Indebted

5

It felt as though hours if not days had to have passed when Esti finally managed to pull herself up from the floor. Using the ruined pair of panties to try and clean the traces of her attackers from her skin. Straightening out her tunic and hair as best she could. Esti stumbled out to see the sun was barely any higher in the sky than it was the moment she had been knocked to the ground by the supply building. Her ears were ringing, everything felt like it was too bright.

The castle had begun to come to life with the new morning sun. People milling about, heading to their chores, living their normal lives. Esti didn't understand how everything could look so normal when she felt like the entire world should be as broken apart as her body felt.

Biting her lower lip to hold the tears at bay. Esti retrieved the now crumpled requisition. Trying to brush the boot prints from the paper. This time she made it to the supply room without incident. The slave working grumbled something Esti did not hear, as her supplies were gathered and bundled into a canvas sac.

Esti ran back to the basements as soon as her order was fulfilled. She flew through the corridors to the office. "Sorry that took longer than expected, there, um was a line at the supply desk." She lied. Badly. She didn't want anyone to know what had happened to her. Just wanted to forget. Suppress and forget, like it had never happened.

Norman's eyes narrowed. Esti saw a flash of his beast's eyes as he inhaled deeply through his nose. "Who hurt you?" He asked directly. His beast making his voice low and rumbling. Both of Norman's hands were clenched in fists on his desk. His whole body taught with rage, but he kept himself in control. Esti was pale, her skin sweaty, her heart rate erratic. She was in shock, and an angry bear would not help her now. Wouldn't help anything at all.

Esti was stammering, unable to get her words out. "No one. I fell. Tripped. Into a door. I'm fine." Esti felt a droplet run down her leg, was horrified when she looked down and saw bright red blood.

"Girl I can smell them all over you, see their hand prints around your throat. Who hurt you." Esti shook her head. Finger's tracing along her throat, finding the tender spots where the bruises were already forming under her fingertips. Esti shut down. She had to find a way to be safe. Thinking she just needed to be more careful. She could avoid them. Just keep her head down and do her job. Esti could only shake her head. Unable to say and unable to explain her reasons right now.

Norman sighed, deeply. Taking the heavy sac from Esti's trembling arms, not wanting to fight with her. Not now. Esti didn't need anything else to be a fight.  "Come with me, let's get you cleaned up, I'll make a tea to stop their seed taking hold." Norman lead Esti through the hall to the living quarters. Not fighting with her to reveal who had attacked her. Opening a door to reveal a warm room with a sunken stone tub. The air humid and still.

Norman opened the sac of her supplies, getting a towel and washcloth along with soap and a change of clothes. "Take care of yourself, when you are ready, join me for tea in my office." Esti nodded looking at the floor. Norman took the bundle to place it in her room for later.

Unable to meet his kind eyes. Hating that he knew what was now her darkest secret. "What was done to you Esti was a crime. Slave or not. It was not your fault." Norman had said, closing the door and giving her privacy. Esti undressed in the warm air. Shocked to find hundreds of scratches from the hay all over her skin, and the multitude of bruises marking her up. Esti looked in the mirror, one eye was red and swollen, certain to become a black eye, a clear hand print marked around her throat. Each finger clearly defined where it had held her throat in a strangle tight hold.

A choked sound escaped Esti's lips. The slave at the supply desk hadn't said anything. She had no idea until now that she had been roughed up this badly. Had no idea who else might have seen her as she ran back to the basement. People would have seen. They would know, people would gossip and lies and half truths would spread like wildfire.

Tears free falling from her eyes, she went to the large bath. There were stone steps carved in for easy entry, a comfortable stone bench carved around the perimeter. The water was hot but not uncomfortable. It soothed the many aches Esti's body was slowly making her aware of as the shock faded. The mineral rich spring water smelled like earth, calming her as she tried to erase the memories.

After letting the warm, slowly moving water soothe her battered body until the tears stopped, Esti grabbed the washcloth and harsh soap and tried to scrub every trace of them from her skin. She dunked her head under the water, wetting her dark hair so she could lather up the locs, dipping below the surface to rinse the soap out.

Clean, and exhausted, Esti left the bath. Drying off with the provided towel. Putting on clean panties, leggings and a dark tunic. Last she put on the socks and shoes and went to meet Norman in his office.

As Esti entered the cluttered office space slowly, she could smell bitter herbs, as Mr. Norman poured a fresh boiled kettle into her new mug. "Drink it all girly the last thing you need is to be caught with child." Esti nodded, taking the mug and sitting down. Trying to hide that sitting on the wooden chair was uncomfortable right now.

Norman sighed. Not in annoyance or upset at Esti, he was angry on her behalf, his bear wanting to go and hunt whoever had hurt her. "There is some willow bark in the tea, it should help with any pain." He added. Esti nodded. Her voice not even a whisper as she thanked him. He was being too nice to her. Esti didn't feel as though she deserved his kindness.

"I should have fought. Or let them just kill me." She whispered. Wishing that she was dead, just for a moment so she wouldn't feel like she did right now. The memory of their hands on her body, hurting her, taking control of her mind.

"It's an offense against the king to harm a slave, Esti. Tell me who hurt you, you can have justice." Norman offered again as Esti finished the tea that both hoped would ensure there would be no future consequences to the attack.

Esti shook her head. "Then their friends will seek to do worse in retaliation. Now that I have my allotment, I can stay in the castle and just do my job. I will be ok." She didn't believe herself, and knew Mr. Norman didn't believe her either.

He opened his drawer, and handed Esti a small pocket knife, where the blade folded down into the handle, but could be sprung with the push of a button to be a proper blade. "Practice taking that out and opening the blade with one hand in your room at night. Do not be seen with it. If you are threatened again, defend yourself. As long as it is another slave you will not be guilty of a crime." Norman told Esti as he closed and locked his drawer again.

It wouldn't be a crime if she defended herself, not because self defense was always justified. No, it would be because she was protecting the king's property. Esti's only value was tied to the man who had murdered her father over a disagreement.

Over a light snack, Norman said it would be easiest to start to learn on a new day. Dismissing Esti to her own private quarters. Norman unlocked a small door to reveal what ostensibly was a cell. Handing the key to Esti once he removed it from the large chain of keys on his belt. Stone made the floor, walls and ceiling. There was a tiny arch window at ground level, but weeds had overgrown the area and little light penetrated through the thick foliage.

Norman set the sac down, letting Esti know she could set up the room to her liking. Closing the door behind him as he went to return to his work. Walking away to go and work on something that needed deep concentration. Otherwise he knew he would start to try and hunt those who had hurt Esti today.

Esti locked the door. Then unpacked her new belongings and arranged everything on the two shelves provided for storage. The water pitcher, cup and mug on the desk. Arranged her wash tub and board in the corner. The bed was a stone slab, but once the tick was fluffed, and the sheets and blankets added it made a comfortable enough bed.

Esti looked towards the window. Maybe she could find it outside one day and clear away the weeds some day to allow more natural light into her room. Exhausted, hurt and full of sadness, Esti curled up in the bed, sleeping until early the next morning when Norman came to wake her. Ready to teach her the skills her new trade needed.