Aveyond: Rhen's Quest

Chapter 4: Enslaved

Rhen was put on a ship and taken to the Eastern Isles where the slave trade was flourishing. In the eastern city of Ghalarah, Rhen is sold as a slave. Her belongings were stripped from her. All but the slave bracelet...

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"Wake up! You lazy scum!" Miss Rona roared at her in her little room.

It had been three months since Rhen was enslaved.

"You better get up and do your chores or they will be no meals for you!" Miss Rona yelled and stepped out of the room.

Rhen's new "house" was in a big mansion. But her master let her slept in a small filthy, dusty storeroom (which had been cleaned to make a bedroom).

Rhen got herself ready, wore her slave cloth (which was ragged, full of stitches cloth) and prepared to work. She looked at her daily what-to-do list which had been prepared by Miss Rona since the first day of her staying.

"Need to get Master Lar's clothes from the town tailor and need to deal with the spiders in the attic, again." Rhen sighed and started to work.

~~~~~

"This is the last of your life, spiders!" Said Rhen as she finished with the spider-in-the-attic- problem.

"I've killed the spiders, Mistress." Reported Rhen with disgust when she saw her in the living room.

"Stop dragging your feet, slave! Go do the rest of your chores!" Miss Rona scolded her like a lazy god, roaming around the house. So Rhen headed for the tailor shop.

"Hello Rhen, what can I do for you?" Terlin the tailor welcomed her with a wide smile on her face.

"I've come to pick up Lars' travel clothes for Mistress Rona. Are they ready?"

"Oh yes! Here they are dear." Terlin gave the clothes to Rhen.

Rhen doesn't want to see her angry mistress so soon so she decided to have a pep talk with the tailor.

"So, Lars is leaving tomorrow for Shadwood Academy?" asked Terlin.

"Yes ma'am. Mistress Rona says he has the gift of sorcery."

"I see," the tailor nodded. "To be quite honest, I don't think the child needs any more reasons to think himself superior to the rest of us. Is this good for you?"

"Yes ma'am," Rhen replied sheepishly.

"Don't be humble child, that boy treats you terribly. Even a slave girl deserves more respect." commented the tailor. After hearing it, Rhen felt more comfortable. She decided to ask Terlin more about herself.

"Terlin, you treat me and the other slaves so well. Why is this?"

"You might not believe it, but I was a slave myself years ago," she replied with a smile. "I had a good master, who let my family buy my freedom."

"How lucky. My family doesn't even know I'm here," Rhen envied. "To be honest, I'm not exactly sure where HERE is." both of them laughed. And so Rhen found a "buddy" to accompany her for the rest of the day.

~~~~~

"Here are Lars' traveling clothes, Mistress." Rhen handed over the clothes as she was in the mansion. Miss Rona snatched the clothes from her as if she will get the clothes dirty.

"Why are you late?" Miss Rona scolded Rhen again. "Ugh never mind. Stop standing there you scum! Go do your chores!"

"But I've finished all of the chores, Mistress. May I go out and play?" she had not playing with other children in the city for three months (Wow, poor girl).