Window Shopping

The slaver was overjoyed at the prospect of making a deal with the saber toothed man and could see the deal closing at the end of the line once the words "This one is better" met his ears. All the while Lyre stared straight ahead, blinking, breathing, but nothing else. She was a servant, a tool, and tools had no voice. When the earth and sea man agreed to the purchase, the slaver almost bounced with joy. From her periphery, Lyre could see the wide smile on his face. There were stipulations, however. Both she and the slaver were to accompany the man back to his pack so goods could be exchanged. A red flash of warning went off like a flare in the woman's mind, but still, she remained impassive, unmoving.

Instructions were given and her potential new owner stalked off. Lyre was removed from the corral and one of the slavers took her to the falls to give her a proper scrubbing. The striped fae kept herself as clean as she was able under the circumstances, but it was impossible to stay completely clean when forced to reside in a fenced in area full of mud. She was cleansed and they actually spared a dish of soap scented with smoked vanilla. She was informed that the scent was exotic so it was fitting. Lyre said nothing, simply stood still while she was manhandled. Once clean, she was given a rough toweling and that was good enough. She would dry on the way to wherever they were going.

The slave master slid a leather collar around the fae's damp neck and attached a rope to the circular loop at the front. He made a show of parading her to the camps entrance where the man waited. This close, Lyre could see just how big he was and again those warning bells tolled in her mind. He was big. He was clever. He had run circles around the slaver and the man hadn't even realized it. He was dangerous. And... she now belonged to him.

The trio made their way across the land, Lyre having to move quickly to keep up with the longer strides of the two men. She didn't make a peep. Never opened her mouth, never turned her head from the path. The slaver didn't even have to jerk her chain to make her keep up. She was exactly what a slave should be. Obedient and silent. They traveled for quite a ways and eventually Lyre began to smell the scents of other wolves crisscrossing here and there. She wondered if they were close to the mans home or if this was just a crossroads for the various packs in the area.

"Lyre"