Elena's mind drifted back to the day she escaped the slave camp.
Her village had been attacked by soldiers from a warring nation. Their cruel practice was to take women as bargaining chips—sold to aristocrats as maids or concubines. Families desperate to ransom kidnapped loved ones often resorted to selling their daughters to afford the price of freedom. When Elena was captured, the soldier in charge of their group was an old, lazy drunk. He hadn't even bothered to properly secure the chains around her arms.
Her captor oversaw a group that included an older man and a dying elderly woman. The woman had been a slave for years, her frail body wasting away. Medication was never administered to slaves, and despite Elena's efforts to heal her, she wasn't skilled enough to treat someone else. The illness was too far gone.
One night, as the woman's condition worsened, she rewarded Elena's kindness with a small gem. It was the first time the elderly woman had spoken to anyone, her voice husky and dry, like an old smoker's rasp, though she showed no signs of ever touching tobacco. She explained the gem was a magical supplement—something to use in dire circumstances when Elena's magic ran out. "Hold it to your chest," she rasped, "and it'll act on its own."
Before Elena could protest or offer to use the gem to help her, the woman placed her frail hands over Elena's, silencing her. Had she known all along that Elena was planning an escape? With a shake of her head, she croaked, "Leave."
Then, the elderly woman did something unexpected. She stood and walked toward the guard. The man noticed her and grinned, his deep, slurred voice unintelligible as he spoke. He reached out to her, and she took his hand with a weak smile. Together, they disappeared into the distance.
Elena hesitated, watching them until they were out of sight. She then turned and fled. After a few steps, she glanced back, guilt gnawing at her. Could she have done more to save the woman?
With a quick peek inside the pouch, Elena found a compass pointing north. She glanced back at the man, bowed in gratitude, and started walk