Chapter 4
It was the middle of summer when we left for Arctic. It was a nice sunny day with the clouds seemingly mad at each other because of the space between them. However the sun seemed to like the earth with the heat that was raining down on us. Five horses were brought out by some of the grooms from the stables and they were handed to the three guards, my master and I. It had been five years since my slavery began and it was a lot better than any of the slaves that had been on the ship with me. I know because I've seen how the other slaves were treated and...it was gruesome. I had tried talking to some of them but...I had only gotten as far as their overseers before I got cut off. Aiden was the one who had made me stop. He said he didn't want any problems with them while he was gone.
"Son, I didn't want to have to do this. You know that," The king's pleading voice reached my ears from where I stood next to my master. I saw his pale hands clench and he put them behind them to keep them from his father's view. His face gave nothing away as he stepped to take his spotted mare, Lavender, from the stable master. Janet, the groom's slave handed me my mare a nameless one who had some problems with her earlier pregnancies. I smiled a final smile at her and her bottom lip trembled before she ducked back into the stables. We had only seen each other every other day and the only form of communication was smiling at each other and I was even able to sneak her a piece of cake or some bread on days when things seemed bad for her. It was a silent friendship that had taken all the bad days out of the equation.
"I don't care what about what you did. It's what you didn't do that I care about," my master replied icily and swung himself on his horse. I quickly followed suit and steadied my horse as I waited for the guards to get on their steeds. It was, strangely, an easy thing to leave the place I had lived there for five years. Heven had come out to see us off and he tapped lightly on my foot.
"I'll take care of her for you," he told me waving towards the stables. I reached down and he took my hand for a brief moment and squeezed. Looking towards my master, I straightened up and watched the silent struggle going on behind his mask. He was extremely angry with his father but at the same time he still had the paternal hole in the sail of retaliation. I had to admit, that was one of the better things that he had. Suddenly without any sort of warning, Aiden took off and I followed him just as quickly. The poor mare I had couldn't even keep up with the horse so I jumped off of her and told her politely to go home. Taking a deep breath, I ordered my tattoos off my back and formed wings around me of pure design flew up in the air around me. Taking off, I started crying the bloody tears that ran down my face when I used my markings. It was a habitual thing that happened due to the distance of the markings. I hated having it off of my skin but it was necessary. I wasn't going to run a horse to death because I couldn't keep up with my master.
Gliding over to him, I flew next to my master and he glanced over at me. A fierce smile light up my face and only the smallest flicker of acknowledgement danced across his face. I held out my hand like we used to do when we were younger and he took it lightly. I reached out with my mind and he grasped at it like a life saver. Letting my hand fall, I took his mind into my senses and flew straight upwards. The cold wind went straight into my face and the bloody tears dried. My soul was free and I could only feel the joy of the sun on my face and endless sky before me.
"Come down," my master's demand whispered in my mind and real tears started falling as I made my descent onto the spot next to Aiden and Lavender. As the servants brought Lavender onto the ship, I watched my master gaze at his home with a sense of longing.
"You'll be back," I offered gently in his mind and he turned to me.
"I'll never be back. I won't come back here even if I have to kill myself to never return," He rejected calmly and I gently pushed the feelings of the warmth of the sun and the breeze of the wind in my face. His mask softened for a fraction of a second before it tightened up again as the guards galloped up to meet us.
"There's no point in you being here," he dismissed them and started up the plank onto the ship's deck. I gave them a final low bow for their service and started up after him.
"Why does that whore get to go with him while we don't? We've served longer than she ever will," I heard one of the men complain and it reached through the link to Aiden. He stopped dead in the middle of stepping up and turned back to the men.
"She has saved my life from assassins. You may have done that as well. She's not only my slave but my protector. Think of that as you will," He practically breathed fire when he said that and I waited for him to go onto the deck again. He didn't move for the longest moment and then his eyes met mine. Cold fury glared back at me and he whisked himself off onto the ship. He waved at the captain and took himself off into his cabin. I walked silently after him and closed the door before he went off.
"Those bastards!" he yelled and looked around for something to throw. When he couldn't find anything, he ran a hand through his hair and glared at the surrounding sea. We had taken off during his search and all he had left of his country was his memories. I sat down quietly in a nearby chair and he started pacing around the room.
"Are you at least happy to go back?" he asked stopping for a second before he started up again.
"I can't say that I am and I can't say that I'm not. It's a mixed situation for me," I answered honestly and he shook his head.
"How? How can you be so calm when they treat you like dirt?" He exclaimed and I blinked. His mixed emotions were getting in the way again and that wasn't a good thing. He wouldn't be able to think correctly if that went on. Luckily, I had the blunt truth on my side or so I had hoped.
"I'm a slave. I own nothing. I am nothing but a simple tool for my master to use," I replied honestly and he stopped dead to stare at me.
"And you accept it so easily?" he questioned incredulously and I nodded.
"What else am I supposed to do? I have my dances that help me and even if I'm unable to touch a knife or sword again, I'll at least have my tattoos. I may not own it but it's on my body and I know it intimately. I'm still confused as to why you don't understand this," I stated and he sat down across from me.
"I never actually thought that you were a slave. You were more of a servant and friend than one," he professed.
"You needed someone and I became that someone. I will be there for as long as you need me," I announced and he nodded.
"A slave shouldn't have to stay with me like this," he told me and I smiled at him.
"Think of it this way. Have I ever truly been a slave to you?" I asked.
"No," he whispered and got lost inside his thoughts.
