "Go fetch a new bucket from the well outside". Alora couldn't hold back her anger, she glared at the old women shadowing over her. "wipe that look of your face little slave or there will be worse for you". Alora looked to the floor and obediently jumped to her feet, grabbing the bucket and headed out the cramped door.
The blood trickled into her mouth from her broken lips, it only added to the almost unbearable pain over her body. Her cold bare feet padded across the snowy ground to the little well ahead.
Her arms ached after finally being able to pull the water from the bottom of the deep well. She filled the empty bucked with the cold icy water and started back to the walls room. A small glint caught her eye, she stopped, her eyes caught a golden glint from the snow. Alora set the bucket to the ground and trudged threw the snow to the curious object. she scooped it off the ground, her shivering hands wiped the snow from the object. A beautiful golden pendant laid in her hands. A delicately carved golden wolf head placed inside a ring, its ruby eyes stared back at her, like it could see into her soul. A shiver ran down her spine, bringing her back to reality. She stuffed it into a pocket and quickly hustled back with the water. Once inside she easily noticed how long she had been out, her hands and feet tingled and felt numb. Falean stood in the doorway, her eyes hard and graceless. Alora curled into her self at the sight of her.
She snarled at Alora, revealing sharp beastly teeth, with a hiss she turned to the rest of the slaves. "For this slaves tardiness, every single one of you will do twice the work you were assigned till the next moon, As a master, I will not take slaves disobeying me. Anyone who remains this way will be given to the guards to do what they will". The slave's eyes laid on Alora, their anger seemed to boil from there gazes.