Moss, Sable and Jade I by Raven Chapter One Alex stared blankly at the floor beneath him. He didn't raise his eyes to the crowd, knew better than to look at the handlers, and didn't dare meet the gaze of his new master. It was partly training that kept him obedient, but it was mostly prudence. He couldn't afford to be seen, not yet. The best and only way out of here was to keep quiet and not make a scene. He'd let himself be sold without a fuss, go meekly along with his new owner, until they cleared the border at least. It was a far cry from his first sale, and he couldn't stop himself from remembering. Alex had been thirteen, recently orphaned and nearly insane with grief and fury. Despite his youth and the drug they'd forced down him, it had taken two full grown men to manage him. Blinking hard to clear his head, Alex realized that the sale was concluding. He watched as the papers were signed, the heavy seal marking three pages at once. One was kept by the auctioneer, and Alex prayed he wouldn't examine it too closely, wouldn't notice it was a fraud. He held his breath as the papers were examined, separated, and then a copy was being exchanged for three bronze coins. The keys to his lock and his chains were handed over with a handclasp, and he silently followed the brief tug, walking carefully behind his new owner with the first sense of hope he'd had in a long while. As they headed out of the square, Alex chanced a look at the man in front of him. Short, a bit wide, not so much heavy as barrel-shaped, an unruly mess of thinning grey hair down to his shoulders. His clothing was plain, but Alex saw that the wool was quality, if not fancy. The boots were worn but the soles were well-lasted, and the gloves showed stains but no worn spots. Still, it was hardly the look of a man wealthy enough to afford a slave, even one as ordinary as he appeared. He'd lost weight since...that night, and he knew his hair was hopelessly matted. He'd washed in the river, but had no comb, razor either. His nails were too long and ragged, and his tunic was thin and short, the leggings full of holes and too small but the best he'd dared steal. None of those things were even noticeable, however, had faded away completely when he'd been stripped on the block for the sale, and his body had been revealed. Alex had heard the slight stir in the crowd as the tapestry of scars was displayed, and a part of him that he thought long dead had arisen, long enough to bring a flush of shame. There was no part of him unmarked, not neck, groin or foot, but his back was the worst. Beating after beating was clearly written there, and he'd been glad when the handlers had thrust his clothing back up quickly, not wanting to drive down the price. He'd managed to bring in three bronzes, not bad considering his state, and since he'd put himself in the auction, it was pure profit for the handlers. He saw that they were at a wagon now, and the squat man spoke to him for the first time, gesturing into the back of the wagon. "Inside, back against the left side, legs together." The words were all business, but spoken softly and, though the voice was rough, the tone was not. There was a no- nonsense air about the man, but a gentleness also, and Alex allowed himself to relax a bit. He took the position, noting that the man secured his legs with a loop of chain first, before moving to the still cuffed arms. No fool, then, but a man who knew enough to be safe. Once he was secured, the man surprised him by checking the chain Alex wore around his neck, and loosening it by two loops. He did the same with the wrists, and added a cloth pad under a spot that was chafed raw. It was already more kindness than Alex had known since becoming a slave all those years ago. The older man caught the look, and a hint of a smile flickered across the rough features. "My first master wouldn't have checked either, but then again, our master does a lot of things differently." Alex saw genuine affection and humor color the man's slightly bulging eyes, though he made no comment, too busy processing the fact that this man was only an intermediary. It complicated things slightly, but the man was talking again, and Alex always listened. "That's right, I'm not your new master, nowhere near the like, but know this. Everything I do to or for you is on his direct order. Is that clear?" "Yes, Master." Alex's voice was rough, his throat parched from the long day standing in the sun. A flask of water was held out, the short man making sure Alex first saw him take a long drink, holding the stream out to show it clear. There was enough lead for Alex to take the flask and drink for himself. He took only a mouthful then lowered it, but the man was shaking his head. "No, boy, drink your fill, but mind you do it slowly. I don't want you getting sick." "Yes, Master." He took a long drink, then obediently lowered the flask. "It's good you're respectful, but I am not your master. No, they call me Frokey, and I'm but a fellow servant, and so you may address me as such. If you've any questions between here and home, you should ask. I'll not always be able to answer, of course, some answers come best from the master, but you have leave to ask. Understood?" "Yes, Frokey." "Good. Now, I'll not ask your name, not yet, at least. I'll call you 'boy,' but I mean no disrespect, it's simply a fact, to me you are a boy. Are you hungry?" "Yes, Frokey." Alex hadn't eaten more than a mouthful in three days, scarcely more than that for weeks. He watched avidly as Frokey pulled a hunk of bread, some cheese and an apple from a bag. Careful to take a small bite from each, Frokey handed them over. "Remember, slowly, a few bites and then rest. It's a long way home and you'll have a full supper when we get there, so take care. Now, are you ill? Any wounds, hurts that need tended before we ride?" "No, Frokey." "Do you need to tend to any business in the bushes?" When Alex realized what the man was asking, he felt his control slip enough to allow a flicker of amusement through the green eyes. At the decline, Frokey climbed up into the driver's seat. "Very well. Remember, ask what you will, there will be no punishment for it. Eat and drink your fill, but do not make yourself ill. And if you need aught, say. Enough. Let's be home, boy." There was no sound save the horses for many long moments, as Alex forced himself to eat with care, drinking the water only moderately. At last, Alex asked quietly, "Frokey?" "Aye, boy?" "Where is this home?" "Home, boy, is Samstar Fields. Heard of it?" "I think so, Frokey. They raise excellent horses, correct?" "Among other things, boy. Among other things." It had a deeper meaning, but Alex was drowsy. It had been ages since he'd slept, and while these conditions weren't ideal, they were the safest he'd known in a long time. Frokey looked back, saw the eyes struggling to remain open. "Sleep, boy. You've time and need." Alex drifted off, his last thought that he hadn't even asked the name of his master. It was some three hours later that he found himself shaken awake. He blinked several times, trying to clear his eyes and mind from the dreams he'd been having. Frokey waited until he saw Alex's eyes focus, then spoke carefully. "We're pausing here for a bit. I'd as soon not walk you as a hound, but I need to know whether you may be trusted or not. We're some three more hours to home, we've just passed the river. Samstar is due east. Rookfield lies north. Now, you might take your chances and do well. But I would ask that you give Samstar Fields and the master a chance. You'll not regret your decision, I swear it. Still the choice is yours. I'm asking you because if you say I can trust you, I'll take off the chains and you may walk until I call. If you're afraid you'll bolt, then I'll walk you on the chain. If you plan on running away now, then tell me. I'm too old to be cracked across the skull. I'll give you the keys and step over to that tree, my back to you. Don't lie, boy, just make your decision and let me know." He then moved to the horses, checking their feet and mouths. Alex was in a daze. He was still exhausted, still hungry and night was falling with nothing to give him warmth or shelter. Frokey had no visible weapons, he'd checked, and if he left, he had only the man's word that they were where he'd said. Alex didn't like the feeling he had, the one that said he could trust Frokey, but when he put it with everything else, he only had one logical course of action. "Frokey?" The man reappeared, face showing nothing but curiosity. "I'll walk until you call. I won't run, Frokey." His answer seemed to please Frokey, but he only moved to the chains, quickly unlocking them, and then offering his hand to help him out. Alex took it warily, aware of the crop tucked into Frokey's belt. The man hadn't even used it on the horses, but Alex was taking no chances. He walked to the nearby bushes, tending to his bladder, then moved back into the center of the small clearing. Frokey was still checking the horses, and Alex needed something to do to take his mind off of the fact that he was unrestrained. "May I be of assistance, sir?" The words were spoken neutrally, and Frokey arched an eyebrow, but nodded. "Don't call me 'sir,' boy. You know anything about horses?" "Some, Frokey." "Check the hooves on that side, tell me what you think." Alex did so, using his eyes and fingertips both. He noted a slight swelling on the left back hoof, and mentioned it quietly. Frokey came over, mouth grim as he examined it. From a hidden pocket, the older man pulled out a knife, carefully using it to pry out a tiny bit of gravel. "Look under the seat, you'll find a small brown pouch. Open it and take out the smallest pot, bring it here." "Yes, Frokey." Alex found the pot and handed it over. "Thanks. Now steady her, this may sting a bit." Alex leaned against the broad flank, trying not to show his surprise at the thanks. This man had bought him, knew he was a slave, and had still said thank you. He wasn't sure what to make of things, not yet, but he had the feeling that Samstar Fields would be like no place he had ever known. "There, that's got her. Put this back, boy, then take another stretch and we'll be on our way. We won't beat nightfall, but the sooner I'm back home, the more I like it." Alex stretched, hearing his back pop as he leaned forward. After a minute more, he saw Frokey move to the back of the wagon. Alex climbed in, holding out his hands, waiting to be rechained. Frokey merely shook his head and took his place at the reins. They'd gone a few miles when Alex gathered up the nerve to speak again. "Frokey?" "Yes, boy?" "May I ask our master's name?" "He is known as Sir Fox William of Mulder." That name did ring a bell, a large one. His former master's parties had been frequent. That name had always been on the invitation list, but was always declined gracefully with a generous gift and polite regrets conveyed by a servant. The man was the talk of the set, everyone seemingly envious and curious about this mysterious man that seldom left his home, and had yet to take a wife, or even a public lover. "Do you read, boy?" "No, Frokey." The man sighed almost angrily and stopped the horses, turning to look at Alex sternly. Alex didn't flinch but his left eye twitched, and Frokey saw the shoulders hunch. "Relax, boy, you've not angered. It's only that the way you say my name is the way most slaves say 'master,' and it doesn't sit well, lad. It's my name, not a title. Use it when you need it, but speak natural with me, boy, I've no rank or position on you. I think it'll be a long time before you call any man friend, but at least treat me as an equal, no better. Or, rather, try, please, boy?" "I'll try." Alex had no idea what the man was talking about, but the gruff entreaty had moved him. He swallowed hard, hesitated only a bit, then took a drink of the water. "Good lad. Now, do you read?" "No, F- no, I don't read, but I can sign my name." "That's good, boy, it's a start. As for the rest, you'll learn soon enough, you're a bright one." "I'm to be taught to read?" "Not legally." Alex waited, but there was no further answer to that. He was confused, but not enough to stop himself from asking the question he most needed to know. "Is-is our master cruel?" "Would you believe me if I told you he was the kindest, gentlest soul I'd ever met? That I would still be by his side, for any cause, did he not own me? That I love him as a brother?" "No." Alex was sure now that this was the strangest man he'd ever known, and that everything he'd said was the sign of an unbalanced mind. It also explained why he was unfettered, while the man had his back to him. He sighed, shifting some bags around to get comfortable. A blanket was tossed to him from over Frokey's shoulder, and Alex saw the large eyes dart toward him. "Sleep, lad. I'll wake you well before the first guard." Alex wanted to protest, but he was warm, and the road smooth, so that he was being rocked, not bounced. In moments, he was asleep. "Ah, Moss, you've your work cut out for you with this one." Frokey whispered it to the night, chuckling softly to himself. Alex woke instantly, his earlier nap having been nearly as long as his recent night's sleep. With his hunger appeased a bit and his thirst gone, he felt better than he had in a long time, although he was aware that he might be running a fever. Still, he'd taken the edge of his desperate exhaustion, and he didn't feel ill, just feverish. He noticed that they were slowing down, and Frokey's voice called softly. "Good, you're awake. We're coming to the crest of a hill, you should be able to see the keep from there. We're also nearing the first guard so, take a drink and rouse yourself, boy." Alex opened his mouth to acknowledge, but risked obeying silently instead. When no cuff followed his quiet, he moved to stand up in the cart, the blanket still around him snuggly. He spared the tiniest bit of water for his hand, swiped his eyes and rubbed with the hem of his tunic. He was still bent over when he heard a low, appreciative whistle. "Very nice. Very nice, indeed." The feminine voice was low, soft, and teasing. He looked around and saw that they'd approached a small hut, and a woman was standing near the open door. She was tall, hair red and loose, eyes crinkling as she smiled. Alex realized he was looking at her and immediately lowered his eyes, dropping his chin a fraction and letting his arms hang at his sides. Matching sighs issued from the woman and from Frokey, but they didn't sound pleased. Alex reviewed his presentation, then shrugged the blanket off. He'd known better than to cover himself, had simply forgotten about the wool around him. "Sweet goddess, that bad?" She was talking to Frokey, all teasing gone from her voice. "Worse. It'll take the usual tricks and then some." Alex knew they were talking about him, but held his tongue. "Alright, boy, out of the cart, and stand in the light." The young man did so, and the woman came closer studying him intensely. She closed her eyes, and he thought she moved her lips, but before he could tell, she was looking at him again. "May I see your hands?" Alex held them out, unsettled by her polite request. She ran her own palms over them, not touching, but he felt a tingle deep in his palms until she lowered her own. She was smiling again, kindly, her eyes full of longing and hope. She spoke to him, and her voice seemed to echo within his mind. "Learning to let go is sometimes easier than learning to hold close. You must do both, Little Jade, else you will never know peace." She then made a strange gesture and he felt dizzy for a moment, swaying slightly. Frokey's hand was under his elbow, gently helping him back to the wagon. "Go in peace. And tell our master that his name is Jade." "Abide in peace, I'll tell him. Goodnight, Captain." Alex, his dizziness gone, looked disbelievingly from one to the other. Captain? Had he called this woman 'Captain'? This was the guard? Gods, was nothing in this place as it should be? He was drawn from his mental rumblings by Frokey's voice. "There it is, boy. Samstar Fields keep. Home." He'd expected more somehow. What he saw was a modest keep, well-lit with torches and fires. It looked cheery enough, but nothing out of the ordinary, and certainly not the palace of his last master. Alex said nothing as they drove up to the gate. He saw that it was open and saw two men waiting to close it again. They were dressed much like Frokey and smiled as he passed, calling out friendly welcome. Young boys came running up to take the wagon and horses, and they, too, smiled at the man, and at him. Not that Alex returned it. He knew better than to smile at another servant. Besides, he was far too busy ignoring the tendrils of fear and dread wrapping themselves around his spine. He'd climbed down from the wagon and was now following Frokey into the manor itself. They went in through a side door, near what Alex guessed would be the kitchen side, seeing the outbuildings nearby. The rooms were large, clean and plain, but not barren. Several chairs and small tables were scattered about, with a few larger chairs near the fire. There were books, papers everywhere. Neatly rolled scrolls, sheaves of vellum stacked tidily on shelves, and rows and rows of books, more than Alex had ever seen in one place before. He looked again at the large chairs by the fire, catching a movement. Tucked into one of them, long legs dangling over the arm, was a handsome man that startled as they approached, then his eyes grew warm. He carefully set down his book and stood, reaching out to clasp Frokey's hand with a smile. "You've made good time. No problems, then?" "None for me. You, on the other hand, have your hands full." Frokey grinned, then handed over the bag of coins and the papers to the man. "Thank you, Frokey. Would you mind telling Leona that you're back and she can bring the supper anytime? And have your own, of course. There's a new wine, it's very good, just came today." "As if you'd know a good wine." The older man was teasing, and they shared a laugh as he nodded. "Thank you, Master. Oh, the Captain says to tell you his name is Jade." Turning to a stupified Alex, Frokey said calmly, "Meet Sir Fox William of Mulder, Duke of Annisbury, Marquis of Dellum, and 12th in line to rule, our Master." Frokey saw the younger man blanch and regretted his flip introduction. With a rueful sigh, he turned back to Fox. "I'll go find Leona, but I'd like to talk with Fitz before I eat, is that alright?" "That's fine, Frokey. And again, thank you." With a fond smile, Frokey left. Alex had just remembered to breathe, was cursing himself mentally for not running when he had the chance, and was fighting another wave of dizziness. It was too much, the tension of the past month, being sold again, the confusion of this place and his worn state. He watched as his new master approached, a soft look on his face, one hand held out, palm up in greeting. "Welcome, Jade." Alex threw up all over him, looked absolutely terrified, then fainted. He didn't want to open his eyes. He was warm and snug, lying on something soft, and there were wonderful smells in the air. Alex inhaled deeply, and sounds began to reach his ears. "Here, Jenna, let me help you with that." "Thank you, Master." His eyes shot open, and he went rigid under his blankets, as the night before came back to him. "You shouldn't be carrying that, Jenna, it's far too heavy for you. Why didn't you get one of the boys to help?" The voice was gentle, but there was a seriousness about it as well. If it had been harsh, Alex would have called it a scold. "I didn't think about it, Master. It needed cleaned, it was in the kitchen, I just thought to do my work." "I know, little one, and you do very good work. But I don't want you hurt. Next time, if it's too heavy, go and fetch one the boys, understood?" "Yes, Master." "Very good. Now, would you ask Sable to come up, please? Tell him it isn't urgent, but I'd like to see him as soon as possible. Repeat." "Master asks if you would come up, please. It isn't urgent, but he'd like to see you as soon as possible." "That's a girl. Thank you, Jenna." There was the sound of movement, and a door opening and closing. Alex heard mumbles, snatches of talk, a word here and there. Laughter, rich and full, and from the master as well as the others, from the sound of it. He'd never heard laughter from his old master, not genuine laughter. Evil laughter, mocking laughter, taunting and cruel, but never... Footsteps approached, and Alex froze. There was a gentle tap at the door, and it opened slowly. The same handsome face from the night before peeked in, and then he spoke gently. "Good morning. May I come in?" He waited, but saw that Alex was too scared to respond, and so moved into the room slowly. Fox pulled a chair over near the bed, not too close, but as near as he dared. "Are you feeling better, Jade?" There was concern in the eyes as well as the voice, and Alex tried to swallow. Fox saw the movement and reached beside the bed. He poured a cup of water from the jug, and held it out to Alex. Alex forced himself to sit up, flinching only the tiniest when Fox's hand moved to his back, helping him. Once he was sitting up in bed, cup in hand, Fox sat back in his chair. Alex started to take a deep drink. "Slowly, Jade. A couple of swallows only, then you can have more in a few minutes." "Yes, Master." Alex forced it out, and took two small, slow sips. Fox took the cup back, then smiled at him. "Good. Now, are you feeling better this morning?" "Yes, Master. I'm well." "You're better, certainly, but you are far from well. Jade, I'd like Fitz to examine you. He's our healer, and an excellent one. Would you allow him to check you?" "Yes, Master." As if he could stop him, Alex thought, wondering why he needed a healer when he wasn't sick. "Thank you. Now, I mean no disrespect, Jade, but I doubt you were allowed much opportunity for bathing and grooming while waiting to be sold. I've had water heated for your bath, but you're likely still a bit unsteady on your feet. It wouldn't do for you to fall, so I thought I'd let Sable help you. He's in charge of the stables, that's where you'll do some of your work when you're well. It would give you a chance to get to know each other. If you're not comfortable with that, Leona can assist you instead. Since you'll also be helping in the kitchen, that would work equally well. The choice is yours, Jade, which would you prefer?" Alex tried to find the test in the question, but couldn't. He decided to go with the master's first choice, hoped it would please. "Sable, please, Master." "Sable it is. After your bath, I'll send Fitz down to examine you. He'll help you dress, and then bring you to me in my study. Any questions?" "Yes, Master." Fox's face showed his surprise, and Alex almost lost his courage, but his master nodded for him to speak. "Master, could I be punished before my bath? I-I might get sick again, and this way..." "Jade, why would I punish you?" "For last night." "But Jade, you did nothing wrong last night, why would I punish you?" Alex stared into the hazel eyes, he couldn't help it, searching for the mockery, the little gleam of malice that had always come before when he'd been asked why he deserved to be punished. He found only confusion and sadness, and it brought a wrinkle to his forehead. "You were ill and you fainted. You did nothing wrong, Jade, nothing. And you will never be punished for nothing, not so long as you are here and I am master. Now, I'll tell Leona you're awake and she can begin to fuss over you. Sable will be in later with your bath. I'll see you soon." With a smile, Fox stood and left. Alex lay back on the covers, closing his eyes. He tried hard not to believe. He tried very hard. To believe was to be a fool, and he'd stayed alive this long because he was not a fool. He would live longer still. Leona turned out to be a diminutive, older woman, her grey hair neatly swept back into a coil, her sleeves rolled up above her elbows, her eyes almost black. Her skin was a beautiful mahogany color, and the face, though wrinkled, still attractive. When she was younger she must have been a great beauty, Alex thought, seeing the fine bone structure under the age. Her voice held a trace of an accent he couldn't place, but her manner was vaguely familiar. "So, you're awake! And hungry too, I'll wager. Nothing but skin and bones, you are, the shame. Never fret, we'll fatten you up in no time, you let Leona see to that. Not today, though. That stomach of yours will hold near nothing, and that's what we have to give it." A young girl brought in a tray with several small bowls, and Leona took it from her with thanks, setting it up on the table. Alex sat up, and Leona added another pillow behind him before tucking a cloth across the sheets. "Now, we'll start with a bit of broth." She picked up the bowl and a spoon, dipped a tiny amount, and held it to his mouth. He eyed it reluctantly, and she gave a small sound of exasperation. "Boy, if I was going to kill someone, it wouldn't be with poison. I like to get my hands dirty. Enough nonsense, I've not all day to give you, little one." Alex saw from her eyes that she was telling the truth, and obediently took the bite. It was delicious, full of flavors, and yet mild enough to easily stay down. Next followed a bite of something she informed him was rice. He thought it looked like maggots, but kept his opinion to himself. He was surprised to find it had a nut-like flavor, and was very good. She followed with a bit of apple pulp, but it tasted different than he was used to. "Mistress?" He asked it shyly, unsure if he was allowed to speak to her or not. "It's Leona, child, and you've no need to ask before speaking. Now, what is it, little one?" "The apple pulp, it's different." "Yes, it is, good boy for noticing!" She seemed flattered that he'd caught it, and gave him another bite. "I put nutmeg in it, and some leftover poached pear. Just a dab will flavor the whole batch." She had him sip slowly at fresh milk, and he wondered at how cold it was. She saw him look curiously at it, and grinned. "You notice it all, don't you? You have to, to stay alive, I know. But I tell you this as one who knows. You can relax here, lad. Here, it is possible to simply live." Alex looked oddly, but before he could respond, there was a knock on the door. Leona waited, but then called entrance herself. The man that entered was tall, as tall as the master, but broad shouldered. His arms were large, the chest muscled. A narrow waist led to lean hips and long strong legs. He had a short fringe of dark hair at the back of his head and neck, but was otherwise bald. His eyes were dark, sharp and focused, despite the fact that the man projected an air of complete calm. "Ah, Sable, this is Jade, the newest addition to the family, and not a day too soon in coming, I think. Jade, meet Sable, he runs the stables and most of the rest of the keep when the master's gone." Sable inclined his head, his voice matching the impression of his body, that of power loosely coiled. "Greetings, Jade, and welcome. Have you finished your meal?" "Yes, Master." "Just Sable, please. Very well, let's see about getting you more comfortable." He left again, but was soon back with a large wooden tub. Two girls followed him, each carrying a bucket of steaming water. Sable fetched two himself, and the girls another each. He nodded that it was enough, then held up a small pouch. It looked like the one Frokey had used. "This has a powder in it that will help ease your muscles and soothe you. I use it on my horses, and we all bathe in it sometimes. May I add it to your bath?" "Yes, ma- Sable." He did so, and Leona smiled at Alex, standing to leave, tray in hand. "You just let Sable tend you, lad, you'll be the better for it. I'll be back to check on you later." "And to feed him again." Sable's voice was even, but Alex saw the sparkle in the warm brown. "I suppose I've never made you a sick tray, or fed you by hand? Who was it responsible for the manly form you show today? Don't you be teasing me, Sable, or I'll give your share of the berry tarts to Mistress Danally." Alex started. There was a mistress? Gods, please let her be different from the last one, please...! "Alright, mother, I'll be good." They shared a smile, and she left, patting his shoulder as she passed. He was still kneeling by the tub, swirling the water to stir it. He must have judged it as right because he stood, coming over to the bed. "Can you stand, Jade?" "Yes, Sable." Why did everyone keep treating him as though he were sick? Alex threw back the covers, put his legs over the side and stood. When he came to, he was on the floor, his head and shoulders leaning against Sable's broad chest. The strong arms were loosely around him, and Alex had a moment's thought, that it felt very good to be held like this. Then he flushed with shame. "I'm sorry, Sable." "It's fine, you were only out a moment. I think it would be best if I steadied you, though. Do you agree?" Alex did so, and Sable lifted him effortlessly to his feet. A strong arm around his waist got him to the tub. That was when Alex realized he wasn't wearing his stolen tunic, but a nightshirt of some light lawn fabric. Catching the glance, Sable spoke. "Your tunic was ruined. Once you were in bed I undressed you and got you cleaned up, then put this on you. If it had not been fouled, I would not have done so without your consent." "Thank you." The words were strange for him, he'd not uttered them sincerely for years, but he'd seen that these people put great store by them, and Alex was grateful. He didn't believe for a moment that the big man would listen did he say no, but he could feel that he hadn't been used while he was unconscious. "Welcome. Now, can you stand alone? Do you want me to help you off with the nightshirt, Jade?" Alex suddenly felt weary and, though he couldn't imagine why he was so fatigued, he didn't want to risk fainting again. He nodded and, with one hand steadying him, Sable stripped his nightshirt off and helped him down into the water. Alex had known baths before, had even been bathed before, once for the pleasure of his former master, and once by a guest he was serving for the mistress. He saw Sable reach for a sponge and a pot of soapy curds, and forced himself not to show his revulsion. He hated being pawed, hated it the way only a person who has become numbed to it can hate it. A deep, powerless loathing filled him, but he knew better than to let it show. He lowered his eyes, keeping his body slack. "Jade, look at me." Obediently, Alex raised his eyes. Sable had squatted down beside him, the sponge and soap on the floor beside him. The eyes held pain, and sympathy, and anger. It frightened Alex a bit, until he saw that it was an old, old anger. "I would not touch you like that, without your consent. No one here would. I know you can't believe me, not yet, but you have my word, you will not know rape or molestation here." "The master is a jealous man, then?" Alex whispered it, needing to know. "I have been here almost ten years. In all that time, he has never made a single advance to any slave, nor returned any advance made to him by a slave. I have seen girls and boys both think to seduce him, and none have succeeded, not so long as they remained his slave. He will not use you in that manner, I swear it." "On what do you swear?" Alex had learned that what a man swore by told more about him than the actual oath, and he needed to stop listening to these sweet dreams, wanted too badly to believe what he was hearing. The game, Alex reminded himself. Watch, learn and live. "I swear on the soul of my dead wife." The words hurt leaving a jaw so tight, but Sable met his gaze with unshakeable conviction. Alex swallowed hard, the look too intense, the idea of the truth too frightening. He dropped his gaze, and Sable dropped the sponge into the water. "If you need my help, you have but to say. I would ask that you not try to leave the tub on your own, and that you let me help you back to the bed. Aside from that, I will be happy to help you bathe should you say, but you will need to say." Sable pushed the soap pot within reach, and then stood. Alex watched as he began to strip the bed, carrying the linens to the door and requesting the room be freshened. The broad shoulders flexed as he then set about clearing the hearth. The room was still warm from the sun, but he didn't want the boy chilled. Alex watched him lay out a small fire, then cleared his throat. "Sable? I-I am tired. Would you?" Holding out the sponge, he saw the face soften, saw the dark eyes change subtly. "Of course." Sable took the sponge, worked up a lather, and began. Moments later, Alex smiled to himself. Well, he still didn't believe his master wasn't going to use him, but it was obvious Sable had nothing but cleaning him in mind. Alex had done enough work in the stables to know that he was being groomed, nothing more. Sable was using the same hand strokes one would use to curry a horse, and Alex allowed himself to relax some. This wasn't pawing, this felt good, and he closed his eyes as his scalp was well scrubbed. There was a knock on the door and Sable stood, holding up a bath cloth between Alex and the door. "Enter." Alex heard footsteps and the sound of a bed being made. "Jenna, I need more blanket on my side." "Is that better, Meave?" "Aye, that's got it." Two young girls. Sable was shielding the girls from his nude body, allowing them to work without embarrassment or discomfort. It was a small thing and, honestly, the girls had likely seen far more than a bare chest and some knees. But it spoke of a level of assumed respect that Alex had not known since he was a child. It caused a tiny piece of cynicism to chip from his heart, and he felt the first stirring of belief. The girls worked quickly, and were soon gone. Sable finished scrubbing him, and helped him from the bath. He wrapped a large bath sheet around the thin frame, taking in the extent of the abuse. It wasn't quite the worst he'd ever seen, but save actual maiming, it was near enough. Alex felt his legs grow suddenly unsteady, and he called a warning just before they gave out completely. He was swept up like a child and, with no effort at all, Sable simply carried him over to a chair by the fire. Alex closed his eyes as the weakness swept over him. He couldn't begin to imagine what was wrong with him. He'd never been so weak without cause. "Fitz will be here soon. He'll make you well, the man can cure most anything. He studied with the priests a long time before coming here, he knows much of herbs and the like." Alex could only nod, eyes closed, until the wave passed. He felt a little better, and ventured a shy humor. "You'd best hope he's good. I doubt anyone else could carry me, and you've done it twice now." Sable smiled, but shook his head. "I've only carried you once, just now." "Last night?" Alex opened his eyes and Sable said matter-of-factly, "Last night, our master picked you up and carried you in here. He's the one that put you in bed, I only took over while he went to change. It was his nightshirt you were in, and so are the clothes you'll wear today. Older ones, true, but his." Alex was spared comment by Fitz arriving. Alex had expected an old man, grey and long in beard. The man that entered the room could not have been more than a few years his senior. He was bearded, but it was red-brown, and the hair was trimmed neatly at his shoulders. He was roughly Alex's own size, though more slightly built. His eyes were blue, slightly faded looking, and full of compassion. "Greetings, Jade. My name is Fitz and I am the healer for the keep." "And for every village within two-day's walk." Sable was teasing, and Alex thought again how handsome the man was when he smiled. "Farther, if there is need. I have also been known to physic horses well past midnight, so hush, good man." With a wink, Fitz turned back to Alex. "Jade, I understand you were sick last night. Have you been sick since?" "No, Master, not to vomit. But I have fainted once and I feel weak. Weak first, then just tired, then dizzy, and weak again." Alex hated telling this in front of Sable, but the man had seen him faint, and already knew he was vulnerable. Besides, the one time he had seen a healer before, the man had been furious when he found out Alex hadn't told him the full truth of his symptoms, and the pain that had followed made him honest now. "I see. Jade, may I examine you?" "Yes, Master." Alex wondered why he was being asked, wondered even more what would happen if he were foolish enough to say no. Fitz began by looking in his eyes closely, before having Alex open his mouth. He put a hand near Alex's mouth and nose, not touching, just near. "Jade, it would help if I could touch you. I need to know how your skin feels, how your heart sounds, how your breathing lies. Have I your consent?" "Yes, Master." Fitz sighed. "I thought you would cease by now. Please, I am not your master, merely a fellow servant. I am simply Fitz." So saying, he placed a careful hand on Alex's face, then carefully felt his neck. He leaned an ear against Alex's chest, then drew back with frown. "Can you stand for me?" Sable helped him stand and turn. Fitz listened to Alex's back, then his front again. He had Alex raise his arms, and felt underneath them, then nodded. He motioned toward the bed, turning to a bag he'd brought with him. When Alex was lying on the fresh bed, Fitz approached. "This might be uncomfortable for you, Jade, and for that I'm sorry. If it hurts or frightens you, simply say so, and I will stop. Understood?" Fitz then began to press on Alex's stomach, feeling the abdomen carefully. He pressed a spot, and Alex couldn't help the groan that escaped. "That hurt. Was it sharp or merely tender?" "Tender." Fitz nodded, and stood back. "Jade, again, I apologize. The crease of your inner thigh, near your groin, needs to be examined. Would you feel there for me, tell if you find a swelling?" Alex obeyed, noticing that Sable and Fitz both turned their backs as he revealed his sex. He found that there was a small swelling on each side, and told Fitz as much. "Thank you, Jade. We're finished now, well done." Sable helped him dress now, clean breeches, shirt and a pair of wool slippers. They were mended and somewhat faded, but warm and comfortable. He felt better simply being dressed. Fitz was pouring a cup of water, and now pulled out a small blue bottle. He showed it to Alex. "I made this medicine over the summer. It tastes horrible, and the first dose will likely make you feel quite sleepy. You will need it twice a day, for at least a week. You mix six drops with a cup of water, then drink it all. I'll do the first dose, so you may see." Fitz did so, and handed it to Alex. It was almost enough to make his stomach rebel, but he drained the cup immediately, showing no sign of his distaste. Sable and Fitz sighed together, something Alex could only assume was a habit developed from living in this odd place. He didn't know what it meant, and that bothered him, but he said nothing. "Jade, I suspect your old master was giving you something with your food or drink. It was something that made your body speed up, need less sleep, feel stronger than you were. It let you do more, longer. You've been without it since you left, and your body is using up the last of it. You'll get better, but it will take time. Until then, you will need rest, and a lot of it. You will also need to eat and drink well, but Leona will see to that. Your head may hurt tomorrow, and the day after. If so, come to me and I will give you something for the pain. The fever is infection, likely from the cut on your wrist. I'll treat that now." Fitz spread a thick salve on the angry red cut, and then lightly bandaged it. "Too tight?" "No, Fitz." "Good. Now, you have a couple of small spots, I'll treat those but they shouldn't need bandaged. I'll leave the salve with you, put some on morning and night. Try not to get your bandage wet, and put a clean one on every night before bed." He'd finished, and stood, looking satisfied. "Ready for the water, Fitz?" Sable was standing at the door, bucket in hand. "Yes, thank you. Just on the floor there, please." "Jade, would you like a shave? I know you're too weak to do it for yourself, but I'm quite good at it. Leona, also, could do it, if you'd prefer." Alex hesitated, longing and mistrust in equal parts on his face. Sable and Fitz again shared a sigh, and Sable seated himself in a chair near the fire. "I was busy with a mare this morning and didn't do a proper job. Why don't you shave me first, Fitz, just even things up, then you can do Jade, if he'd like." Fitz moved behind Sable, and the big man relaxed completely, eyes closed. Alex watched closely, and saw that the young man was, indeed, quite skilled. There wasn't so much as a nick when he was done, and Alex was glad to go next. He hated a beard, and the days' worth of growth was bothering him quite a bit. Several minutes later, he was clean-shaven, and when Alex looked up to thank his barber, he caught Sable eyeing his revealed face appreciatively, if briefly. He felt a shiver of fear, but pushed it aside. "Would you like a haircut, as well? If you'll pardon, you could use one, I don't think some of those tangles will leave any other way." "Yes, please. I don't know how the master wants it, though." They looked confused, and Alex elaborated. "Our master, he didn't tell me how he wanted it cut, so I can't tell you how short." "Jade, it's your hair. The master has no preference." "You are sure?" Alex hoped it was true. "I will be taking you to the master, I will tell him I said so." "Then not too short, please. I like it to touch my shoulders." And cover my neck, he thought, but remained silent as Fitz cut his hair. "Sable, will you comb for him? I need to check on some syrups boiling in the kitchen, and tell Leona he's almost ready to eat again." The big man took the wooden comb and began to patiently work through the snarls and tangles. Alex again found himself being groomed, and wondered idly if Sable would offer him a sugar cube when he was finished. "There. Much better, I think. We'll see to your nails, and you'll be done." "Don't you mean hooves?" Alex surprised himself with the small jest, but seeing Sable grin at him made him glad he'd ventured it. "I suppose I have been handling you like a horse. I know no other way. I've been working with horses my entire life, since before I can remember. I'm happiest in the stables, I understand the horses." "My, but don't you look better now!" Leona was in the open doorway, smiling at him. "You've good hair, and a handsome face under all that scruff." At Alex's doubtful look, she moved to a table and picked up a small hand mirror. "Don't believe me, see for yourself." Alex took it gingerly. Mirrors cost much, and he didn't dare drop it. He was relieved to see he didn't look too bad, considering everything that had happened to him. "It does feel much better to be clean again, thank you." Sable was done with his fingernails now, and stepped out for a moment. When he came back inside, his eyes were sparkling. He held out his hand to Alex, indicating that he should take what was in it. Alex did, warily, and couldn't help a small laugh. It was a sugar lump. Fitz returned, grabbed a small blanket and announced they were ready to go. Sable held out an arm for Alex, and he held it gratefully, moving slowly if still unsteadily. They came through the kitchen first, and Alex saw that it was huge, shining clean, and the most cheerful place he could recall. Leona smiled at them, stirring something in a bowl, and directing a young girl that he guessed was either Jenna or Meave. The girl dropped a curtsey, and went on with her duties. Next was a short hallway with warming pits for food to be served promptly. It was followed by a large room, the banqueting table easily able to hold two dozen, with more tables stacked along the wall. Again, it was sparkling clean, well-ordered, and bright. Alex compared it to the feast hall he'd sneaked out of weeks ago, all darkness and stark pretense. He shuddered as he remembered that last feast, chained to the wall near the blackened hearth, remembered the blood on the wall as he banged his head hard, trying desperately to black out as the next guardsman threw a coin on the table and approached him. It had been useless, his chain too short to allow him to hit hard enough. No, his master had caught on to that little trick, and he heard the mistress' delighted cackle as he was forced to endure another brutal rape without the mercy of oblivion. "Jade? Jade, are you going to be sick again?" Fitz's voice brought him back to the present, and he realized he'd simply been standing there, staring at the hearth. "No. I'm fine." Alex swallowed hard, but began to move on. The next stop was a small archway. To one side was a large stairway, to the other a series of rooms. "Those are the guest quarters. There are six of them, each with a small servant's room adjoining. These are for distant relations, or people that the master doesn't quite trust. If the master asks you to put someone there, you will know to watch yourself around that person. Further on is the chapel, and it has two small rooms for visiting clergy." Fitz pointed directly in front of them. "Through this door lies the front of the keep, we'll show you that later. For now, we'd best move upstairs." Alex paused at the foot of the stairs. He was feeling weak again, and knew that stairs were no place to faint. He bit at his lip, then asked hesitantly, "Sable? I'm not sure I can manage the stairs." The older man nodded, then simply swept Alex up like a child and began carrying him up. Alex used the time to examine the man. The eyes were very dark, likely where he got the name, unless the captain had named him too. Alex saw that the neck had the clear scar of a slave's collar on it, as though it had been worn too tight, for too long, and had taken the flesh with it when removed. It was an old scar, and Alex remembered that Sable had claimed to be here for ten years. He gave off wondering as he noticed that the stabler wasn't even straining with the effort of hauling him up the stairs. "You're very strong." Alex could have bitten his tongue off, unsure why he'd said it, unless it was Fitz's medication making him lax. "You're very light. You've likely eaten very little for weeks, and you weigh no more than some of the foals I lift." Sable set him down, and Alex knew a moment's regret at the loss of that warm secure hold, but Fitz was showing him the hallway. "The chambers on the right are storage and work rooms. The ones on the left are more guest quarters. These are for close friends, people the master trusts." They were at the end of the hall now and facing a large wooden door. "This is the master's study. Those stairs," and he pointed to a small stairway just beside the door, "lead to the master's bedroom. The servant quarters are above the kitchen and stables, I'll show you them later, too. For now, if you're ready, I'll take you to the master." Alex took a deep breath, and asked nervously, "Wi-will the mistress be here, too?" "There is no mistress at Samstar, only the master." "But...Leona told Sable she'd give his tarts to Mistress Danally..." Both men chuckled at that, winking to let him know everything was fine. "Fear not, Jade. The mistress is not what you think, but you will likely meet her within, yes." Alex accepted Sable's word, the man seemed trustworthy so far, but he was still aware of a growing ball of ice in his stomach as Fitz knocked and then entered at the call. Fox was standing behind a large table, papers spread around him. He was frowning slightly, but cleared his face as he saw them approach. He motioned for them to sit in one of the many chairs around the table. Once Alex was seated, Fox smiled broadly. "You look better, Jade. The shave suits you." "Master, he was concerned that he didn't know how you wanted his hair cut. I told him that you would have no preference." "Indeed, I do not, so long as it is neat and tidy. Yours is both, how you wear it is your choice." "Thank you, Master. My former master made me keep my head shaved the first year." "Well, doubtless there will be many differences between myself and your former master." "There already are." Alex offered it as flattery, but it was true as well. He'd been treated better here in a day than in the eight years of hell he'd just left. "I hope they are all positive, Jade. Now, I know you must be nervous, wondering your place, why I bought you. Doubtless you're having trouble figuring out the rules, as well." "Yes, Master." "I assure you, this is no lunatic house. It is, however, unique. Jade, I bought you for three bronzes. Every fortnight, I will pay you for your labors. I will set aside as much as half of that towards the purchase of your freedom, plus the appropriate profit." Alex felt wild, desperate emotions surge through him, so strongly he swayed in his chair. It had to be a trick, must be a trick. He tried to breathe and took the water Sable had given him. Seeing the man, Alex realized the trick. Sable had been here ten years and was not free. It must be a pittance, it would take him decades to earn his freedom. "I see you doubt. Very well, Fitz, what was your bought price?" Fox was opening a chest, and now he handed a smaller, locked box to the man. "Ten silver pieces, Master." Alex looked askance. That was a high price indeed, and the man was not handsome enough for a high-profit bed slave. Alex determined to find out the story later. For now, he was fascinated as Fitz withdrew a small key from around his neck and opened the box. It was full of coins, and a small square of vellum rested on top. "And how much have you saved, these last five years?" "Seventeen silvers, eight bronzes and fifteen coppers." "How much was your freedom price?" "Twelve silvers." Alex was more confused than ever. The man had his freedom price, and yet was still a slave. "I remain a slave by choice, Jade. There are very good reasons for me to remain the property of Lord Fox William, it suits my own cause better than anything I could do. One day, when the time is right and my search over, I will buy my freedom. And I will remain here, as healer, by choice." So saying, Fitz locked the box back, and handed it to the master. "You will have a box with your name on it. You will have the only key. You may see it and count it at anytime, and record the amount within. I estimate it will take you a little less than two years to earn your freedom, Jade. I will give you every opportunity to earn more." Fox closed the chest and moved back to the table. "Your name. The Captain named you, when you first got here. There is a reason for that. As a slave, you have had everything taken from you. There is very little I can give back, especially at first, but your name I can grant you. Your real name, the name you choose to call yourself, will be yours, no one else's, unless you choose to share it. The only time you will hear me refer to the name on your papers, is when I set you free and we sign the papers. I have not even read it, had Frokey fold that part over. It is a secret, yours to keep or share, but yours. Do you understand?" "Yes, Master." Alex had understood the words, but the reason escaped him. He took another sip of water and found that he was more relaxed than he should be. Fitz had warned him the medicine would make him sleepy, this must be the beginning of that. "As to your place, your job. When you are well, and not until Fitz says that you are well, you will begin work in the stables. It is nearing foaling time, and Sable can well use the help. You will also be expected to work in the kitchens, as this is the time we begin to prepare for winter. There are many mouths here, and I would see them all well fed. Leona will direct you to some of the heavier tasks. There will be times when I have need of general labor, the keep must be maintained and the like. Do you ride?" "No, Master." "Sable will teach you, and then you may help on patrols, run errands and such. Each job has a different pay, general labor being cheapest, stable work the most. I will try to work you in the stables most, but it will take time for you to learn the real stable work, and so you will begin as general labor, half a day with Sable for training at half-pay, half a day's labor at full." Fox pulled out a small bag from his side. "This is one week's wages. I will furnish you with two sets of clothing and one pair of shoes. Do you want more, or better quality, you may pay Agnes, our seamstress. She will show you the fabrics and arrange the work. I suggest you think about using part of this money for clothing. I will save none of it for your freedom price this once, for there are things you may need or want. Use it wisely." He placed the money on the table in front of Alex, and continued on. "We eat our meals together when we can. Leona will ring the iron when it is time to eat, and we will gather in the feast hall. If you cannot come in, send one of the boys to fetch your meal. I do not allow skipped meals." There was a knock and Fox smiled. "Come." It was Leona with a tray. "Your timing is excellent, as always." "Thank you, Master. And now, before you bewilder the poor child more, it's time he had some more food. And, you'll be noticing the other bowl? Yours." "I ate, Leona." "Aye, and you'll eat again. Sit." With a sigh, Fox sat. Alex decided the older woman must be more dangerous than he'd thought, and determined to watch her. She revealed warm brown bread and a small bowl of something pale yellow. "Now, small bites, Jade, and only eat as much as is comfortable." "Yes, mistress." "Leona, child. Only Leona." She didn't look at him, only spread a cloth across his lap and placed his food on the table beside him. Alex eyed the bowl warily, but noticed that Fox was inhaling deeply. Alex followed suit, and he had to admit, it smelled good. He waited patiently, and Leona asked, "Is something wrong, Jade? Do you not care for potato soup?" "Nothing is wrong, Leona. The only potato soup I've had is the water from the boiling, but this smells very good." "Then why aren't you eating?" "He's waiting for the master to eat first." Sable supplied the answer, and Alex nodded. There was a chorus of those matching sighs, and Alex bit at his bottom lip, unsure if he'd done wrong. "Jade, you needn't wait for me to eat first. Jade, let me say something that might help. There is only one true rule in this place. Together, please." Leona, Sable and Fitz all spoke as one. "Do no harm." "Thank you. Yes, do no harm. You may talk, laugh, sing, dance. You may choose a job, do you find one you enjoy more. You may speak to me or anyone else here, without permission. You may live as you wish, provided you are kind, respectful and work toward your freedom. Repeat, please." "Do no harm. I may live as I please, provided I am kind, respectful and work toward my freedom." "Very good. Do the words mean anything to you?" "No, Master." "Perhaps in time, they will. Now, please, eat before Leona scolds me." Fox grinned, and Alex felt himself look up. There was nothing but good intent on the attractive face, and slowly, Alex allowed himself to dare a small smile in return. The look on the master's face showed his pleasure, and as Alex dipped his spoon into the bowl, he heard the man whisper, "Very good, little Jade, very good." When they had finished eating, Fox asked Alex if he had any questions. "No, Master." "However," Fitz spoke up, "he's concerned about meeting the mistress." "Thank you, Fitz, I'd nearly forgotten. I'm washing the floors of the feast hall tomorrow. Do you not want her to have mopwater for a bath, you'll keep her highness out of my way." Fox chuckled, then noticed that Alex had paled. "Jade, Leona teases. But let me call the mistress, that you may be at peace." So saying, Fox picked up a small wooden bowl, shaking the contents. Moments later, the most beautiful cat Alex had ever seen, moved regally into the room. She leapt gracefully onto the table, and Fox gave her a small tidbit from the dish. She ate it daintily, then made a small sound of inquisitiveness. "Mistress Danally, may I present Jade, the newest member of our household. Jade, this is Mistress Danally, Empress of Samstar Fields, commonly called Danally." The cat was every shade of orange and red imaginable, from palest cream to burnished auburn, and the eyes were an intense blue. Alex found himself staring into those deep blue eyes, and a small fragment of memory came to him. He remembered a girl telling him a story about a goddess, one that took the form of a cat, worshipped and revered. Alex could not say why he did what he did next. If he lived to be one hundred, the reasons would escape him, but he knew it was right. Bowing his head to the table top near the cat's feet, he whispered, "Sahereta, Goddess, I will worship." They were the words from long ago, part of the story, and he felt his throat close with emotion as he thought of his sister, for the first time in years. Fox, worried Alex had taken him seriously in his introduction, was about to say something, when Danally did something completely unexpected. She reached out one paw, placed it on Alex's bent head, held it there for a beat, then leaned forward and rubbed her cheek across his head, making a small purr as she did so. Alex looked up, again seeing those penetrating eyes, and whispered, "Thank you, Goddess." She closed her eyes languidly, a look of pleasure on the fine feline face, and then, with a last butt of her head against his forehead, she leapt back down and sauntered out. Everyone in the room, save Alex, stared at one another, mouth agape in shock. "She touched him." Leona's voice was awed. The cat touched no one and allowed no one to touch her, save Fox. She was fiercely protective of him, and would attack at the mere hint that he might be threatened. Danally was friendly enough to all, but from a careful distance. She had never been known to touch any being but Fox. Fitz shook his head. "No, she claimed him, accepted him as a worshipper." "What are you talking about?" Fox looked bewildered. "There is an ancient legend, I heard it in the East. It speaks of a goddess in the form of a cat. Most people see her as just that, a cat, and treat her as such. A few see glimmers, and treat her as a pampered pet, like you, Master. But there are said to be others, rare creatures who look at her and see the goddess. According to the legend, the goddess, Sahereta, will, in exchange for genuine worship, grant one intercession in the ways of mortal men. One miracle, one wish fulfilled, call it what you will. But the human cannot choose, the goddess chooses how to repay, and it is never in a way expected by the human." Alex nodded. It was the story his sister had told him so long ago. He knew that she had believed it true, and together they had looked at every cat that came to the farm. They had never seen one that they thought more than cat, and now Alex knew why. The goddess would intervene for him, here and now, keep him from his old master and mistress, keep him far from the hell he'd known. Maybe, just maybe, finding her here, loved and respected, obviously the master's cat, maybe that meant what he was hearing was true. A tiny sliver of hope pierced his heart, cautious and dulled, but it was real hope, nonetheless, and he allowed it to stay, conditionally. Alex looked up at the people around him, and saw nothing but goodness and kindness in their faces. Saw nothing but sincerity, honesty in them. He wasn't sure he'd ever see those things again. "Jade, are you well?" "Yes, Master. A little tired, only." He tried the truth, and saw that it was well met. "You should rest again soon. Let Fitz tell me of your illness and we'll be nearly done." Fitz explained, and Fox nodded thoughtfully. "He should keep the room for tonight, then he can be moved to his regular room. He can begin training slowly tomorrow, nothing too physical. He should have extra meals only if he is hungry, and will need to sleep quite a bit. He can do small things, but I don't want him on his feet more than a few minutes at a time. He should walk, but not alone any distance, not for a few more days, till the danger of fainting is past. Other than that, there are no restrictions." "Thank you, Fitz. Very well, Jade, one more stop and then I'd like you to go back to bed, sleep if you can, but rest. Sable, take him to Agnes, please, let her fit him out, the standard newcomer wear, then back to his room." "Yes, Master." Fox smiled at Alex as he stood, then held out his hand. "Welcome, Jade." Alex looked at the hand for a long moment, then took his heart in his hand, and placed it against his new master's palm. The touch sent a tingle through him, and he thought the master felt it as well, but the man only gave him an encouraging smile and turned back to his work. Agnes was plain of both face and speech. They had left the study, taken three steps, and knocked on the first door of the workroom side. It had opened to reveal a rounded room, one wall given over to shelves from floor to ceiling, and all of them stuffed with cloth or piece goods, yarns and the like. The room itself had three other women in it, all stitching something. They had paused, smiling at the intrusion, before returning to their work. "Agnes, this is Jade. The master has asked that he be given the usual newcomer wares. Also, he has a week's wages, general pay, and may need help choosing more." "Welcome, Jade. Please come inside and stand on that stool, if you can." She said this with a pointed look to Sable's arm, where it braced the younger man. "Yes, mistress." Her face softened then but she said sternly, "There are no mistresses here, boy, save the cat, and only the one master. Do not forget it. Now, on the stool, I must measure." Alex obeyed, grateful for Sable's hand resting in the middle of his back. Agnes measured quickly and precisely, and then stood back a bit, tapping one long finger against her chin. Then she snapped her fingers, eyes sparkling. She went to a chest and, after only a moment, returned with a pile of goods. "Jade, you may be in luck. We had with us for a while a young man that was very near your height and build, a bit bigger, but you'll be gaining weight and muscle as well. If this fits, I am prepared to make you a most generous offer." She was leaning over a table, measuring a shirt and then pants. She looked very satisfied when she was finished. "Yes, yes, this will do nicely, not even a hem or tuck needed." Agnes turned back to them and opened the pack. There were four pairs of pants, two heavy wool and two lighter broadcloth. There were no less than four shirts, all in good repair. A pair of woolen shoes with a hard sole, a light cloak and a heavy cloak, as well as two blankets. Underwear and leggings, gloves as well as a headpiece and two belts. "Madrick wasn't here long, but he only ever spent his money on clothing. Of course, he did have to travel more and present himself to large groups. He couldn't well bard in his shearing shirt. So, he made his money quickly, paid his freedom price and returned me the goods he didn't need back. As I'll be making a profit twice with half the work, I'll remember I'm a Christian and you are badly in need. You have one week's general wages. That amounts to twenty pewters. I'll give you the lot of this for eight. What say you? The heavy cloak alone is worth five, and so I told Madrick when I sold it to him for four." There were giggles behind Agnes, as the women sewing recalled this event. Alex tried to think, but he had no experience at all with such things. He bit his lip and turned to Sable. The big man sensed his confusion and gave a nod. "I'll buy them. Thank you, mis- Agnes." "Right. Now, I've your measurements, I'll have your clothes ready in about a week." "More clothes?" Alex was stunned. How many outfits did a slave need? "You bought these, boy. The master furnishes you two, and a pair of shoes. But, seeing as you've enough for most anything, may I suggest something? Instead of two everyday outfits, I'll make you one, but that one for dress. The cost is the same, and then you would be well turned out indeed." Alex glanced at Sable again, caught the slight nod, and agreed. "Wise decision, lad. You can take that lot with you now, they're clean and ready to wear. I'll send word when the rest is ready. And get down from that stool before you fall from it." She had wrapped the goods back up, and now said gently, "Eight pewters, Jade." Alex realized he was supposed to pay the woman. He took the bag from Fitz, carefully counted out the coins and handed them to her. "Now, if there's nothing else, gentlemen, I've baby clothes to finish." "Thank you, Agnes." Sable said it, and a look passed between them that Alex didn't see. "You're welcome, Sable. Shall always be. Now, out, the three of you." She belied the harsh words by winking, and they soon found themselves on the other side of the door. Fitz carried his coins and clothes. Sable felt Alex's knees giving, and so carried him until they were down the stairs. "Come, let's get you back into your nightshirt and back into bed." The kitchen was a flurry of activity, and Alex saw that it looked like a dance. Leona was directing it all with calm focus, but she spared a wink for him as she filled platters. It was nice, but he was swaying on his feet with the need for sleep. Sable made sure no one would see, save Leona and Fitz, then lifted him again, carrying Alex into the bedroom. He let Fitz help change him, while he made up the fire again. Alex was changed, warm and asleep in minutes. Fitz had gone to supper, and Sable started to go as well. He paused, then stopped by the bed. He stared at the pale figure for several moments, then tenderly tucked him in. He was to the door when he thought he heard a whisper. He turned back, saw only Alex sleeping, and left. When he'd gone, Alex let the first tear he'd shed without pain in some eight years, fall to the pillow before giving in to real sleep. He woke a few hours later, feeling much better, if still weak. He realized he was hungry again and wondered if there was any way he could have some food. As Alex sat up, he found a tray on the table beside him. He lifted the cover and found bread, some chicken, more of the apple pulp and a wedge of cheese. There was some mild wine in a mug, and a taste showed Alex it had been well-watered. Alex was about to dig in, when he felt a presence at the door. Danally was standing in the doorway, watching him. He bowed his head, held it for a moment, and then spoke in a whisper, knowing she would hear. "The Goddess honors me. How may I serve her?" Danally approached smoothly, leapt upon the bed, and eyed the tray meaningfully. "It is yours." He eased the tray toward her, and she delicately hooked a tiny piece of chicken. She ate it neatly, blinked at him contentedly, and strode to the end of the bed, her back to Alex. The graceful form settled, and Alex understood he was to eat the rest. He did so, saving out a last tidbit of the chicken. He saw a basin and carefully stood, easing his way to it. He washed his face and hands and, when he turned back, spied the chamber pot under the bed. His personal needs tended to, Alex wondered what to do next. He looked out the window, the moon telling him it was not yet overlate. He dressed and straightened his bed, careful not to disturb the goddess. Hesitantly, he peeped out the door. The kitchen was empty, the banked embers giving a soft glow to the room. Alex thought he heard voices in the feast hall and, though part of him was terrified, a part of him needed to learn things, needed to see. He heard a rustle from the bed, and then Danally was walking toward the hall. She paused, looked meaningfully over her shoulder, and waited for him to hesitantly catch up. He held the walls, though he wasn't dizzy or weak, only scared. He paused in the doorway to the hall. Some ten people were in the room, among them the people he'd already met. They were talking, laughing softly. A boy was strumming a lute in one corner, and there was a relaxed air of leisure about them. A brief, but loud "Meowr" from Danally caught the attention of those nearest the door, and Alex was spotted. A dark head turned, and Alex froze as he saw the master. He dug his nails into his hand to keep from showing his fear. "Jade, please. Come into the room, join us." "Yes, Master." Fox had stood, and now offered his arm. Alex hesitantly took it, and again felt that warm jolt. But now the master was smiling at him and leading him to the table. "Everyone, this is Jade. Mistress Danally has kindly brought him out to join us." Alex kept his eyes down, his breathing shallow. He felt the familiar coiling of fear and dread about his spine, and his muscles tensed. Alex hated most the thought of this first, worst humiliation. It would be easier to take after that, he'd know what to expect. Instead, a quiet chorus of welcomes met his ears, and he was seated at the table beside Frokey, Sable across from him. "You look better, Jade. Wine?" Frokey reached for the wine and a mug. Alex looked to the master, and Sable spoke softly, "You don't need permission, Jade. If you thirst, drink. If you hunger, eat. The master leaves food on this table every hour, and the wine is heavily watered, until nightfall. This is less than half watered, so know it is strong. The master does not care if you drink, only that you do not become drunk. There is no drunkenness allowed." "I would like wine, thank you." Alex trembled with the strangeness. He waited for reproof but none came. Frokey picked the goblet back up, and Fitz turned, saying over his shoulder, "Frokey, Jade's wine needs to be more watered, until he's finished with the medicine." "Understood." Frokey poured half a glass, then added a cup of water from the jug, before handing it to Alex. He took a sip and, even through the water, could taste the quality. "What do you think?" "It's very good, Frokey." "Do you like it better than the one you had with your meal?" There was an air of expectation in the older man's eyes, and Alex bit at his lip. The master's voice beside him made him startle first, then actually calm a bit. That and the fact that Danally was perched between them. "Jade, Frokey is but teasing someone. He hopes your opinion will prove a point, but he's also genuinely curious. See, among other duties, Frokey is in charge of the vineyards. Most of the wines we have here, come from him, from his grapes. You need not fear a wrong answer. There is no wrong answer, it is simply your preference." "Yes, Master. I like this one better." Frokey looked smugly at a man sitting at the far end of the table, tossing off a comment about taste and money. Alex ignored it, too busy noticing that the master had given him that smile again, and a look of pride. "That was hard for you. You did well, are doing very well. I know I'm your master, but I swear, Jade, you have no need to fear me. Obey me, yes, you must, for your own sake, as well as the sake of the people about you. I am no saint. I am moody, difficult and different. I have a temper and have been known to sulk. But you need not fear me, not real fear. I hope you believe that, someday. Until then, try to relax. Every question is not a trick, there are no traps. We are only a group of people, tired from a very long, very hard day, finding some comfort in each other's company." So saying, Fox gave Danally a stroke and moved back to the end of the table, reaching for a bowl of shelled nutmeats. "I do not understand." Alex didn't realize he'd spoken it aloud, until he heard Sable's voice. "It takes time, Jade. Belief is a difficult task to master, and not in a day, ever. There is time. Wait, watch and see. You will learn the truth of things soon enough." "Aye, Jade, he's right. Have some wine, have some more food, and let your mind rest." The boy with the lute had begun to play in earnest now, and Alex recognized the tune. He saw some people singing, and whispered the words along. He'd never sung, not since he was a child, but he took pleasure from mouthing the words. Music, talk, though he mostly listened, and wine made for the most pleasant evening he'd known in years. He'd just thought it couldn't get better, when one of the girls announced it time for the master to read. The others immediately joined in, and Fox nodded, holding up a hand in a gesture of surrender. He took from his pocket a pair of glasses, and Alex wondered at how rich the man must be. It didn't show itself the way he was used to, but there had been a mirror and all the books and now glasses. Alex knew that being titled did not equate to being wealthy, but the master seemed both. "Very well, but a short chapter only tonight. The children were at the end of their book and I read longer than usual to them. I'll have no voice tomorrow at all, do I not make it brief." "Pray, Master, do not hurry on our account." A young man at the end of the table said it, and Alex tensed, but there was only laughter. "Too kind, Stuart, but I shall be brief, nonetheless." Fox grinned, turning to his book. He took a sip of wine, cleared his throat and began. Alex was fascinated. He listened avidly, forgetting even to keep his eyes down. He stared at the master, engrossed in the man's ability to make the story come alive. His silent delight did not go unnoticed, and Fox decided it would be worth a sore throat tomorrow to see Alex's eyes spark with life tonight. He read as long as usual, but could read no longer. Alex watched him close the book, and bit at his lip. "Sable? Does the master read to us every night?" "When he can, yes. Some nights he is busy, or there is something else planned, but most nights, yes." Alex nodded, taking a drink of his wine. He saw that Danally was seated on the bench near him, and he whispered to the cat. "Goddess, thank you for bringing me out here. I have not had so pleasant a time in many years. My gratitude." Danally stood, stretched her head up just enough to bump his arm with a silky forehead, and made her dignified exit. Fitz moved to the master and spoke to Fox in a conspiratorial whisper. "See me in the morning if you cannot speak. Congratulations, Master, you found a way to reach him." "Don't credit me, thank Danally for dragging him out here. Were it not for her, I think it might have taken months to get this far. His belief in the goddess and her willingness to act the part have been invaluable." "Why do you say she acts?" With that taunt, Fitz left his master staring at him, deep in thought. The healer approached Alex, and asked if he would allow some introductions. Alex did so, though it was hard for him to greet people. He'd known nothing but harsh slavery for so long, he realized he had no social skills. Being made slave at thirteen, he remembered some basic manners, but they were those of a polite child. He told himself that if they gathered every evening, he could watch and learn quickly. Alex began by watching and listening to the responses around him, moving to a quiet end of the bench where he could see everyone. He found his eyes trying to linger on the master and on Sable. The big man was sprawled along one bench, talking and laughing with two other men. He caught Alex's eyes once as he sipped from his cup, and Alex knew again that the man found him attractive. The touch of fear this knowledge evoked, he'd expected. The thought that he might find the larger man attractive as well, he didn't expect. Alex knew nothing of attraction, he'd never been with anyone he didn't hate, anyone he didn't fear. His introduction to sex had been the brutal rape by the soldier that had just killed his father in front of him. His own screams had nearly drowned out those of his sister, being raped on the floor across from him. Their flailing hands had met at one point, and they'd held tightly, both of them staring helplessly at the other's horror. The soldier raping her had been ensuring her compliance by squeezing her throat. When he reached completion, he paid no attention to the slender white column of flesh still in his hands. By the time he let go, Alex had seen the light die in her eyes, just before his own vision dimmed from the pain. He brought himself out of those memories, scenes he'd blanked from his mind years ago. Why they were returning now, he couldn't say, but he found his ability to keep them at bay was fading. Alex found the master was sitting beside him again. Fox was worried, the eyes had been filled with fear and pain so sharp it hurt to look. Now, he watched them shutter over, and spoke as lightly as he could. "Jade, do you know this game?" Alex looked at the board on the table. "I think it is chess, Master." "Aye, it is. Know you how to play?" "No, Master." "Would you care to learn? Just a small part, tonight." Alex had seen that most everyone seemed to know the game, and there were two more of the boards set up on the table. It would be a skill that might prove useful. "Yes, Master, thank you." Fox began with the pieces, picking up each one, explaining its purpose, the rules for movement and the like. By the time he finished, he could all but see the wheels turning in Alex's head. "Master, this game, it is politics, is it not? War and church, the throne and those of real power about it. It is why the queen may move as much as she likes, form any alliance she chooses, while the king rules from within a box." Appalled by what and how much he'd said, Alex bit at his lip, dropping his eyes. "Well spoken, Jade. Well spoken, indeed. You are very right and very smart to have put things together in that manner, and so soon. I think you'll make a right good player in time." He put a light hand on Alex's shoulder, patted it gently, and moved to talk with someone else. The warmth from his touch lingered. Alex stayed a bit longer, before the tiredness overtook him again. He stood, heading back toward his room. He got to the holding area, before he noticed his legs weakening. He held onto the wall, and cast a look over his shoulder. Sable was watching and saw the look in the green eyes. He was there instantly, and helped Alex back to bed. "Thank you. I'm sorry for taking you away." "You aren't. It's time I was headed to bed anyway." Alex picked up his nightshirt, only to pause in lifting it. The weakness was back, and Sable turned toward the hearth, saying carefully, "I will help you, do you say." Alex thought about it, but he didn't want to sleep in the master's clothes, and he was weak. "Please." Sable stripped off the shirt, looked at the nightshirt, put it down . He went to a drawer and pulled out a clean one, then slipped it over the bent head. When it was on, Sable stood Alex to his feet, letting the shirt drop to the floor, before helping him off with the pants. Alex found this odd, since he knew the stabler desired him. The evidence was clearly seen when Sable helped him back onto the bed. Sable saw the direction of Alex's gaze, and flushed. "Yes, I find you attractive. If I make you uncomfortable, I will call Fitz or Leona to help you with any personal needs. I won't apologize for my reaction to you, as it cannot be helped. But I am sorry if I've caused you discomfort. I assure you, I plan on taking no action." "You have caused me no discomfort. I would prefer you to help me. A-and should you not, please, another man, not Leona." "Not Leona, or not a woman?" "Not a woman." Alex whispered it , memories of his old mistress filling his mouth with the copper taste of fear. "It will be as you wish. May I tell Fitz and the master? They should know." Alex nodded, and Sable sensed that the young man would not want to be alone just yet. "Is there aught else you need?" "Would you help me with my bandage? I am left-handed, it will be difficult for me to do myself." Sable removed the dressing, tenderly cleaned and dressed the cut. Alex wondered that such large, rough hands could be so gentle in their touch. He was being handled as though he might break, and he couldn't help but notice how his own hands looked small and pale in comparison. When he was done, Sable brought Alex the bottle of medicine and the water. Alex prepared it carefully, then drank it quickly. It tasted just as foul as it had the first time, but Alex knew it was helping him. He followed with a sip of the watered wine from his tray. "I didn't know where to put that." "I'll leave it in the kitchen, you may put it in the sink next time." "Yes, Sable." "Anything else?" Alex could think of nothing else. The bigger man started out the door, but then paused. "Jade, I do want you. But I want you more as my friend. I doubt you'll believe me, but it's true. And as your friend, do you want me to stay with you until you are asleep, I will do so." Alex thought back to the way the man had tucked him in earlier. He imagined himself lying in the dark, alone, and knew he would be victim to his memories. "Thank you. But you are tired..." "No. I was going to be up a while longer. It is no trouble." Alex nodded, feeling his body relax as the strain of the evening took effect. "Would you like a story? A song?" "A song?" "Aye. We all take turns in the children's ward, I'm quite good at lullabies." "What is a lullaby?" The question made Sable wonder again at the life of the young man lying so still across from him. "A special song, to help one sleep. Would you like to hear one?" "Yes, please." Sable took a drink of water, cleared his throat and began. He sang softly, a rich warm baritone that put any bard Alex had ever heard to shame. It was a song Alex didn't know, about a young man falling asleep in the woods and being watched over by the elements. The sun, keeping him warm, the air, bringing him scents of the wildflowers, the earth soft with moss under him. And so the song went. It was lovely, and Alex felt his eyelids growing heavy as he lost himself in the pleasant sound. Sable sang until he was sure Alex was well asleep, then blew out the candles, leaving the banked embers to light the room. Again, he found himself unable to resist tucking in the slumbering figure, only this time, he dared smooth the hair from the broad forehead. "Sleep well, little Jade. Peaceful dreams." He left, and Alex sighed softly in his sleep. The next morning found Alex feeling much better. He looked out the window, wondering again at the glass in the room. True, this was only medium grade glass, but the window was large. It spoke of wealth, and Alex found himself again pondering the master. He still couldn't believe everything he had been told, flat refused to even consider the possibility. But the fact remained that he had been here two nights and a day. In that time he'd been unfettered, unharmed and untouched. He'd been fed, given medical treatment, clothing and money. He'd been bathed, tucked in and encouraged to play. The master had given him but one rule, and part of it required him to work toward his freedom. Alex shook his head. He knew there must be a trick, knew that nothing could be so easy, that no master could be so good. Still, he'd seen the faces of some of the people that worked here, and Alex knew that the voice might say anything, but the body didn't lie. There was no fear in these people when they spoke of the master, no anger in their body lines. He'd seen no hunched shoulders, no artificial stillness. They were respectful, yes, but not awed or intimidated. He left off thinking with a shake of the head. Time. In time, he would figure it out. Right now he lacked the observations and experiences necessary to solve the mystery. Dressing in one of his newly purchased outfits, Alex dutifully took his medicine, checked his bandage and made his bed. He straightened the room the little needed, finding the comb Sable had used on him the day before. Alex figured it was safe to use again, and picked it up. His hair was at least two inches past his shoulders, thin and dry from his time in hiding, and he saw that the color was dulled as well. He remembered that there had been hair ties in the pack he'd bought, and fished one out. Securing it at the nape of his neck, he hoped it looked neat and tidy, recalling the master's words. He fingered his chin, wondering what to do about shaving. As expected, there was no razor about. His former mistress had seen that he was shaved. He'd hated her eyes on him as the blade was wielded by her lady, but it was the nearest thing to a kindness he'd known from that time. He'd decided to ask Sable, when he heard the iron being rung. He emerged from the kitchen, and watched as the girls again scuttled this way and that, somehow never bumping or spilling. Alex saw a pause in the action, and made his way through to the feast hall. He hoped he would not be first, and he wasn't. There were already several people seated, and Alex noticed that another table had been set up. He wondered if there was a seating order, then saw one of the men from last night wave him over. "Jade, isn't it? If you haven't chosen a spot yet, you're welcome to sit with us. There's plenty of room." "Thank you, Drell." "You remembered? You must be keen-witted indeed. I've no memory for names usually, it was only seeing your eyes let me remember now." "Why my eyes?" "Your name, Jade. Know you not what jade is?" Alex hesitated, then gambled on admitting his ignorance. It was a small weakness, but he'd see what the man made of it. "I'd never heard the name until the Captain gave it to me." "Fitz taught us about it, some of his things from the East are made of it. First we'd heard it, too, but there isn't any this part of the world, so it's no wonder." Drell paused to wave at someone, smiling as they entered. "Jade is a kind of stone. The pieces Fitz showed us were right something, all smooth and cool, but with a glow, a kind of light. He says it comes in a few colors, but mostly it's green, all the shades of green. It's why looking at your eyes reminded me of your name." Alex mulled this over as Drell turned to speak to the woman sitting on his other side. Alex saw that the room was filling up, and saw the master had come in, sitting at the head of the table. He watched Fox talking with those around him, greeting others as they entered. Fox felt eyes on him, and found Alex sitting near the foot of the table, staring at him. It was a look full of thought, and Fox knew the scrutiny had only begun. As soon as Alex realized he was being looked back at, the lids began to lower, and the head to bow. Fox sighed, and saw Alex hesitate, then deliberately look back up. The teeth holding firmly to a full bottom lip denied any defiance in the gesture, and Fox nodded, both answering the unspoken question and praising the act. He saw the lips twitch just a bit, and knew it was the younger man's way of returning his smile, as much as Alex dared return it yet. Not wishing to make Alex uncomfortable, Fox turned his attention to the doorway. Alex followed the look, in time to see a row of children make their entrance, accompanied by several adults, Sable among them. The stablemaster was carrying a little girl of about two, that was busily placing big, open mouthed kisses on his cheek. Sable grimaced, but it was good natured, and he took his place at the lower table, the child now safely tucked beside him. When they were all seated, Fox stood. "We will begin this morning as we do every morning, with a moment of silence. You may use this moment to pray to your god, to reflect, or merely to seek calm before the storm. Whose turn is it?" A small hand rose in the air, and Fox motioned the child forward. It was a boy of about six, and he went eagerly to the master. Fox knelt down beside him, pulling out a watch on a chain. Alex watched as the master handed it to the child, pointing to parts and talking softly to him before nodding, and standing to address the room again. "Let us be silent." The room went still, and Alex saw that some people were indeed praying, others merely waiting with closed eyes, and some looking thoughtfully at nothing in particular. The boy said something, and the master bent back down, nodding. "Thank you." The young voice carried easily in the silence, and he handed the watch back, gave a small bow, and started back to his seat, only to turn, run back to the master and throw his arms around him. Fox laughed, hugging firmly for a moment, before scooting the child back to his place. "That River, he's a sweet lad, that one." "Aye. Did you know? The master's found a home for him." "No, when?" "Lang sent word early this morning. The family made contact, and will be coming to pick him up in a few days." "How wonderful! Does he need any more for his freedom price?" "No, the master says he's got it. But you know the master, he'd say that whether the lad had saved a pewter." "True. Still, I think he might mean it this time. We bought River cheap, on account of his injuries." "I'd forgotten, he was the one burned, wasn't he?" "Aye, but Fitz and the Captain fixed him up well enough." "Those two together can all but raise the dead." There was laughter at this near sacrilege and Alex tuned out, not thinking about what he'd heard from the women across from him, merely storing the information away. It was a piece of the puzzle, and Alex would put it together at leisure. The servers had begun putting out the food now, large bowls and plates of food. The children were served first, and Alex watched as they were helped to help themselves. When one child spilled a full mug of milk, Alex waited to see what would happen. The woman nearest quickly cleaned the spill, and though she cautioned the boy to be more careful, she wasn't harsh, merely serious. Another mug was poured, the child was soothed, and no more attention was paid. Alex found that he liked that, and decided that the master might, indeed, have a soft spot for children. He wasn't the only one, either, Alex thought. Sable was spoon feeding an older babe in a high stool, and making silly faces at her while he did so. Each time she opened her mouth to laugh, he would slip in another spoonful. Alex realized he was smiling at the sight about the same time Sable looked his way. Alex froze, but Sable only made an even sillier face, this time directed at him, before looking away with a chuckle. Alex felt his heart skip, and quickly turned to the food being placed on his part of the table. He watched as the others filled their plates, copying their actions as closely as he could, but a part of him was busy ignoring the flush he felt. That, too, he would figure out later. For now, he looked at the food he'd taken. There was a porridge, he recognized that, though it looked different than the cold-soaked oats he was used to. In the first place, it was hot, secondly, it seemed to have been creamed, and there were spices and such in it. Bread, still warm, butter melting on it. Fruit, some of which he recognized, some he did not. Milk, in pitchers, and dishes of jellies and honey rounded it out. "Is this a special breakfast?" "No, same as we have most mornings. It changes some, of course, depending on the season. Why?" "It's a lot of food." Drell smiled compassionately. "Aye. And when I first got here, some six years ago, I wondered at it, too. I was used to whatever scraps they threw to me, when they cared to throw them. The master allows no hunger, though when the drought came a couple of years ago, things got a little lean, but that was choice. We all took less, saved the fresh things for the children and such. If it hadn't been for the dried stores, we would have struggled, for sure." "Dried stores?" "Aye, Fitz knew of it, and he taught the master. We had the usual, smoked meats and such, but Fitz dries most everything. When other keeps had nothing, we were still eating the summer's berries. Some of that's in the porridge. This is a busy time for us, Jade. When you're well, your labors will be much appreciated. We've much to do before winter." Alex ate silently, seeing that others were quiet, too. He didn't want to offend, but he wanted the chance to listen and watch. He chose snatches of conversation at random, pieces, here and there. "...and so I said, but we've just finished with the baby clothes for Anna, shouldn't we think about doing Aster's while we've the goods out? I know she's not due for three more months but..." "..the west field needs re-fenced in the back quarter, else the new foals will be in the culverts, do we not watch. The master asked should we do it first or re-work the shed roof, and I told him we'd best do the fencing, else the mud will be a factor, so I'm headed there this afternoon..." "...she's a crush on him, that's for sure, but who wouldn't have? Still, she's too young to court formal, I reminded her the master says thirteen to court, fifteen to wed for the girls, but she makes cow eyes every chance she gets..." "...your comb, the one you bought at the fair last spring? I was shaking out my winter cloak and it was in the pocket. You remember, you went to town with the master to sell the shawls, and your cloak was still being finished, so you borrowed mine..." "...it was the best book, Geoff, I can't stop reading it, you must borrow it when I'm done, though the master says he may read it aloud..." "Jade?" Alex startled, looking up to find Sable standing near him, eyeing him curiously. "If you've finished breakfast, I'll take you to the stables. We can begin your training." "I'm finished." Alex stood, then noticed that the others were taking their dishes to the holding area. He did so, seeing a large bucket set for scrapings, a wheeled cart for the dirty dishes, and a wash basin. The man in front of him scraped the plate, put his dishes away and rinsed his hands in the water, drying them on the towel hanging on a hook there. Alex copied him and turned to follow Sable out a side door of the hall. It led to a courtyard, and let Alex get his first good look at the immediate grounds. The outbuildings framed three sides of a long rectangle, with the back of the keep being the fourth side. Alex saw that this rectangle was, in turn, framed by pasture fields, before the land turned into crops and woods in the distance. There were holding pens between buildings and set up in some of the pastures and, to the left, there was a road that led away from the keep and toward a distant hill. Alex could see buildings there, and guessed it was a village. "The stables are the bulk of the buildings you see here. We make most of our money from our horses, and much of the work here revolves around them, but we're also beginning to be known for our dogs, so the kennels are beginning to need extra work, too. They're at the far end, Drell manages those. The aviary is on point, there at the middle, Lang's in charge of those, and I warn you, don't even think about going in there if you aren't with him." At last, thought Alex, now we get to the truth. "Bad?" "Loud. Those damn birds of his will scream blue murder if anyone they don't recognize so much as rattles the handle. Of course, the benefit of that is that they do the same if anyone approaches from the woods. You always know when someone's there, even in the dead of night. The Captain will warn us when she's sending a new guard to patrol there, so that Lang can be on hand to calm the birds down." Alex accepted this explanation, and Sable continued. "The outbuildings closer to the kitchen side are almost all for food preparation. That's where we store the meats, the dried goods. It's also where Fitz has his workshop, so if you're ever sent to find him, check there first. The smithy is out a ways, closer to the creek, I'll show you that later. Those small buildings are for craftwork. The pottery, the carding sheds, leather works, those are all there. We try to let everyone spend a little time in each workroom, get the basic skills. If you try something and find you have a knack for it, the master will try to arrange it so you can apprentice while you work. That way, by the time you're free, you can get guilded, and find work should you leave." "Do people leave?" "Yes. They marry and want to live near family. Sometimes there's not enough work for two, like with the smith, and so they move on. Often they leave to find their home again, their real home. Also, some people just want to start fresh, no ties to what they were or went through." "Will you leave, when you earn your freedom price?" Sable laughed, though there wasn't much amusement in the sound. "I've earned my freedom price five times over. I will never leave Samstar Fields unless the master does. It's why I chose to remain a slave, as well." As though sensing he'd said too much, Sable quickly pointed to the small hut Alex recognized as belonging to the Captain. "You met the Captain, did you not?" "Is-is she truly the Captain of the guard?" "She is, indeed. Like the master, she uses her formal name, so I tell no secrets. The Lady Melissa de Magey, trained in all arms, combat, strategy and methods of war by one of the finest generals ever. He was her father, and when his son turned out to be a man of lesser honor than his sister, took the sister for his heir instead. She was also trained in special arts by the Sisters of the Stones. The combination is hard to beat, as is she." Alex filed that away for later. By now, they had reached the stables, and Sable smiled. "We each tend to live above the areas where we work. Since I'm in charge of the stables, I live in the rooms at the front of the main barn, here. Welcome to my home, Jade." So saying, he gestured Alex in through the wide, open doorway. It was like no stables Alex had ever seen. The stalls were large, and there was a broad promenade running through the center. There were windows set high into each stall, and Alex saw that they shuttered for winter. Short doors kept each horse visible and yet secure, and the walls of each stall were high enough to prevent any mishaps. Each stall had a number and word written on the door, but what impressed him was the cleanliness. True, there were the usual animal smells, but the rushes were cleaner than the mansion he'd just run from, the walls whitewashed and the tack gleaming. The feed buckets were arranged neatly on pegs, and everything looked to have a place and be there. "The tack rooms are in the back. This barn is simply for stabling the most valuable of the horses here now. We've several mares due to foal in a couple of more months, and they're here also. When they get closer to time, we'll move them to the foaling barn. Come, let me introduce you." Sable whistled. It was an odd, lilting sound, and trilled at the end. Alex watched, fascinated, as horse heads began to pop over their doors. Soft nickerings and snorts sounded, and Sable looked like a proud parent with a talented child. "Meet the heart of Samstar Fields." Alex had worked with horses only a little. When he was too ill or beaten for indoor sport, he would be sent to the stables to work. It was a respite from the master and mistress, as well as the only time he was allowed outdoors. He hadn't learned much in his time there, save how to check for injury and illness, and some basic care, grooming and such. Sable literally introduced him to each animal, showing him how to approach, where to touch and what to avoid. By the time they reached the last horse of the fifteen, Alex was showing signs of weakness. Sable let him finish with the little mare, then held out his arm. Alex took it, and Sable led him toward the front of the barn. To the side was a door and Sable opened it, guiding Alex into a small study-like room. Beyond that, he could see a bedroom, and guessed that these must be Sable's rooms. "The master sometimes uses this room for business, we share it. He's not here often, but if you're looking for him, don't forget to try this room." Sable led Alex to a chair, and helped him down into it. He poured Alex a cup of water and moved behind the desk. Alex watched as the brown eyes studied the paper before him. After a moment, a quill was readied, and Sable began to fill a blank page with quick, heavy script. "Is it hard? Reading?" "It was at first, for me anyway. Then one day, it just seemed to happen. The letters just made sense. Lang learned easy, as did others. Like all things, easy for some, hard for others. I don't expect you to have any trouble." "I'm to be taught to read?" "Of course not. It's against the law for slaves to be taught to read." Sable's face belied the sober statement, and Alex knew there was more to the story, but Sable simply changed the subject. "Jade, I don't mean to pry, but it would help me if you could tell me what training you already have. What were your duties before?" Alex closed his eyes, swallowing hard. The request flooded him with emotion, though he wasn't sure why. Since coming here, his controls seemed to have left him, his taut bindings growing slack in places. He searched for words, tried to find something, anything that he could say to this man. ...your duties before... Alex saw himself, crawling across a filthy floor, back and forth, waiting for the next slash of the whip, hearing the mistress laugh as her companions tried to see who could land the most blows before he crawled out of reach. He remembered the older man that paid the mistress once a month simply for the chance to make hundreds of tiny little cuts, just deep enough to bleed, then licked the blood from Alex's body. Alex thought about the master sending him to different garrisons, a toy for the soldiers, just to get information about the troops. The times he'd been forced to rape the female slaves for the sport of the master. The child he'd refused to rape, until the master showed Alex that there were worse things that could happen to the child, and would, did he not obey. ...what training you already have... A whore. He was trained to be a whore, any type of whore you needed. Trained to never forget who and what he was, and to whom he belonged. Trained to eliminate any thought but survival from his being. Trained to lie, trained to steal, trained to swallow his own soul, to prevent it from being ripped from him completely. He wondered, not for the first time, if he'd been successful. It hurt, physically hurt, when he spoke. "I have no training that would be of use here. My duties before were..." He paused, took a sip of the water in his cup and continued on in a harsh whisper. "...very specific to the master and the mistress." Alex didn't dare raise his eyes, couldn't stand the thought of what he would or would not see in Sable's eyes. Taking a deep breath, Alex gave the next words all the weight he could. "I am a poor bargain, but there are some things I bring. I learn quickly, and once I learn a thing, I seldom forget it. When I am well, I am strong and fast, though careful, and I am unafraid of harshness. I do not give up easily, nor am I afraid of danger. I work hard, very hard, and I need very little by way of sleep or food. I can offer no more." "It is already more than I ask." Sable's voice was sincere, without any hint of pity, and Alex chanced a look. That ancient anger was back in Sable's eyes, and they had darkened to near black with it, despite the perfect calm of the voice. Alex watched as Sable took a slow, careful breath, the anger and tension visibly draining from him, the eyes mellowing to their usual dark chestnut. "Actually, it's good you don't have too much experience with horses. It lets me teach you the way we do things here, no bad habits to unlearn. Which reminds me, we'll begin your riding lessons next week, does Fitz approve." "Yes, Master." It was a slip, proof of how the memories were clinging to him still, and Sable deliberately turned his attention elsewhere. "You will have your choice of quarters here or in the main house. I would suggest you chose the mainhouse, for now, at least. You can always move later, once you decide where you want to work. That brings to mind, if you feel up to it, I thought we could discuss some of the basics of life here. Are you feeling well enough to talk?" Alex nodded, biting his lip hesitantly. "What is it, Jade?" "I saw that you had some tack waiting to be cleaned. I do know how to do that, and I am only weak when I stand. I could sit and polish while we talk, if you like." "Good idea. I'll bring it in." Sable did so, setting the pile down beside Alex, along with a variety of cleaning tools. He watched as the younger man settled himself comfortably on the floor. "I-is it alright that I work from the floor?" "So long as you are comfortable, I have no preference. Do not become chilled, though. If I let you catch a cold, Fitz will make me boil the vapor mix as penance." Alex gave the merest hint of a grin, and picked up the first piece. It felt odd to be doing labor, real labor, even something so small. But it felt good, too, and he devoted himself to the leather and metal in his hands. He'd always enjoyed this kind of thing, the few times he'd been given it to do. Seeing that Alex was set, Sable began. "Jade, I know that you have questions. Ask them. Never be afraid to ask a question. The master has often said that he will gladly take a fool that questions over a fool that already knows the answers any day. I agree with him on this. You may not always get an answer, but you may always ask. That goes for personal questions as well. Remember to be polite and respectful of feelings, of course, but you may ask." Sable stood up, going to the doorway. He'd finished writing, and now he sanded and loosely folded the parchment. Alex watched as he tugged a string by the door, three short tugs, and heard a bell respond somewhere above. Moments later, a young boy of about ten appeared, one hand still holding a toy horse. "Gibson, this is Jade. Jade, Gibson is the runner for the stables. If you're here and need a message sent to the main house, or a meal brought to you, he's the one you call." The boy looked at him with thoroughness that Alex found vaguely disturbing but, remembering the introductions before, Alex gave a nod of hello. Gibson returned it, and then looked up at Sable. "Jade is new. He'll be working with us soon. Gibson, I'd like you to take this message to the Master, please." Gibson said nothing, but made a strange hand motion, bringing it down across the center of his face. "That's right, the master. Thank you, Gibson." The boy took off with it, and Sable waited until he'd left the barn to resume talking with Alex. "He's smart. He can hear, and Fitz thinks he can talk, but he won't. He's made up a whole language of his own, like that, the symbol for the master." Sable chuckled and repeated the motion the child had made. "The nose. Our master is a handsome man, but he does have a large nose." "The master allows it?" "The master came up with it." Sable laughed out loud at the look on Alex's face, turning back to the desk. "But we were discussing what is expected and allowed. The master, as you may have noticed, is a very unusual man. He keeps slaves for many reasons, but there is no taste for it within him. Could he set every slave here free tomorrow, he would do so and be overjoyed. But the master is also no idle dreamer. He might wish that he did not own slaves, but the fact remains that he does so. And if a man is to be a slave, then he must have a master. Kind, compassionate and good, but a master he is, make no mistake. There are few rules, but they are to be obeyed. There are no beatings, but do you deserve it, you will be punished. It will be fair, but also immediate and effective. I tell you this not to frighten you, but to reassure you. I have been a slave a long time, I know that not knowing is what truly frightens." Alex nodded, feeling himself relax a little. This was what he'd been waiting to hear, what he needed to know, and while he didn't believe for a minute that there were no beatings, he was reassured to know that lines were firmly drawn. That meant fewer tricks, simple obedience the only requirement to avoid punishment. "The master takes his responsibilities to his slaves very seriously. He will furnish you all the basic necessities. You will want for nothing that you truly need. But there are many people to care for here, so try not to waste. Take all that you want, but eat what you take. If you find you have an extra blanket, put your name on it and loan it to the children's ward. If you buy a new brush, give your old one to someone else. There is a box in the keep for extra things. Should you need something, you may look through it. Do you have something you neither want nor need, put it in the box." Alex made a sound of disbelief, and Sable paused. Alex hastened to explain. "I find it odd to consider having anything, much less something extra. The clothes I bought were the first thing I have owned since I was thirteen. It was the first money I have ever spent for myself, save a few half-pieces as a child." Alex's brows drew together, and he spoke more slowly. "Sable, there is much I don't know, things I feel most people do know. You knew the clothing was a good deal. I have no idea of the value of money, save as it applies to humans. I can tell you what to pay, do you want to buy a man or woman suitable for a medium level bed slave, but I have no idea what a mug of ale costs at an inn. I can tell you the latest political maneuverings at Court, but I don't know how to have a conversation. Any manners I have now, I got when I was a child, or from watching here, these last two days. I have never shaved my own face, was not allowed to touch a blade. I know nothing of what it is to live as a human, and that is where my fear lies. I know what it is to be used for the master's pleasure, beaten at the mistress' whim, this I understand. Tell me I'm to be social, and I am lost." Alex abruptly closed his mouth, trembling violently. It must be the medicine from Fitz, that made him say so much. Gods, he'd just handed the man the key to his undoing, revealed his biggest fault. "Jade, we all go through this, when we first get here. The worse you had it, the more at sea you feel. But more than that, it takes time to believe, to accept that this can be your life. We all have things we must come to terms with, even those that have never known anyone but the master. Let me tell you something about myself and the master, that might make you feel better." Sable went into his room briefly, returned with a saddle, and seated himself on the floor across from Alex. He began oiling the pale leather, rubbing it in with long even strokes of both hands. "I was bought by Lord Fox's father when I was twenty- three. Two years later, the man died, and all of his possessions, including his slaves, became the property of Lord Fox. He was fifteen. "The old master, Lord William, was very different from his son. Cold and harsh, but harsher on no one than he was on Lord Fox. I had seen the young man for two years, watched him struggle with issue after issue, watched him claw his way to manhood, all the while holding tightly to his beliefs and ideals. Even then, he was quietly pushing things into place, arranging Samstar Fields to suit his vision, despite the repercussions to himself. "When his father died, suddenly there was Lord Fox in the doorway, my new master, and myself ten years his senior. It was strange to look at him and know he had my life in his hands, stranger still to address him as master and mean it." Alex was listening intently, but he was also watching Sable's hands. They were smoothing the leather now, oiling the pommel, and Alex found the sight oddly fascinating. He never stopped his own labors, but they slowed. "The master has always been as you see him. He made more changes now, but did so carefully. At first they were seemingly small, nothing to even consider, and only a few things at a time. Gradually, of course, he changed everything, but by then, he was old enough that none could say aught. "By the time he was nearly eighteen, Samstar Fields was as it is today, if smaller. It was difficult, but if the master ever found it odd to be master so young, he never let it show. He gave orders, he enforced them, he rewarded, he punished. Because of that, he was simply the master, to most people, tender years notwithstanding. But I found it odd indeed to be owned by one so young. It was hard to obey, especially when I didn't understand what he was trying to do. Finally, he had to prove to me beyond doubt that he was my master." Alex had stopped working completely now, caught up in the story. "How?" "He sold me." The pain was clear in the low voice, and Alex saw a slow flush creep up the man's face. "We had visiting a clergyman, one of the order of the Clives. They are allowed to own slaves. I was being difficult, again, and the master suddenly looked very tired and hurt. He told me to leave, to go to bed, that he would finish things once and for all in the morning. He said that I had gone too far and that, in the morning, he would visit upon me the worst punishment it was in his power to give." Sable swallowed hard, hands still lightly buffing the oil into the saddle, despite the deep emotion he was recalling. "I didn't sleep all night, couldn't. I figured he'd have one of the guardsmen beat me, of course, or maybe even worse. I kept skipping from one fate to another, trying to imagine the worst thing. "After breakfast, he called me into his study. The clergyman was there and, while I watched, they began to haggle over my price. I was being sold. Lord Fox was selling me. That was when it became real to me. I thought of my horses, my work here. I thought of Lord Fox, and all the sacrifices he had made to create a safe haven, and I thought of my life before. I wanted to plead with him not to do it, but he wouldn't grant me permission to speak. "I started to speak anyway, desperate, but the clergyman pulled out a crop and told me that unless I wanted my first beating from my new master to take place in front of my old master, I should be quiet. That's when the rest of it dawned. For two years I'd known nothing but kindness. This man might beat me to death, might rape me, might simply sell me in turn for profit." Sable paused, taking a sip of the water from Alex's cup, before clearing his throat and going on. "I thought of a million horrible things, and the whole time, I could see the pain on my master's face. At last they settled on a price and the master handed the clergyman papers, took coin in exchange, and then turned to me, looking me right in the eyes. "'Goodbye, Sable. I'm sorry things didn't work out, but I can own no slave that will not accept me as master. Mayhap the church will meet your needs better. Go in peace, may you find happiness.' He then moved to the window, turning his back to me. I was stunned, but then my new master was looping a chain around my neck and urging me up." Sable turned the saddle around, beginning work on the other side. Alex's work had all but fallen from his fingers. Sable gave a small nod with his head toward the straps, and Alex quickly got back to work, shamed at having been caught lacking. "How did you get back here?" "I went with the clergyman that day. He was here to see our hives, and so I drove the small cart to the sites, loading honey and such. I was forbidden to speak, and was not fed until we returned to the keep that evening. I was made to stand behind his chair and serve him, silently, until he was finished, at which point he gestured to his soup bowl. He'd only taken a sip, and it was nearly full. "I've no taste for these cream soups. 'Here, boy, you may eat this.' I started to sit down, and he yelled at me, telling me my place was on the floor or on my feet. I was tired from lack of sleep by now, and sank down gladly. I drank the soup quickly, uncaring that it was only lukewarm. I could have eaten three bowls full. I knew that I would get nothing else that night, and I felt things rising up in me that I had thought gone forever. "It was then I caught sight of the master's face. It held sorrow, regret and more, but also determination. It was breaking his heart as much as it was mine, but he'd been right. Right in all he'd said to me, right to sell me. I was an ungrateful arrogant fool, and I'd thrown away paradise, all because god didn't look the way I thought he should. Sold, because of foolish pride. Lord Fox was my master, I knew it then, felt it with all seriousness. His age was no longer an issue, never had been. My pride had been the issue, and I was damned lucky that it had only gotten me sold thus far. Even now, he was helping me, teaching me a lesson to help me later. "I was sick with shame, and couldn't stop the tears. I cried as quietly as possible and, after a moment, my new master said softly, 'If there is something you wish to say to Lord Fox, you may do so.' "Instantly, I threw myself at his feet, unable to keep quiet any longer. There was so much I wanted to say, but I didn't know how. Finally, I settled for one word: Master. I said it over and over again, and then I felt his hands urging me up. I knelt before him, and his fingers lifted my chin to look deeply into my eyes. "After a long while, he nodded, but his face and eyes remained unreadable. 'Good Friar, has this slave pleased you today?' 'No. He is not worth what I paid for him, not worth a tenth. In fact, I was thinking of asking for my money back.' "I felt a hope so strong it hurt, but I only bit my lip and waited, never taking my eyes from the master's. 'Hmm. I suppose that could be arranged. Of course, do I buy him back, I will expect him changed. I have neither the time nor the energy to continue things as they were. Does he come back, he does so as a different slave. Think you he might have learned his lesson?' 'A great deal of it, I should think. Though it wouldn't be good to let him go completely. The lesson needs to be finished, Lord Fox.' 'I couldn't agree more. If I take him back, the first thing I will do is see to it that he fully understands that, never fear.' 'Then let us void our deal of earlier. I have the papers right here.' 'Your coins.' "They exchanged them, and I sagged with relief. The master said sternly, 'My study, kneel by the desk and wait there for me. Now.' I all but ran up the stairs and into the room, so grateful was I. I didn't care what he did to me, didn't even care if he broke his rule and beat me to a pulp. It would be no more than I deserved. I would have taken it willingly. "He came up not long after, and when he spoke, his voice was the harshest I'd ever heard it, and had pure iron in it. 'Make no mistake, Sable. I do not buy the same slave twice. Do you ever give me cause to sell you again, it will be permanent. You will never see Samstar Fields again. Is that completely understood between us?' "I assured him it was, and then he took a seat in front of the fireplace. 'Sable, you've had the worst punishment I can give. But you've also earned the next worst. I do not beat slaves, you know this. But there is nothing permanently harmful in a spanking. Take down your clothing and lie across my lap.'" Alex froze again, staring with huge eyes at the blushing face of the man across from him. "I obeyed. He spanked me until his hand hurt too much to spank anymore. It didn't really hurt, not like a whip, but I cried from the first blow. When he told me to get up, I was so damn grateful to him that I thanked him. It was a fresh start, atonement, penance to replace guilt, a clean path. When I was on my feet, clothing back up, he ordered me to look at him." Sable's face held wonder layered over a host of other emotions. Alex saw the wonder clearly though, as well as the love. "He was smiling at me, reaching out to hold me in his arms. I bawled like a babe, hadn't cried so much in one afternoon my whole life, nor since. But I had found peace, forgiveness and mercy. And there's never been a moment since, when I doubted that he was the master." Sable had finished the saddle now, and he took it back into his bedroom. Alex had cleaned a good portion of the tack, and Sable picked up one of the cleaned pieces, studying it. Alex all but held his breath as Sable checked his work, then relaxed as he saw the nod. "Good. Very good, this is done properly. See, you have one task to your credit already." Sable grinned and returned to the desk, going back through some papers, writing more. They worked in silence, but there was no strain. Alex was busy thinking over all he'd been told, and Sable enjoyed watching the younger man out of the corner of his eye. The hands moved quickly, he'd not lied about that, but his eyes continually rechecked the piece, making sure no small nook escaped his attention. Alex finished, and picked up the equipment. "Where do you want these?" "Each one belongs to a specific horse. Come, I'll show you." Sable took the stack, and picked out a bridle. "This one goes to Jester." Alex took it, and placed it on the correct door. Sable was surprised, but only moved to the next piece. By the time Alex had matched the last piece to the right horse, Sable was stunned. "You missed none of them. How?" "You spoke their names aloud. I can remember almost anything I hear, especially if there are images to go with it. You said the name, had me touch each horse, look at it closely. With all of those, it was nothing." "Which horse needs the tonic from Fitz?" Alex pointed to Chase. "And which must be walked longer than the others to cool down?" "Hemlock." "That is quite the gift, and I must tell you, near invaluable, does the remembering last." "It does. Not forever, but for many months, at least." "Three months from now, I can ask you what I told you of Foresky's fetlock, and you'll tell me..." "That it has a bald patch from a burn he got as a colt. I must check it extra for signs of rubbing or infection." Alex was starting to look nervous, and Sable hastened to reassure him. "Jade, it is a wonderful gift, but nothing more. I only find it surprising, because the master has the same gift, with most anything he's read." "In truth?" "Aye. Pick a book he's read and ask him to quote from a page. He can do it, like as not. We all have our gifts, Jade, some of them are just more obvious than others. As I've said, it will be a great help in stable work, but no more so than Fitz's herbs or my own hands. It is but a tool, no more, no less. Fear not." Alex felt a large knot of fear begin to loosen in the pit of his stomach. He would see what use they made of it, but he didn't think it would be like before. "If you are feeling better, I would show you the rest of the outbuildings and the keep. It is slow today, this is the usual day off for the stables." "Day off?" Alex followed Sable out of the stables and onto the path to the next building. "Each group of workers gets one day of rest a week. It's why there was only Gibson in the stables with the horses. Now, granted, the mucking still has to be done and feeding and the like, but only what must be done today. The rest will wait until the morrow." "And Gibson?" "The stable boys take turns spending their day off in the barn. They may play, have friends stay with them and the like, so long as the horses are not left unattended. Today was Gibson's turn." They had reached a large outbuilding, and Alex could see that these people were not having a day of rest. Two teenage boys were mucking out stalls, a girl was along a wall measuring out grains, two men were working on a cow, tending to a hoof. There was another girl carefully combing out a long-haired goat, and a boy was scrubbing at a pail in the corner. "Sable, a look at this hoof, will you?" The men beckoned him over, obviously puzzled by something. Sable examined it carefully, and shook his head. "I've never seen anything like it. What says Fitz?" "Fitz has gone to the village, the Widow Parson is dying, he went to ease her way." "Lord be with her family." They all took a moment to turn the sentiment into a prayer, and then turned back to the cow. "I wish I could help, but this is beyond me. Jade, have a look." He did, though he doubted he could be of any use, did Sable not know what it was. Alex saw that the hoof was turning a pale blue at the base, and there was swelling all down the leg. Speaking softly, he asked, "A bucket of water, please." It was handed to him, and when he eased it under the cow's nose, she tried to bolt. He poured a bit on the hoof, and the blue grew darker. "This has happened in the last hour?" At their affirmation, Alex nodded, hesitant to speak, but wanting to help. "I might be wrong, but I believe I have seen this before. She shies from water, it makes the blue worse and it happened quickly." "Aye, but what is it?" "Poison." The men looked aghast, and Alex bit at his lip. "I may be wrong." "No, lad, I'd say you've likely the right of it. What do you know of it?" Alex thought it an accusation and paled, turning large eyes to Sable. "No, Jade, he meant what do you know about this kind of poison, how does it work, where could she have gotten it. He did not accuse." "Accuse? The lad's been here less than a week, and ill most of that. He's only just left the house this morn, a blind man could see the innocence. Nay, boy, I apologize did I give you a turn. But do you know about this poison, we would be grateful for teaching." "I saw it with a dog. The master had sent the scraps as usual, but there was a mutton chop as well. We never got whole pieces of meat, and this looked to be untouched. It was warm, too. I tore it in half, and gave half to one of the dogs. I ate the rest of the scraps, and minutes later, the dog's face began to swell. The tongue turned blue and it had trouble breathing. I tried to pour water down its throat, but it fought. I got some down, and the blue grew darker. A few minutes more and the dog died. I had only handled it, but part of one finger had a blue streak, and there was swelling. I felt sick, but not much else. The swelling was gone in a day, the blue also. My guess is that she stepped in something tainted with the poison." Sable had already reached that conclusion, and called one of the older boys over. "Run to the keep, tell the master we need him at the barn, now. Then send word to keep all the animals out of the front pasture, and to check them well and every few minutes. Repeat, please." "Tell the master he's needed at the barn, now. Send word to keep all the animals out of the front pasture, and to check them well and every few minutes." "Good lad, hurry." Sable sent him off with an encouraging swat, and the boy responded the way any colt would, by bolting for the house. "We must also warn the workers. Constance, begin spreading the word among the kitchen staff, have them pass the word along the house. Joseph, tell the outbuildings. Duncan, you head to the fields and tell the outworkers, but mind you watch where you step. Wear the big boots, lad, and keep your eyes open. Tell them to mind where they step and to look for anything suspicious. Repeat, please." They did so, almost in unison, and were out the door. The older men and Sable began a discussion about possible treatments. Alex had slipped away quietly, not wanting to draw any more attention to himself than he already had. Looking around, he found a task he could manage, and got to work. When Sable looked up, he saw Alex sitting on the low stool, scrubbing pails. He watched just long enough to make sure it was being done right, then went back to his talks. But not before Alex had seen the look, caught the approval. He felt a mild pride that he'd pleased the big man with his choice to take up a task. He had watched the boy, knowing it would likely be his job in the future, requiring little skill. It was easy enough, and again Alex thought how good it felt to be doing something with his hands, serving a purpose. Honest work. He grinned a bit at the thought, before reaching for another bucket. Fox came running in, concern clearly showing on his face. "Sable, what is it?" Sable explained the situation, and while the urgency left Fox's face, none of the concern did. "Has anyone checked the pasture yet?" "No, Master, we thought it best to simply order everyone away." "Right you were, but now that everyone's been warned, we must find the source. I'll go check, you..." "No, Master." Sable spoke softly, but with pure steel in his voice. Alex cringed, feeling fear rise over him like a wave. "Master, all of the people who live here are important. But the only one that is crucial, is you. Does the poison get me, Samstar Fields has lost its stablemaster. Does it get you, Samstar Fields has lost its soul. There are too many people that need you, Master, too much that you alone can do. We have had this discussion before, and it ended badly. It would be better for the both of us, did we not have it again." Sable had lowered his eyes as he spoke, his entire body language showing nothing but the purest submission. Despite that, his words were all but a threat, and Alex found he was almost holding his breath. Fox looked at Sable for a long time, then closed his eyes, swearing softly. "Go and check the field. But be careful. Do I find you've taken a chance you should not, you will regret it dearly, is that understood?" His voice was harsher than Alex had ever heard, and a flicker of pain passed across the larger man's face. "Yes, Master." Sable moved to obey, but Fox placed a hand on one thick shoulder as he passed. He spoke again, and this time the voice was tender, tinged lightly with apology. "It does not feel right for me to send another to face a danger likely intended for me. It is not easy for me to sit idle. And it is harder still for me to admit that someone besides myself is right." This last was said with an almost shy smile, and Sable raised his eyes. "Please, Sable. Be careful." "I will, Master. I'd not cheat you out of the hiding you owe me for speaking to you so." Fox chuckled, but his eyes were sober. Sable briefly laid a hand over the one on his shoulder, then left to check the field. Fox looked after him, and Alex saw the plain truth. Fox was in love with Sable. And unless he guessed wrong, Sable loved him back. Those thoughts sent a touch of pain through Alex, and he didn't know why. Chapter Two Sable returned a tense hour later. He'd found the partial body of a wolf in a corner of the pasture. It looked as though the animal had died, and scavengers had scattered the remains. The cow had stepped on a piece, he found prints in the area. "Likely, someone merely thought to rid themselves of the wolf, and set out poison bait, not realizing what else might happen." He made his report, washing up carefully as he spoke. "That would make more sense than anything else. Still, I want no chances taken for the next week. When Fitz comes back, find out from him about disposing of the body. Until then, the front pasture remains off limits. Keep this cow isolated and, though I hate the waste, throw her milk away. Be sure none of the other animals can get it, and especially warn Drell, his dogs will be at greatest risk. See that the Captain is informed, and implement any changes she requires. The village should be warned as well, but send word through Lang, he can get someone from another keep to mention the poison, get a reaction without showing our knowledge. I think that's all, for now. Can anyone else think of anything?" "She's not been milked yet, Master, was about to be when we noticed the hoof. Her stall's the same, we do it after the milking." The older man had answered, and Fox looked relieved. "Good. Anything else? No? Okay, back to your duties, and don't forget to have Fitz look at everyone that's handled the cow. Well done, gentlemen, I thank you for your quick action." He turned to leave and paused by Alex. "Thank you, Jade. It must have been hard for you to speak up, but your courage may have saved lives. I am well pleased, very well pleased. I should like to speak with you more this afternoon. Finish your duties this morning, have lunch, then join me in my study, will that suit?" "Yes, Master." "Thank you, Jade." A warm squeeze to his shoulder, and the master turned back to Sable. "Sable, with me, please." It was not a request, and Sable's quiet obedience showed that he knew it. As he followed the master, presumably to be punished, he detoured by Alex, squatting down in front of him. Fox looked back, granting permission with a motion of his head, and giving Alex a reassuring smile. "Finish the pails and then return to the stables. I'd like you to spend some time getting to know the horses, letting them get to know you, until time for noon meal. Jade, you did well today. I wanted to let you know how proud I am of you, for what it's worth. You are no poor bargain, Jade. You've been worth your cost by this afternoon alone, but more importantly, you've shown that you belong here. You deserve this chance, Jade, and you will do just fine." Alex had teared up, and Sable's large hand came to rest on the side of his face. Alex closed his eyes briefly as a thumb stroked across a cheekbone, nothing but affection in the touch. Sable leaned closer, and there was amusement in his tone as he whispered, "I'll be back as soon as the master's honor is restored." Alex looked up fearfully, saw that Sable didn't look concerned in the least. "It's fine, Jade. A few swats because he must, nothing more. He is not even angry, it will be over in a blink. But he must punish me, Jade, you heard what I said to him, and how." Alex knew it was true, and he reminded himself that the master loved Sable. Perhaps that made a difference. Seeing that Alex was no longer frightened for him, Sable patted his head, and fell into place behind Fox. A quick look at the others in the shed showed that they were paying no attention whatsoever to anything but their duties. Alex moved to the next pail, and the young boy, Joseph, took the clean ones with a smile. "Hello. You must be Jade. I'm Joseph." "Hello." Alex managed what he hoped was a pleasant look, and Joseph seemed satisfied. He took the pails over to the wall and set them upside down to dry on the shelves, then came back to pick up the next ones. "I've been here two whole years. The master's trying to find me a home, but if he can't, 'cause I'm almost ten, then he says I'll have my freedom price in another year. If I want, I can go to school then, the master's friend will take boys when they're eleven, do they already know how to read, and I do." This was said in a rapid burst, and when Joseph came back for the next batch, he continued as though there had been no interruption. "I'm sort of hoping he won't find me a family, I think it's too late for that, now. I want to go to school and then I want to be a teacher at the university. Did you ever go to school?" Alex shook his head, and the boy took the last batch over to the shelves. Alex was cleaning up the area when he returned, and Joseph began helping him finish. "The university is days and days from here. I saw it, when I was being brought here. There are statues and big buildings, big as a church. Have you ever seen a statue?" Alex nodded, amused as the child plowed right on through, scarce stopping for breath until the area was clean and Alex ready to return to the stables. He wasn't sure how to leave, and Constance, the girl combing the goat, saw this. "Saints, Joseph, give the man air. He's got to go back to the stables, say good bye and let him leave." She was scolding, but there was amused exasperation on her face as she did so. "I do talk overmuch, but it's not my fault. You listen good." Constance made a warning sound, and Joseph hurried on. "It was nice to meet you. Good morning." The child ran off to the back of the barn, Constance waved, and turned back to the goat. Alex gambled that he was simply to walk out of the barn, and did so, looking over his shoulder a couple of times. He walked slowly, mindful that Fitz had told him not to walk alone for a while. Still, this wasn't far at all, a few yards, so perhaps it wouldn't matter. Alex looked around a bit as he walked. He saw huge steaming kettles, and laundry being fished in and out. He could smell flowers in the air, and the sun was warm on his face. To be outside and neither hunted nor hurting was a new experience for him, and he closed his eyes a moment, savoring the feel of the cool fall breeze. He opened them again and caught sight of the keep. His eyes sought the window of the master's study, and he felt a pang of something at the thought that Sable was being punished. He couldn't quite believe that the man was only going to have his bottom smacked, but as odd as this place was, he was beginning to believe anything. When he entered the door to the stables, his doubts were put aside. Sable was standing in the doorway to his room, back to Alex, pulling on a clean shirt. His back was unmarked, and as Alex watched, the big man put a hand back, gave his rear an idle rub, and then reached for some papers lying on the desk. That was when he noticed Alex. "I would have been here sooner, but I met Joseph." Alex made the small jest as a symbol of trust, and was rewarded by the low rumble of Sable's laughter. "In that case you've made good time. I have to finish this report, go on to the horses, I'll be along in a moment." "Yes, Sable." Alex headed for the first stall, approaching the way Sable had taught him. The horse eyed him suspiciously, but allowed him to approach. When he was close enough, Alex rubbed his hand along the side of the horse, a move that seemed to be appreciated. A gentle scratching brought the horse closer to him, a well rounded flank produced for equal treatment. Alex smiled, obliging. "Talk to them, Jade. They need to hear your voice, get used to the sound of it." Sable had joined him, was standing at the door of the stall, watching. "What do I say?" "It matters not. Say anything you like, so long as you speak." Alex wondered what on earth to say to the beast, and then mentally shrugged. Might as well try the truth, the horse couldn't punish him, and he thought Sable likely had too much honor to object to something said to the animal. "Foresky, is Samstar Fields as strange to you as it is to me? I'm confused by almost everything here. It's like living inside a dream, things happen, you see them and feel them, but they don't seem real, somehow. Sable says that will come with time. It might, he hasn't lied yet, that I've seen. This is all so different, as though I'd died that night, and this is the afterworld. Oh, I have to find the goddess, too. I need to offer her something, but I don't know what. The master has a bowl of something on his desk that she likes, he might tell me what it is, so I could find some. Or make some. Or buy some. Buying things, I know I'm supposed to buy things, but I don't know what to buy. I already have more than I've had in years." Alex had moved to the next stall now, and he continued his narrative. "I'll have a room, they say. I don't know how many I share it with, but it's bound to be better than sleeping in the garrets. What does one need for a room? I've been using a borrowed comb, I should probably buy one of those, if I have enough money. Will I be allowed a razor? Sable shaves himself, but he's been here a long time, they trust him. I need a shave, though, and don't know who to ask. I saw laundry boiling, outside. I wonder if they'll teach me how. These are the first real clothes I've had in years, the old master kept me naked unless we were travelling or in town." Alex was just thinking aloud, but Sable was trying hard not to even twitch. This was more than he'd hoped to get from the boy for months yet. He tried to keep his breathing shallow, willing Alex to keep talking as he moved to the next stall. "Comfrey, you're the biggest horse here, yet the shyest. It's alright, boy, I won't hurt you. Not sure you believe me? I don't blame you, you don't know me. That's scary, isn't it, boy? If I'd just come out and be cruel, you'd be fine with me, know how to react. Instead, you're tensed like a wire. Well, so am I, and for the same reasons. I keep waiting, expecting the worst at any moment. I've even thought about being bad, just to see what would happen. But I won't, not yet. If this is the way things can be, I don't want to mess it up. The master said he was pleased with me, so did Sable. He even said I deserve to be here. I don't think that can be true, I've done too many things, too many terrible things to deserve any of this. Still, maybe if I'm good, and I work hard, I might deserve it. Someday. I've a long penance ahead, I know, but...well, I've got two years to earn my freedom price. If that's real. If it's true." Alex sighed, moving to the next stall. "Goddess, please, if it's but a dream, let me sleep. Just let me sleep awhile longer." There was pain in Alex's voice, and the little mare nuzzled him warmly, snuffling his neck at a spot that brought a soft laugh. "Fancy, that tickled, leave off. You're right, though, enough of that. So tell me, lady, are you glad your time is drawing near? Sable says you'll foal in a few weeks. I warn you, I know nothing of foals. Nothing of children of any sort. I know I'm expected to take a turn in the children's ward, whatever that is. I can't begin to imagine what one does with a child, or how. They'd best teach me, or not leave me unattended. There will be many crying babes, do they not." Alex had entered the next stall with extra care, remembering that Jessopa was said to be bad tempered. "Bad tempered? Here? No, likely frightened. I've never seen anger that didn't come from fear. Find out what makes a man angry and you can find his fear, his weak spot. I know the master's already, but it wasn't hard to figure out. What's yours, though? What frightens you, girl?" Alex stroked her gently, and she fidgeted. "You don't like a too gentle touch, do you? It annoys you, delicate skin aside. Very well, I may get kicked for my troubles, but let's try a firmer touch." Alex rubbed carefully, but with more pressure, a solid stroke, and felt the muscles calm under his touch. Slow and steady, but firmly, until Jessopa whickered. "Ah, see, not so different, are we? I hate a too light touch as well, makes me bad-tempered also. In my case, I suppose it's because I've had so few of them, they frighten me. The few times the mistress had a timid hand, hell followed soon after. But you, what could be your excuse? Why would a light touch frighten you? Unless it almost tickles, like blood flowing. The stabler at Mo- at my old master's said once that some horses cannot stand to feel water flow where they cannot see it. He said it makes them think they bleed, and frightens them. Did you bleed once, where you couldn't see, and now you fear the pain that went with it?" Sable sucked in his breath, without meaning to, stunned. Alex jumped, looking over, having all but forgotten Sable's presence. He flushed at all that he'd said, swallowing hard, but the stablemaster was beaming at him. "I'm sorry I startled you, Jade, but you're brilliant!" Alex gave him a look of such confusion that Sable laughed. "What you said to Jessopa, it was brilliant! She used to be even tempered, then just turned one day. When you mentioned bleeding, I remembered, she caught her neck on a fence once and it bled all down her back before we found her. Once you said it, I realized that it was about that time that she turned mean. We'd always used a light touch with her, she used to prefer it, and I never thought to connect the two things." Sable began to chew at his lip, obviously thinking, and Alex drew a quivering breath. The medicine, there must be something in the damned medicine Fitz had him on that was making him go on like a bird. When Alex thought of what he'd almost said, he felt nauseous, and he determined to quit taking the medicine right then. He felt much better, and he doubted Fitz would know did he stop. Alex leaned on Jessopa, weak with emotion, and Sable was in the stall beside him in an instant. The stabler reached out to Alex, but the horse stamped at him. It was hard to say who was more surprised, Alex or Sable, but Jessopa was issuing a clear warning for Sable to leave Alex alone. Wisely backing out, the stablemaster looked at Alex with clear humor. "Well, Jade, it seems you've made a conquest. Jessopa seems to have claimed you." Alex, still off-kilter, continued to rest against the mare, eyes closed. "Are you faint, Jade?" Alex made a negative motion with his head, but didn't look up. There was silence for several moments, before Sable's voice flowed over him, reassuring and calming. "You're frightened that you've said too much, given something away. That's normal, Jade, but not true. I doubt you'll believe me, but I promise you, I'm not looking for holes, for weak spots. I have no interest in where you came from or who you were before. I have no desire to use you or to break you. I admit to being curious, but in the same way you're curious about the scar on my neck, and why I haven't bought my freedom. There are no trick questions, Jade, no traps." "I-I've never said so much, so soon. Fitz must have put something..." "No. Fitz would never give you something to make you reveal the truth, not without telling you first. It's not the medicine making you talk, Jade. It's the sudden lightness of living, as opposed to the constant crush of survival. That's how the master says it, and I'd say he's got the right of it. It happens to most that come here, as you did." The loud clang of the iron calling noon meal let the conversation end, and Alex, feeling better, straightened. He patted Jessopa firmly, got snuffled, and stepped out of the stables. He looked up at Sable, biting the corner of his lip as he considered what the older man had said. "I don't know if I believe you, not about everything. But I will think about it." "That's all I ask, Jade." Sable held out his arm, and Alex, feeling suddenly tired, took it. They made their way to the wash trough and cleaned up, before heading into the keep. Alex let go of Sable's arm once they were inside, though he was careful to walk slowly. He saw Drell at the end of the table, and made his way over. The kennel master looked worried, tense, but he spared a smile of welcome for Alex as he settled. "Good on that poison, Jade. My thanks for you telling. I've checked the dogs, nothing yet, so we should be clear. If you remember more, you'll let us know, right?" Alex nodded. "I haven't seen the dogs yet. What kind are they?" "Very special. Unusual, like the horses, a breed of their own." Pride was clear on the tan face, and the tension lines around Drell's clear eyes faded a bit. "We started with a regular herding dog, but we've begun to change the breed. They don't look anything special, but they've some amazing traits. If you'd like, you're welcome to visit the kennels. I love any chance to show off my dogs." Alex determined to visit as soon as he was permitted, pleased that he seemed to have managed pleasant conversation. The food was still more than Alex could believe. There was bread, cold this time, but still soft and fresh. Cheeses, plates of cold meats and more fruit. Boiled potatoes, platters full of them, finished off the meal, and Alex wondered at the way people helped themselves. He noticed that everyone took small portions, but went back frequently. Guessing it was done so as to prevent waste, Alex followed suit. It was delicious, and he caught the master's look of approval as he took another potato. Alex was used to them cold, plain pieces of soft matter. These were hot, still somewhat firm, and buttery. There were tiny flecks of green on them, and the taste was wonderful. When Drell passed him a plate of salt, Alex looked askance. "The master gives us salt?" "The master gives us everything he can." Drell's voice was warm with the words, but he gestured at the plate again. "I'd never had it either, until I came here. Take a tiny pinch, and dust it over the potatoes. It takes almost none, have you never had it before." Alex, under Drell's watchful eye, salted his potato. The tentative bite he took soon gave way to a larger, more enthusiastic spoonful. He finished the meal with some honey bread, and a long drink of cold milk. "How is the milk so cold?" "A cave. Not a real cave, it's one the master had made, there's an underground spring runs through it, and vent holes. Still, keeps the milk and other things cold, even in summer. In winter, of course, it's usually warmer than outside. There's a smaller room above the cave, we put the milk in there in winter. You'll see when you do your turn in the kitchens." Drell pushed back, full, and began to clear his place away. "I must get back, I've a bitch that got into a fight with a goat and lost. Fitz has all but healed her, but he could do nothing for the fact that she's confined to inside and near mad with the need to run. Good day, Jade." "Good day, Drell." Alex cleared his own place, and saw Gibson waiting near. The boy made a sweep over his head, then pointed to Alex and to the stairs. "Sable? This is Sable?" Alex repeated the sweep that obviously referred to Sable's lack of hair, and Gibson nodded. Alex figured the rest out easily enough. "Sable asked you to walk me to the master's study?" Gibson seemed relieved that Alex had gotten it quickly, and they headed out the hall and up the stairs. Alex paused half-way up, but he was only tired, not dizzy. Still, he made sure to hold onto Gibson's shoulder until he was rested enough to continue. When they stood outside the master's door, Gibson knocked. There was no response, and the boy pointed to a small bench beside the door, held a hand out palm up, and then made the symbol for the master. "I should just sit and wait here for the master? That's how it's done?" Alex felt more comfortable making direct inquiries of Gibson, though he couldn't say why, unless it was his obvious advantages over the boy. Alex remembered to smile his thanks to the child, and with a wave, Gibson headed back to the stables. For his part, Alex closed his eyes briefly, just listening. From the sewing room he heard the rise and fall of feminine voices and laughter. From the kitchens came the sounds of both males and females hard at work. "May-rowrt." Alex opened his eyes to find the goddess standing before him. Alex bowed his head briefly, then reached into his pocket. A few small clean linen squares had been in his bundle, and Alex had put one into his pocket that morning. He now withdrew it, unwrapping it to reveal a bit of the meat from lunch. Alex had gambled that it would be allowed, and Drell had clearly seen what he was doing, and had made no comment. Now, Alex laid the meat on the floor in front of the cat. "Sahereta, greetings, to you." A blink of vivid blue eyes and she nosed the contents. Ignoring the beef, she hooked the mutton sliver, eating it with pleasure, before walking around his offering and leaping up on the bench beside him. She rubbed her head against his hand, and Alex hesitantly stroked the silky back, feeling the cat raise her back to fit his hand. A low purr signaled her pleasure, and he was actively petting her, with great reverence, when the master appeared. Fox felt his eyebrows rise as he took in the picture. Danally wouldn't even allow him to pet her like that, and he was almost jealous. But then he saw the relaxed look to the boy's features, the way the eyes held nothing but gratitude and respect for the privilege he was being granted. Alex was handsome, there was no denying that. He might be too thin, heavily scarred and pale, but the eyes were breathtaking in their color, the lashes almost sinful and the mouth full and strongly shaped. In a few months, did he make it, Alex would be lovely indeed. Danally chose that moment to leap down, and Fox quickly cleared his mind and face, eyeing instead the scraps on the cloth. Alex followed the gaze and felt a flush. He swallowed nervously, but Fox only said neutrally, "She never takes beef, and seldom chooses ham. She prefers poultry to mutton, but her favorite is fish." Fox opened the door of his study and Danally followed him inside. Alex retrieved his cloth and entered as well. He stood, head bowed, eyes down, until Fox sighed. "Jade, you are being respectful, and while that is both good and appreciated, I prefer to see your face and eyes when I speak to you. Will you try to remember to look at me when we talk?" "Yes, Master." Alex did so, and Fox motioned to a chair. Alex sat down, his tension obvious. "Relax, Jade. I called you here to praise, not to punish." The words brought to mind the fact that Sable had been spanked by this man, in this room, not two hours ago, and Alex flushed. "I suppose I shouldn't have used those words with you, not after this morning. Still, we get nowhere, do we not seek the truth. You know that I punished Sable this morning?" "Yes, Master." It was hard for Alex to keep his head and eyes up, especially when he felt himself blushing. "Do you know how?" Alex bit his lip, then answered cautiously, "I know how he said he was punished." "Sable doesn't lie, Jade. Not even when it would suit him better did he do so. I spanked him, Jade. It wasn't a very long spanking, nor a very hard one. I wish I hadn't had to, but there are things even I can't change. At least, not yet. He was right to say what he did to me, but he should not have said it in front of others. Had someone else, someone not from Samstar Fields, heard him speak to me so, the penalty would have been severe, and there would have been nothing I could have done to prevent it. I gave him a reminder of that fact, nothing more. I bent him across my thigh and slapped his bare bottom a dozen times. That was all, Jade, and both of us knew it was necessary. I could do no less, not and fulfill my responsibility to keep him safe. Can you understand why I punished him?" "Yes, Master." And he did, he understood clearly that Sable had deserved it. He was still unsure how he felt about the method of punishment, but it was merciful, there was no denying that either. "Good. Do you have any questions or concerns about it, before we move on?" "No, Master." "Very well. Then let us move on to more pleasant things. You did very well this morning, Jade. It made me happy to see that you would risk helping us already, and I do know that you considered it a risk. At Samstar Fields, we expect good behavior. And, just as we punish bad behavior, we reward exceptional behavior. Therefore, I would like to reward you, Jade, for this morning. The only problem is, you have not been with me long enough for me to have learned what you would like as a reward, so I must ask. How may I show my appreciation? What would you like?" Alex was at a loss. He was about to say so, when an idea struck him. "Master, I do not know the value of many things, so if I ask too much, please, forgive me. I-it will be ignorance, not greed, that causes me to err." "I will bear that in mind." Fox didn't look mad, in fact looked pleased at what Alex had said so, with a quick lick of his lips, Alex continued. "Master, I would like a razor. I-I do not like a beard, but have never been allowed a blade. I do not ask for one now, only the use of one daily. You could give the blade to Fitz or Sable, and they could watch as I used it, then it could be returned for safe-keeping." "I think we can do better than that, Jade. You may have a razor, that requires no permission from me, nor do you need watching to use it. Our metalsmith will gladly sell you one for two pewters, and Sable can teach you how to shave. Do you have two pewters?" "Yes, Master." "Then you have your razor. Now, you did well, you thought of something you would like and asked honestly for it. And if you prefer, I will happily buy your razor for you. But now that you know you can get one for yourself, I'd like you to think again of some way that I can reward you." "Yes, Master." Alex noticed Danally on the desk, and saw Fox open the little bowl and hand her a treat. "Master, the little bowl...may I ask what's in it?" "Dried fish pieces. Fitz makes them special for Danally and the kennels." "I would like to have some, to give to the goddess as offerings. May I buy those, too?" "Probably. Though if they're to be offerings, you might prefer Fitz to show you how to make them, instead. He wouldn't mind, you'll be doing a turn working with him, too." Alex saw that the master was right, it would be a better offering did he make them himself. He supposed that wouldn't do for a reward, either. "Master, forgive me, but I can think of nothing. You've already been so generous, to ask more would be wrong, even could I think of anything more." "Nothing to forgive, little Jade. Very well, I have a thought. Look at me, please." Alex had dropped his eyes from habit, and now he quickly drew them up again, Fox's look of patience reassuring him. "Jade, when I read last night, did you enjoy it?" "Yes, Master, more than anything I can remember." "We will begin your lessons in the afternoons, starting today. How would it be if I read to you a little at the beginning and end of each lesson? A week's worth of extra stories isn't much, I know..." For the first time in years, Alex interrupted a master. "Oh, but it is, Master! The way you read, I can see it all, the words come alive!" He could have bitten off his tongue, but Fox seemed delighted by the response. "Thank you, Jade. A week's worth of extra stories it is, then." He moved to the shelves, looking for the right book. Danally walked across the desk, winked at Alex, then settled herself down comfortably in his lap. Ten minutes later, Fox closed the book, carefully marking the spot where he'd left off. He took off his glasses, giving the young man across from him a chance to gently return to earth. Fox had been glad to read to him, getting his own reward by the look of rapt absorption on the boy's face. The eyes had lightened until they reminded Fox of spring grass, and the long lashes hadn't more than fluttered the whole time. Alex had been stroking Danally almost absently while he listened, and the cat, in Fox's opinion, seemed on the verge of orgasm, goddess or not. In fact, she glared rather resentfully at Fox when he ended, then rose, stretched every muscle in her lithe form, and moved to the desk. Alex watched as the master took out a small canvas. There were letters printed on it, and Fox propped it up where Alex could see it clearly. The master then took out a flat blackened board, and some small oval pieces of smoothly shaped rock. He put these in front of Alex, and by Danally as well. The cat yawned, then sat up, looking attentive. "Jade, as you know, it is illegal to teach slaves to read and write. Here at Samstar Fields, we are always very careful to obey the letter of the law. However, with the spirit of the law, we take occasional liberties. I am not going to teach you to read and write, as that is illegal. I am going to attempt to teach Danally to read and write. That is not illegal. If, in your duties as my assistant and helper to Danally, you should happen to learn something, that is hardly my fault." Alex actually allowed himself to grin. Now, all the veiled comments made sense. It was smart, very smart, and Alex was relieved that, if he should be asked, he could answer honestly. And he was thrilled that he was going to learn to read. Hearing the master read, seeing the other slaves reading, had given Alex a strong determination to master this skill. Fox saw the spark of desire in the green depths, and was glad of it. Fox showed him how the stones would leave white marks on the board, and could then be erased with a swipe of cloth. "It will be your job to copy the letters for Danally. She detests chalk, it mars her nails. Still, she must learn the letters, is she to read. You will kindly act as her hands during these lessons." "Yes, Master." Alex took up the stone in his left hand, and Fox paused. "You are left-handed?" "I-I think so, Master. I am for most other things." Alex switched it to his right hand, and Fox shook his head. "No, Jade, put it back in your left. It is not wrong to use the left hand. It is simply unusual. I know, I am also left-handed, though I have learned to use either. It was the only way some of Danally's helpers could make her letters the correct way. It will be a welcome relief to be able to show Danally the left hand methods. And now, Danally, if you are ready, we will begin." The cat turned to Alex looking at him intently. "I will do my best, Goddess, and am grateful for the chance to act as your hands." Seemingly satisfied with this answer, she turned back to a slightly uncomfortable Fox, and gave a small meow of assent. It went quickly. Alex focused on Fox's voice, thrilled that the man was pointing to the letters as he said them, and showing the way to make them as he spoke their sounds. It meant he would be able to remember them, and when the lesson ended, Fox indicated the extra board and chalk. "Take this with you tonight. I would like to see three examples each of the first five letters by tomorrow, so that I can check that Danally is making them correctly." "Yes, Master." Alex took the chalk and the board, as well as an example of the first five letters that Fox had copied for him onto a scrap of parchment. "Jade, I do not want you to become discouraged. It takes time to learn this, and Danally may struggle before she gets it, or she may never learn it, some cats don't. I want you to know, so long as you try, make a real effort, it matters not to me whether Danally ever learns to read or not. I do this because I know that a cat that can read, can do much more than one that cannot." Fox was smiling as he spoke, but Alex knew the master was serious, despite the phrasing. "I understand, Master. But I have hope the goddess will learn easily enough." "As do I. Now, I have thought of a few things you might need to know. The razor you may get at the metalsmith shop, we've discussed that. I will have one of the boys show you the common washroom. It had slipped my mind that you didn't exactly get the standard introduction to Samstar, due to your illness. "In it, you will find soap, towels and a mirror. I would advise you to buy your own toweling from Agnes, the early risers tend to leave the communal ones quite damp. I furnish the soap, but it is plain. Do you wish a scent or other special quality, you may purchase it from Fitz or Leona, they share that duty. If you wish to purchase a new comb, the woodwright will sell you one, or you may keep the one you've been using for one pewter, payable to me, as it was mine." Fox's twinkling eyes told Alex he held no grudge for the loss of his comb. "As for other things, I supply two candles a week. It is a lot, but I require my slaves to help Danally with reading and writing, and for this they need light. Extras may be purchased from Leona. Jade, you may have noticed that many things here are for sale. There are several reasons for that." Fox came around, sitting in a chair next to Alex, removing his glasses, and squeezing at the bridge of his nose. It made Alex remember Gibson's symbol for the master, and his mouth twitched. "What is it?" Fox asked it so quietly, Alex told him without thinking about it. "Your nose. I was remembering Gibson's sign for you, the long nose..." Alex trailed off, paling, but Fox's laughter eased his fear. "Oh, yes, my nose. I sometimes think it's where my mother got the name, it must have been large even when I was a babe. And, yes, I am a curious fox, and a sly fox and any other kind of fox you can name. Fear not, little Jade, I have heard them all, and couldn't agree more. My name may be my bane, but it is also very apt." Fox reached out, giving Alex's shoulder another of those warm squeezes. "But, I was about to be all-knowing again, let me return to it. I have things for sale for many reasons. The first is simple business. This is a large keep, with many people living in or near it. They have needs and, while I do my best to meet them, I need help. By selling extra items, I make enough to ensure everyone has the basics. Another reason is that all of you are working for your freedom. Once you are free, you will need to buy things as any other freeman does. I want you to be used to that, prepared for that type of life. It would be wrong to send you away with no idea how to act or what to do. So, we practice here, make our mistakes here, where it is safe to do so. "The final reason I have you buy things here is that I will sometimes send you into villages or towns on business for me, and I would like to know you will acquit yourself well with my money when you do so. You will have to buy things for me, trusting in your own judgement as to whether or not they are worth the cost. So, I may seem more merchant than master but, like all things here, it has a purpose." Alex considered this as Fox cleaned his glasses. "Oh, yes. You are well enough, I think, to be moved to a regular room. Would you prefer the main house or the stables?" Remembering his conversation with Sable, Alex chose the main house. "Very well. When we finish, you can move your things and settle in, then head back to the stables. There are still a few hours until even meal. It won't take long for you to get the tour and move your things, and Sable will be glad for the company. Most of the stable hands go to the village on their day off, so it's just Gibson and Sable for now." Fox turned to the desk, picked up the book, and settled back to read for another fifteen minutes or so. "Shall we?" "Please, Master." Alex was smiling, and Fox felt his heart lift as he opened the book. When the time was up, Fox found himself regretfully stopping. Were it not for the fact that he had an important meeting to prepare for, he would have kept reading without hesitation. Fox bit back a sigh, having noticed that they bothered the young man, though he couldn't imagine why. Standing, Fox moved to the doorway and tugged a small cloth pull. When the door opened a few moments later, a young girl came inside, inclined her head at Alex before turning to Fox. "Yes, Master?" "Meave, please ask one of the boys to come up. Tell them Jade needs the usual introductory tour, and to move into a room. Repeat, please." Alex had long since figured out this was a standard order, and he thought, a good one. It made sure any mistakes were the result of sheer carelessness or malicious intent, and thus, less likely to occur. The girl obeyed and soon, a boy of about seventeen was knocking on the open door. "Ah, Thomas. This is Jade. Meave told you his needs?" "Yes, Master, newcomer show about and welcome speech, plus a room." Fox grinned at the alternate phrasing, but only nodded. "Good. Thank you, Thomas. Jade, my thanks to you again for your help." "Master." Alex blushed, not sure what to say in return, but his shy smile seemed to do well enough. He stood, bowed to the cat, and followed Thomas out into the hall. When he'd gone, Fox looked at the feline form sprawling across his desk. His brow wrinkled as he studied her. "Goddess." He was only thinking aloud, but Danally looked up and made a meow that sounded suspiciously like she was saying, "Yes?" Fox stared at her, then leaned close and said with great deliberation, "You, madam, may be a goddess to that wounded creature that just left, but to me you are nothing but a beloved pampered cat and an excuse to teach slaves to read. You will never be anything more, do I not see the dead raise or similar miracles. Have we an understanding?" Danally glared at him, then twitched her tail and looked away, licking one paw prior to washing herself. She hesitated, glanced back over with something approaching assent, and then ignored him while she saw to her ears. Satisfied, Fox went back to work. In the hallway, Alex found Thomas waiting, an arm out in invitation. "I know you were ill, do you need my arm? I don't use it for walking." There was nothing but good-nature in the grin, and Alex judged the boy sincere, but shook his head. "No, thank you. Not yet." "Do you need it, grab hold. And just yell for me to slow down, I tend to be fast in foot and speech, I've been called to heel before." The face belied this as more than exaggeration, and Alex saw that he was already deliberately slowing his pace, the lean form almost bouncing in place. "Right, first I thought we'd get your things, and then I'll show you about as we move you, sound alright?" "Yes, Thomas." The boy whirled, looking at him with concern. "Jade, you said that like you were addressing the master." "I do not know your status." Alex felt it odd that he should have to explain his care, but Thomas only gave him a look of compassion and began to speak frankly, but with another touch of humor. "My status is more than a boy, not yet a full man. I am the devil of my mother's older years, the pride of my father's age, and working hard to being the dream of all young and beautiful women, though I don't mind a handsome lad. I am a hard fast worker, a harder and faster player and, despite it all, a sensitive sort. I am head boy of the inner yards and keep, and your fellow worker. And we are equals, as are all here that work well for the master. Call me Thomas, call me friend, call me an idiot. But never call me more than yourself, agreed?" Alex nodded, unsure what to say in the face of such an introduction. "Right, enough of me. Let's gather your things, get you all settled in, let you relax proper." They walked quietly, Alex taking Thomas's arm for the stairs, still not trusting them alone. They paused to let him rest at the bottom, and then cut through the halls, entering the kitchen. It was the usual flurry of activity, but Leona spared them a smile and a wave as they passed. Thomas took a peek and his face lit up. "Dumplings?" He asked it of a girl working diligently at a floured table, and she nodded without ever looking up. "Chicken dumplings in vegetable stew. But don't tell anyone, it's a surprise for Lang, he's back today. Leona thought he deserved something special for finding River a family so quickly." "That's true enough, bless his stringy hide." This was said without malice, and the girl working the dumplings paused to flash a wide smile and beautiful blue eyes. "On with you now, I've work to do." She sounded like Leona, and there was an approving nod from across the kitchen. Thomas swept them a mock-bow, eliciting giggles, and they left. "Ah, that girl's a right one. Those eyes, heaven help us all. Besides, the lass can cook near as well as Leona. She's almost enough to make me give up my wild ways before they've even set well." He'd been gathering things as they spoke, and now he reached into a chest, pulling out a small bag. "We'll borrow this to carry it all, and return it to the master when we're done." "The master?" "Aye. Has no one told you?" Thomas gave him a sideways look but continued packing. "The master has a room upstairs, of course. But he doesn't sleep well at night, and wanders about. His comings and goings tended to wake the others, and besides, his room has only a small window, and the master likes to see the heavens. The kitchens are right here and the outdoors just there. It is used for a sick room, when needed for such, but usually, this is the master's bedroom." Alex had guessed as much from the way the boy was talking, but he was still shocked. He'd been using the master's room, sleeping in the master's bed. And still, he'd been untouched. Alex remembered that first morning, saw again the master knocking softly... He'd knocked at the door of his own room, simply because Alex was in it. Feeling a bit dizzy, he swayed, and Thomas' arm, lean but surprisingly strong, was instantly around him, leading him surely toward a chair. "Easy there, Jade. Take a slow, steady breath, that's it. Good, again, please." Alex obeyed from instinct, but it did help. He became aware that the room was no longer spinning, and that Thomas' hand was rubbing a soothing pattern up and down his back. He stiffened slightly, and the hand lifted at once. "It was a comfort, Jade, not an advance." The boy's face was sober, the first time Alex had seen it so, and the words rang true. He nodded, believing the statement, and the young face relaxed back into its easy good humor. "Course, you are a handsome one, and worth a few advances, but I'll wait until you're fully healed. Then, do you find them unwelcome, you can send me on my way proper." It was meant to reassure, and it did. Alex didn't for a moment believe that the boy found him attractive, but he allowed himself ghost a grin. "Right, here are your things, am I missing aught?" Alex scanned the room from his chair. He spied the comb on the bedside table and nodded to it. "The comb. I owe the master a pewter." "Have you got one? I've an extra few I can loan." Alex was stunned again, but covered it well, he hoped. "I have one. Thank you." "Welcome. Feeling better? Ready to find your room?" They left, moving to the feast hall, but instead of going through it to the main hall and stairwell, went to the other side. There, Alex saw another stairwell, not broad but wide enough for two to pass comfortably. Thomas put an arm around Alex's waist as they ascended, dropping the arm as soon as they reached the landing. It was a long hallway, with two large doors at the end. Thomas opened the first door on the right. It was a narrow room, no more than eight by ten, but there was a small square window in the outer wall, letting in the sun. Under it, a half-circle table set with a plain pitcher and basin, a mug, and a candlestick holder. A chair sat beside it, back to the wall. A fireplace was on the end wall, not very big, but promising warmth and extra light. There was a wide shelf on the mantle piece, and rush bundles neatly stacked on the side. On the wall by the door were a row of pegs and a small chest. In the middle of the floor was a low platform holding a mattress. It wasn't very big, but looked large enough that Alex guessed even Sable could lie on it and not hang off. The ticking looked very clean, if mended in a spot or two, and Thomas nudged it with his foot. "Cleaned straw, but the cover makes it comfortable enough, especially with a blanket. I noticed you have an extra already, you'll be set well." "How many others?" Alex hoped it wouldn't be many, he was in no shape to fight yet. "Other what?" Thomas sounded distracted, busy looking through a heavy key set. "Other people. In the room. How many do I share with?" "None. Jade, this is your room. Just yours." As he said it, Thomas selected a key, holding it triumphantly, before moving it off of the ring. "Aha! Knew it was one of those three. This fits the lock on the chest as well as the door. Clever design, that, wouldn't you say? Right, now take care with this, because while the smith has a master of it, it takes a week to make a new one, and the master charges a whole copper for new keys." He held it out to Alex, looking at the man's face for the first time. "Sweet mother mercy, sit down, Jade!" The man was pale and trembling violently. It was only the door frame that had let him remain standing, and Thomas quickly helped him into the chair. "Are you ill again? Shall I call Fitz?" Alex shook his head. How could he describe what he'd just been given? He'd been sleeping on the battlements when it was possible, hiding in whatever deserted corner he could find before then, when he hadn't been locked in one of the dungeon rooms or the mistress' closet. He'd had no covering but what he could fashion or steal, no light or no heat, and sometimes neither of both. But it was the key that had made him weak with shock again. A key. He could lock the door. Alex took it in trembling fingers, seeing in it a night without interruption, save from the master. True, he might be ordered to sleep with someone, but he'd be safe from the other slaves, at least. There would be no more casual rape, no more midnight beatings from those as desperate as he was. He could have privacy. He'd not had that for so many years he'd never dreamed of having it again, not while he was a slave. He could lock the door. Alex stared at the key, feeling tears start in his eyes, not daring to breathe. He'd been led to the edge of hope many times since coming here, but never so close to tumbling over the precipice as he was right now. Thomas said nothing, but knelt beside the chair, arm on the back of it, not touching Alex, but near enough for his presence and warmth to be felt. Alex searched the young face, desperately needing to find nothing but the truth. "Y-you do not lie? The key works for the door?" Thomas nodded, looking almost pained. "Forgive me, Jade. I earned my freedom price very young, scarcely a month after I was made a slave, and I've only ever lived here that I remember. In my fortune, I sometimes forget the terrible fate I was spared, and what my everyday blessings mean to those who were not. Your pardon for my lack of thought." The words held regret and guilt, but no deception. "Here, can you stand? Try it, Jade." Thomas rose, going into the hall. Alex stood carefully, closing the door slowly. His hand was shaking, but he fit the key into the lock and turned it. When it clicked, Thomas made a point of trying the door, turning the handle this way and that, and shoving hard. It didn't budge. Alex all but slumped against it, breath catching in a sob. "Jade, I'm going to go get you something to drink. Will you be alright until I get back?" "Yes." He said it softly, then louder, so Thomas could hear him through the door. He heard the boy leave, footsteps going down the stairs. Alex groped for the chair, found it, and tried to stop the room from spinning, fought the pain of his own breath, so sharp it seemed to cut as he inhaled. Remembering Thomas' words from earlier, he took slow deep breaths. It helped again, and when he heard the boy returning, he was able to stand. Thomas knocked. "Jade, it's Thomas, I've brought you some watered wine. Please, may I come in?" Alex unlocked the door, marvelling at the strange sense of power he felt from the light weight of shaped iron. Thomas came back in, handing Alex the mug. A careful drink, then another, and Alex was back in control, or close enough to it. He saw that the young man still looked distraught, and gratitude led Alex to place a hand awkwardly on the slender shoulder, but he was at a loss as to what to say, until he remembered the boy's introduction. "Is this when I call you an idiot?" Thomas' eyes shot up, and he scanned the green eyes, seeing what Alex was really saying. A hesitant smile quirked the corners, and he sighed in relief. "At the very least. I wouldn't blame you, did you call me far worse. Please, sit and drink, rest a moment. Let me put your things away for you, it's little enough I can do as amends." Alex, tired from the emotional strain, nodded, sitting back down in the chair. He watched as Thomas gratefully undid the pack, folding and putting the clothes away neatly in the chest. He put the comb on the table and hung the cloak from one of the pegs. He took one of two candles out of the chest, put it in the holder, and then took the blankets, making the bed quickly. The fire was already laid, and Thomas picked up the pitcher, left for only a moment, then returned. It now held water, and Alex's medicine bottle and clean bandages were placed on the table beside it. The chalk and board were placed on the mantle shelf. There was nothing else to do, and just as Thomas turned to suggest they finish the tour, a bright blur strolled into the room. "Danally? What are you doing here ?" The cat ignored him, choosing instead to walk the length and breadth of Alex's bed, before deeming it acceptable. She then moved to Alex, looking up expectantly. "Goddess, you have overwhelmed me. I will try to be worthy, and I promise to show my gratitude as soon as I may. Whatever you ask, it shall be done." He moved to kneel before her, lowering his head. Thomas was about to question Alex's mental state when he was shocked senseless by the sight of Danally-Don't-Touch, the keep's affectionate nickname for her, bumping Alex's forehead with her own, before rubbing her back against his head. She gave a small sound of pleasure and left as quickly as she'd come. "Bugger me..." Thomas slapped a hand across his mouth quickly, deciding the safest bet would be to pretend what had just happened, hadn't. "Uhm, yes, the rest of the tour, right. If you're ready?" Alex was, and they left the room. Thomas waited, looking pointedly at the key, and Alex realized that he could lock his things in his room. He did so, and threaded the key onto one of his shirt ties. Thomas then led him down the hallway, to the last room on the left. It was a communal washroom, and there were pots of soap and buckets lining the room. Towels hung drying on pegs, and low stools were pushed against the wall. A large fireplace held banked embers and a large iron pot. "This is the one for the lads. The ladies have their own wash in a room off the kitchen. It's more secure for them, that way. Of course, lots of folks simply use the washroom to take care of their chamber pots, bathing in their room. That's fine, just come get your pitcher of hot water and back you go. The children take their baths early evening, right after even meal. The room's off limits then, to protect them." They stepped out, and Thomas indicated the large double doors. Alex could easily hear laughter and playing behind it, and guessed rightly it was the children's wing. "We all take a turn there. It's part of the work rotation, but more, it lets the children know us all, so that if there's a stranger, a real one, they won't go easy. It's just to keep the little ones safe, so no one minds too much." He indicated the rooms on the opposite side of the hall. "Storage, save the last door. That one is Fitz's display room, and open to all, is he about." "Display room?" "Aye. Fitz lived many places, and it's got all the things from his travels out for folks to see. He's made little notes, telling you what each thing is, where it's from and the like. There's a map on the back wall, shows you all the places, too. I love that room, I've spent hours there on days off. Of course, it's best if Fitz is about, he tells the best stories while you look. He might be in... Oh, no, wait, he's gone to the village, good man. Bless him, he's going to be worn to dust, does he not stop soon and rest. You can take the man out of the church, but not the church out of the man. Robes or not, he's still answering every call in the name of the lord, and us are lucky for it." Alex stored the knowledge that Fitz had been a priest, not surprised, now that he thought of it. He followed Thomas as the boy led him out of the keep and toward a near field. It was set apart from the rest of the keep, but the outbuildings were near enough that it was an easy walk. "The smith shop. I'll introduce you." Alex felt for the pouch tied to his waist strings. It was still there, and he paused, undoing it and explaining to Thomas, "I need a shaving blade. The master said I could buy one here." "Aye, two pewters, though if you've got it, spend three and get one with a better blade, saves money in the long term, and the handle's nicer." Alex bore that in mind, and then they turned a corner and he could see into the shop. It was bustling, and Alex realized he'd seen no one slacking since he arrived. Even the young ones did their work diligently. He placed this rightly as the result of the master's methods. The people loved him and seemed to find pleasure in their work. He recalled the feeling he'd had when Sable had caught him washing the buckets, or had praised his bright work. Alex knew then that, as soon as he was well, completely well, there'd be no slack in him, either. Thomas waved at several of the workers, waiting patiently as the man Alex assumed to be the smith finished hammering a piece. Alex took the opportunity to study the man, judging him to be easily the largest man he'd ever seen. Blonde hair had been gathered into a ponytail and then braided. It hung down past the man's waist and was as thick as Alex's wrist, tucked into the man's belt to keep it securely out of the way. He was easily a full foot taller than Sable, and near twice as broad, all of it muscle. Clean shaven, the man's profile showed him to be handsomely made, the cheeks and jawline near perfect for his size. A broad forehead, and blue-green eyes that were focused intently on his work. He looked to be in his late forties, but had the kind of youthful face that made it hard to judge. Done for the moment, the man put the hammer down, and one of the assistants waved at him. He looked around, startled, then smiled, wiping off his hands and coming around from the bench to greet them. Thomas smiled broadly and, when the big man was near, tapped his own lips. "Jade. His name is Jade." Thomas made almost no sound, but spoke as clearly as he could. The blonde pulled a small mirror out of his pocket, shaped his mouth, and then spoke the name carefully. Thomas nodded, and the man then turned to Alex, hand out in greeting. "Jade, welcome. I am Earlic, and I have no hearing." He paused, giving Alex a chance to assimilate this knowledge. Ever the mimic, Alex moved more fully in front of the near-giant, and spoke carefully, but at a normal speed. "I am Jade. I have no razor." He wasn't sure why he added it, but it seemed he'd done well. The big man grinned, eyes crinkling, and the handclasp was sure and warm, Alex's hand looking like a child's in comparison. "Follow me, please." The man led them out of the open workyard, into a large indoor workspace. At the back was a table with various items. He motioned to two razors, and Alex saw the difference Thomas had mentioned. They were both good, made well and to last, but there was something just a bit better about the three-pewter one. Alex pointed to it, and Earlic nodded, taking one off of a shelf set above the table. Alex counted out three pewters, and they traded. "Thank you." Alex said it sincerely, and the big man inclined his head. "All on this table is for sale. Do you need anything else?" Alex scanned the table, seeing things he would like, but nothing he thought he needed just yet. He shook his head, and Earlic led them back out to the yard. "I must get back to work, if there's nothing else. Again, welcome to you, Jade. Thomas, would you tell the master the spokes will be done by Friday, please?" "Tell the master the spokes will be done by Friday. Any word for Mum?" "Aye, tell your mother that I love her, and remind yourself, too." They shared a hug, and Thomas unashamedly kissed his father on the cheek, before leaving with a wave to the others. When they were headed back toward the keep, Thomas began to speak quietly. "He's not my real father, nor Mum my real mother. I was found when I was about a year old, in a crofter's hut, naked and near dead, a woman dead on the ground beside me. I was given enough care to ensure I lived, and was blessed that Frokey bought me for the master. Earlic and Maura asked to be allowed to adopt me. The master waited one month, to be legal, then let Da pay my freedom price, so I could be sold, legal. Of course, they didn't buy me, but it reads such in the papers. They're the only parents I've ever known, and good ones." "Are you going to be a smith?" "Me? No. Da would have liked it, but he knows I've no patience for it, and less talent. He was a little disappointed, but understands. And he's proud enough that I'm going to the university come summer." They had reached the keep now, and Thomas snagged an apple off the main table. Alex looked at them, and Thomas motioned for him to take one. "It's allowed, always. If you're going to the stables, you might take a few for Gibson and Sable as well. Now, if there's nothing else, I'll say goodbye for now. I've a couple of messages to deliver." Alex shook his head, feeling as though he couldn't absorb much else. "Thank you, Thomas." "Welcome, Jade. If you need anything, you have but to ask. I will look for you at even meal." He gave a cheery nod of the head, and was off. Alex took his razor up to his room, marvelling as he unlocked the door. He put it down on the table and looked around. Yes, the room was very small, but it was cheerful, warm, clean and had a window, however tiny. And it was his, complete with lock and key. Alex felt his emotions rising again and struggled to force them back down. He saw the comb on the table and thought of the master. A tear spilled then, despite his best efforts, but he was smiling, too. A quiet knock brought his head up, and he saw the man himself looking at him with concern. He was standing in the hallway, did not offer to enter, and Alex knew, suddenly knew with conviction, that barring an emergency, he would not, did Alex not grant him leave. "Jade? Is something wrong?" There was care in the voice, and it broke Alex's fragile control. For the first time in his long years of slavery, Alex moved to kneel before his master, of his own free will. He offered himself to this man, his doubts and fears still present, but only because his faith was such a new and helpless thing, it could not throw them off completely. "Master." Alex trembled as he knelt, his forehead on the floor, body flat to the ground. He was crying, could not stop, did not try. His tears belonged to the man standing before him, as did every other part of his being. And Alex was grateful. "Jade, what is wrong? Please, little one, tell me, I will help you if I can." This brought another sound from the prostrate form, and Fox knelt down, gently easing Alex to his knees. He tilted the bent head up, and felt his breath catch. Alex was tear-streaked, red-eyed and blotchy from crying. He was also incredibly radiant. The face was full of light, the eyes glowing and full of deepest emotions, and Fox thought the boy looked like an icon brought suddenly to life. "Jade?" "Master, Master, I am fine. I am...much more than fine. You've given me so much, Master, and given it all so freely. I don't know how to thank you, Master, how to begin to express to you how grateful I am." Fox, relieved that this was the cause for the tears, gave a small chuckle, but there was no mockery in it. He was just relieved, relieved enough to forget how new it would be to Jade, and so he moved the younger man into a warm embrace, a paternal hug. "You have no need to thank me, Jade. I but treat you as you should be treated, as a human being. It is common decency, Jade, no more. No, little one, I give you nothing but what you deserve, by simple virtue of being born. It is my shame that others in my station have given you so little. Do not thank me, Jade, or rather, if you would thank me, then do so constructively. Honor me with your behavior, little one. You are here because of the kindness of many people. Be kind to many in return. Do no harm, to yourself or to others. But most of all, Jade, most of all I would ask that you try to find happiness, peace. If you can do that, I will know your gratitude and be glad of it." Alex nodded, a part of him memorizing every word, willing it into himself like a sacred vow. The rest of him, the very human rest of himself that had nearly been lost, was too busy absorbing every sensation of being held while he cried. The arms around him were strong and sure, the touch conveying nothing but affection and comfort. Alex drew a deep breath and thought how the master smelled of sunshine and fresh air and books and candles. The shoulder under his head was broad enough to cradle him easily, and the warmth was indescribable. Alex felt it seeping into his own body, with every soothing drum of the master's heart, every smooth even breath. Alex's knees hurt from being on the floor, the master's must have been also, but Fox seemed content to hold him. Alex quieted, the thoughts of the master's discomfort the only thing that could urge him to leave the nearest thing to heaven he'd known in a long time. Easing back, Alex found the hazel eyes were intent upon him, the lips only faintly curved. Handsome, so very handsome, and such a soul... Alex, still whirling slightly from his emotional buffeting, spoke, but he was merely thinking aloud. "If the cat is a goddess, is it too much to believe that you are an angel?" Fox looked startled, but he was moved by the whispered words. "I am no angel, Jade. Nothing more than a man." Looking as though he wanted to say more, but wasn't sure what, Fox smoothed a lock of dark hair out of Alex's eyes. He helped them up, and motioned to the bed. "Jade, I know I told you to go back to the stables, but I'd like you to lie down instead. This was your first day about, after all, and it's been very trying for you. You don't have to sleep, though I think you could well use it, but I do ask that you rest, please." "Yes, Master." Alex tried to stand, but he was suddenly weak and so, so tired. "Will you let me help you?" Alex nodded, unable to even speak for his fatigue. Fox, to Alex's surprise, helped him to stand and then lifted him, carrying him as Sable had done. The master carried him the few steps to the bed, stood him briefly to his feet, and then helped him to lie down. Alex watched as Fox poured a mug of water and brought it to him, kneeling by the bed and helping him to drink it, then settling him back down. The second blanket was tucked securely around him, and one of those long hands again smoothed the hair from his face. "Jade, I spoke to Thomas. He had a message for me from Earlic, and I asked him how you liked your room. He answered me honestly, as he has been taught, so I know what happened earlier. I would ask that you hold no ill will toward the child for telling." Alex shook his head, his face conveying to Fox that he didn't. "Good, thank you. I mention this because I want you to know something, and while it is best for you to find it out for yourself, I think you might need to hear it outright, and from me. I do not engage in sexual activities with slaves. Never. No matter how willing, no matter how sincere our desire might be, no matter do they come to me. I have done so only once, and then only to save the slave's life. Aside from such extreme circumstances, I will never, ever do so again. "You are an attractive man, Jade, and doubtless have paid the price for that many times as a slave. You will not pay it here. There will be no sexual demands placed upon you from anyone, at anytime. You will not warm my bed, I will not come to your room in the night, no bedroom games of any sort will be played. Do you find another here of age and you mutually decide to seek your pleasure, that is your business and you need neither my permission nor my approval, both of which I would grant anyway. But you will never be forced to serve anyone in that manner while you are here and my slave. You're safe from that, Jade, I swear it on my sister's name." Alex, almost asleep, muttered drowsily, "Thank you, Master. But I think I already knew that." "Your answer pleases me greatly, little one." Fox did seem happy to have heard that, and now he eyed the drooping lids. "Is there anything else I can do for you before I go?" "Yes, Master." Alex fumbled for the money pouch, drawing it off and handing it to Fox. "I owe you a pewter, for the comb. Take it, please." Fox did so, holding it for Alex to see that he had taken one, and only one. He put the pouch on the mattress beside Alex, and then repeated his question. Alex could barely shake his head, and Fox tucked him in more warmly, brushed the hair from his eyes one more time, letting his palm linger briefly on the waving strands. "Rest, little one." Alex was already asleep when Fox left, closing the door silently behind him. Thomas was downstairs, waiting, and trying to look like he wasn't. Fox ruffled the boy's hair as he passed, and poured himself a cup of wine. "Master, is he alright? H-has he forgiven me, do you think?" "Yes, and yes. Thomas, you did nothing so wrong. Did you not have your father's tender heart, you would believe this already." It was a tease, but Thomas failed to rise to the bait. Fox sighed, rubbing a hand across his neck before throwing back the rest of his drink and turning to Thomas. "I had thought to avoid this, Thomas, but it seems we cannot. I will not have you grieving over naught. If you cannot forgive yourself, then I will help you to do so. Stand up, young man." He did so, facing the master, and with no signs of nerves save a quick swallow. "Thomas, have I ever lied to you?" "No, Master." "Then listen closely because I am not lying now. You did nothing wrong." "But I did harm by the way I told Jade..." "Thomas, do you interrupt?" The voice was quiet, but Thomas heard a trace of anger behind the words, knew them for the sharp scold they were. "No, Master." He took his lip between his teeth and subsided, waiting for Fox to continue. "By telling Jade the way you did, you let him know it was true far better than anything else could have. You didn't even consider it, Thomas, and that showed him plain that this is the way things are. Yes, it was a shock to him and yes, he was upset. But it was a good shock, a healing upset, Thomas, and not cause for censure. Am I understood in this matter, young man?" "It helped him?" This was an honest question, and not interrupting, and the master put a hand to the side of the young face, allowing some of the sternness to leave his features. "Yes, Thomas, you helped him. You helped him, then you apologized, then you made an amends, as best you could. Now, think you can cease your guilty thoughts, or do you need the palm of my hand to further inspire you?" "No, Master, no inspiration is necessary. I believe." "I hoped you would. Come, give me a hug and then off with you. Laze-about, I'm sure you've got work somewhere." The last was affection, Fox knew how hard the boy worked, and Thomas hugged him tightly in appreciation. "Thank you, Master." "Welcome, Thomas. Brat. Go on." Fox turned the now fully restored Thomas toward the kitchens, then sent him off with a playful swat. The boy chuckled, then moved off quickly. Fox rolled his head slowly, the tension in his neck still present. It had not been a good morning on several levels, but his complaint was tempered by Alex's breakthrough. If he believed himself safe from rape, that was quite something, considering the young slave's past. At least, the part of the past that could be seen in the deep scars he bore. Fox rubbed at his neck again, but hands moved his own away and began to work the muscles, seeking the tightest spots and urging them to relax. Saying nothing, but groaning meaningfully from time to time, Fox let his head slump forward, then actually moved long enough to sit down, leaning onto the table and feeling those wonderful strong fingers continue to relax the taut muscles. The hands moved down his back and then up again, and Fox gave a deep sigh of pleasure. Without a word, he caught one of the hands in his own, pulled it to his lips and kissed it in thanks. And then, with only the faintest of hesitations, he kissed it again, letting his lips linger, almost caress the palm. Sable's free hand stroked through the rich brown hair, coming to rest on the side of Fox's face. The younger man snuggled into it, and when Sable further dared to kiss the crown of his head, made a sound of deep contentment. "Thank you, Sable." "You're welcome, Moss." It was Fox's private name, known to only a handful of people, given to him by the Captain the day he'd hired her. It was also a rich rumble in Fox's ear, and he felt his body respond. Regretfully, he stood, letting his eyes find the dark brown ones, letting Sable see his longing, his need, his desire and love. It was all reflected back to him, and with a last caress to Sable's face, Fox turned and left. Sable's fists clenched, and his breathing was tight, but long practice soon let him relax. He paused long enough to swear with great fluidity and imagination, then continued on to the stables. When Alex woke, it was with a gradual awareness. He noticed first the bed under him, then the blanket over him, and finally opened his eyes, seeing the door. It brought everything rushing back, and he closed his eyes again, needing a moment to finish putting it all together. His musings were interrupted by a soft scratching at his door. Curious, Alex opened it, and Danally entered. She leapt onto the trunk and eyed him curiously. "Goddess." He made his bow, and the cat gave her usual nod in return. She then bumped her head against his forehead, and he obligingly stroked her sleek back. "I have so much to thank you for, Goddess. I owe you every obedience, and it is yours. You have but to make your wishes known, and it shall be done." This answer seemed to satisfy her, and she left his room, paused, and looked back over her shoulder, as though beckoning. Alex followed, and she led him to the washroom. "You wish me to bathe?" Her look said plainly that she did, and he entered hesitantly. He took a bucket of hot water from the kettle, added cold for comfort, and found one of the small bathing squares. Alex washed his face and neck, but a paw hooked his shirt, tugging lightly. This he wasn't so sure about, but he kept his vows. He removed his shirt and began to wash to the waist. He'd just soaped when the door opened and another man entered. Alex had never met this servant, and he tensed, ready for a fight. "You must be Jade. Frokey said I'd know you by your eyes and your scars." The words made Alex tense even more, but to his surprise, the man only held out a hand, palm up. "Name's Lang. Welcome to Samstar Fields." Alex looked to the cat, who was looking back expectantly. Swallowing his nerves, Alex took the hand. "Thank you." He kept the contact brief, but Danally seemed pleased, and there was a light of respect in the other man's eyes. "He said you were brave, too. He was right. Now, for myself," he paused, stripping off his shirt, revealing a thin pale frame, and picked up a bucket and soap pot of his own. "I'm known by my birds. Doubtless you've been warned to avoid the aviary, unless with me." Alex nodded, finishing his own bath and drawing his shirt back on. He felt the tension lessening as Lang showed no signs of interest in anything but getting clean. "That's a relief. The last time someone forgot to warn a new slave, they woke the whole keep. The master was not pleased. No one was, now that I think on it." Alex wondered if he could leave now, but his single step was met with a glare from Danally, who paused in her own grooming to do so. Alex decided to give his hair a wash, not willing yet to strip further. He did so carefully, one eye on Lang. When the man turned to the side, Alex saw that he was branded, a strange intricate design on one hip. Lang, apparently not having much fear himself, had stripped completely, and was sitting on one of the low stools, his only covering a bushy mane of light blonde hair. "The brand's a story for when I know you better, but you've been here three days so far and that's usually as long as it takes." This cryptic comment was followed by silence as Lang poured a bucket of clean rinse water over himself. Alex had finished with his own hair, and now he saw Danally leaving. "That's odd, the Empress there usually avoids this room like the plague." Lang looked thoughtful, and Alex decided to risk his own leave. He made what he hoped was a polite head motion toward Lang, had it returned, and gladly went to his own room. He closed the door, saw that the cat was nowhere to be found, and picked up his comb. He quickly slicked his wet hair back, re-tied it, and headed downstairs. He made for the stables, and if Sable wondered at his decision to bathe before coming back to work, he made no mention of it. "Jade, good. I thought I'd show you how we groom the horses here. Lang's horse is just finished with the cool- down walk, I can take you through it." He led Alex to the main stable yard, where Gibson was walking the ugliest horse Alex had ever seen. It was a light grey color, but had dapples of brown and black and even some whitish streaks all over it. The mane was a darker grey color and the legs were darker, too. The body was well made, though, and despite the fact that the horse was obviously tired, it moved with grace. Gibson brought it to Sable, and was dismissed with a pat on the head. "Jade, this is Hammer, Lang's personal horse. He bought him from the master as a colt, and so do I ask you to fetch a horse for Lang, this is the only one, just as no one is to ride Hammer but Lang." "Yes, Sable." Alex had stopped wondering at oddities. It was as though while sleeping, his brain had decided that, did Alex have lock and key, anything else might as well be true. Therefore he calmly accepted that a slave owned a horse, and gave his attention to the methods Sable was teaching instead. Sable saw that he had it, and left Alex in the stall to finish, saying that he'd come check in a few. It felt good, this repetitive brushing of sleek hide, the warmth of the animal under his hands. For his part, Hammer seemed content to let Alex groom him forever. The animal didn't so much as blink, and at one point grew so still Alex thought he might have fallen asleep. But the large black eyes were open, if glazed with content, and the horse snuffled him softly as he moved around front. "Yes, I bet it does feel good. You're weary, Hammer." Alex, mindful of Sable's earlier lessons, was speaking softly to the animal as he worked, and Sable heard him, pleased. The stablemaster eyed the work critically, pointed out a few places where a different technique would have been better, and re-checked when Alex was done. "Good. You do learn quickly, Jade, that will be an asset, especially when you move to a new area. You're thorough, too, that's good." The praise warmed Alex as much as the work had, and he let Sable see this. The big man beckoned toward one of the more expectant mares. "Help me check her, I think she's going to foal early. Calm her while I examine, please." Sable made his check, and while the horse didn't care for it, she tolerated it with a minimum of fuss. When Sable had come back out, and was washing his hands, Alex saw that his brows were drawn together. "I don't like the looks of this. The foal's in a fair position, but I'd hoped it would turn a little more before she got to this point. If Fitz were here, I wouldn't be as concerned, but there's no telling when he'll get back." "I'm back now." The voice startled them both, and they saw a tired, but grinning Fitz looking at them from the doorway. "It is rewarding to be wished for." "You are highly valued and much loved, Fitz, never doubt it. Though you may not be so grateful for your high esteem when I call you from your bed to help with this mare." Fitz chuckled and washed his hands before heading into the stall to conduct his own examination. He probed carefully, listening and stroking, and when he emerged, his face mirrored Sable's. "I think you're right, she'll be early, though I don't think tonight. Still, the foal can be turned more, and with little risk, it's good enough. There might be a few problems, but none too great. We should be able to save them both, even does she deliver tonight. She'll need watched tonight, close." This seemed to satisfy both of them, and the ringing of the iron for even meal effectively ended the conversation. Sable caught Gibson going toward the house and asked the boy to have a plate sent out. The boy repeated the order in his strange hand language and nodded. Alex hesitated a second and said quietly, "I could bring it back and stay with you. The master had me sleep earlier, so I missed some work time, I could catch up after the meal." "I'd like that, Jade. The company as well. Thank you." Gibson showed that he'd heard the change in plans, and soon Alex was asking one of the kitchen girls for a plate for Sable and himself. She returned with a basket, heavy enough to reassure Alex he'd not be missing out by eating in the stables. He carried the basket back out and found Sable in the outer room. He'd cleared the desk and drawn up a chair for each of them. "That smells good, and I'm hungry. Let's see what we've got." The basket first revealed bowls and plates for each of them, mugs and spoons. Next was a bottle of weak ale, followed by covered crocks of the vegetable stew, chicken dumplings and rice. There was a berry cream for dessert and a bottle of milk. Alex marveled again at the food, and soon they had things set up. Sable paused, and Alex recognized the moment of silence. He closed his eyes, sent his own thanks silently to Danally, and then watched as Sable began to serve himself. Alex copied him, piling the rice in the bottom of the bowl, and then pouring the vegetable stew on top of it. The dumplings, which he'd never had, he set to the side, watching as Sable speared one and took a bite out of the plump half-circle. It was delicious, and there was no sound for a long time save of the men enjoying the meal. When it was consumed, and the basket re-packed, Sable gave a sound of contentment. "I love those dumplings. Leona may have made them for Lang, but they're a treat for me as well." "They were good. Of course, everything here tastes good. I've never had food like this in my whole life." "Just wait until there's a feast day. Leona diverts half the staff to work in the kitchens, but then there's so much, and all of it special." "Why? I mean, cooking for the master, I understand that. But she works so hard to make so much for us. She's just feeding slaves, why does she work so hard?" Sable knew that it was difficult for Alex to ask questions, especially this kind. That thought reminded him to take care with his voice as he answered. "Jade, she takes care because we aren't just slaves. She's feeding people, most of whom she thinks of as family. We all try to do our best, not just for the master or ourselves, but for each other. What's the only real rule here, Jade?" "Do no harm." He'd heard them say it with that phrasing enough to know the answer. "Good boy. Do that and you'll have no problems. But there's a second rule, too, Jade. It's not as important, and you can ignore it, though I would advise against it. That rule follows the first. 'Then do good.' We are all very fortunate. We are all blessed. We acknowledge that by our actions. Our master is a good man, and he works hard to grant each of us more than just the necessities. He tries to give us a home. We repay him the best way we can, and that's by acting as a family. And families try for each other, without thought for themselves. They act out of love and consideration. That's why Leona and the kitchen staff work so hard. That's why the cleaning staff don't stop at the hall and the master's rooms, but make the whole keep sparkle. It's why the rushes in the stables are never old or rancid, why Drell's dogs aren't allowed to fight each other, why Lang rides hours and risks his life to find a home for a little boy that will never really be whole." Alex was rapt, frozen as he listened. It would make sense, could he just believe one thing. If he accepted that love was real, and good, then all of it, all that he'd seen and heard since he'd come here, would make perfect sense. It was the missing piece of the puzzle, the underlying motive for everyone's strange actions. And it was something he'd never ever considered. Sable noticed the young man's odd look, and held the basket out. Alex took it silently, thinking intently as he walked back to the keep. A family. Whose? Not his own, that was for sure. Aside from his sister, his home had been as cold and frozen as the ground of his mother's grave, not that he remembered much aside from her death. He'd been too young. But his sister had tried, had acted the ways Sable mentioned, and she had loved him, this he knew. So, he was to treat people the way she'd treated him. Alex reached the keep and carefully put all his thoughts away. He decided to give it a try. When he handed over the basket, instead of simply saying thank you, he shyly mentioned that the dumplings had been delicious, and that he'd never had such good food in his life. His praise brought a bright smile to the older girl that took the basket, and she dropped him a curtsey, promising to pass his praise along to Leona. With a last warm look, she headed for the kitchens, and Alex resumed his mental debate, adding the new evidence. When he returned to the stables, he saw that Sable was writing at the desk. The dark eyes looked up, and he paused. "Jade, I have nothing for you to do right now, but I'll need you in a few minutes, so take rest, but don't go far." Alex spied a blackened board and some chalk on the bottom rack of a shelf, and hesitantly asked if he might borrow it. Sable handed it happily, and Alex took a seat on the floor, hearing the sounds the master had made and, with it, seeing the image of him making the letters. Alex carefully attempted the first letter, using that square of cloth from earlier to wipe the board clean. It took him some time, but he was thrilled when the letter looked right, and made two more. "That's excellent, Jade. The master will be very pleased." Sable had finished, and was standing beside him, looking at the letters. "It is right, then?" "Yes, and well made. You've a good hand, Jade." "Thank you, Sable. N-not just for your praise but...well, for all you've done since I came here." Alex was scarlet with saying all this, but if that was how he was supposed to act, then he would have to get used to it, and the only way to get used to something was to do it repeatedly. "Jade, your words mean much to me. If I've made your change easier, I'm glad. If there is more I can do, you have but to ask, and I will try." Alex could say no more, and Sable showed his hand to Alex, then put it on the back of the younger man's neck, squeezing lightly but firmly. It was an affectionate touch, Alex knew this, but it had been done in a way guaranteed not to frighten or confuse him. He appreciated it, and his smile was real as he followed Sable out into the stalls. They worked well together, talking little, but Alex found he was enjoying the bigger man's quiet presence at his side. At one point, Sable stripped off his shirt, not wanting to ruin it with the grease he was using on the hooves. Alex lowered his eyes, wanting to look but trying to be respectful. "Jade, you may think this a ploy, but it is not. I give you consent to look your fill. Look, ask questions, do what you would, Jade. I...well, I would like you to know me." Alex saw that the last sentence had been hard for Sable, noted the faint flush. "Jade, I do not offer this simply for my own gratification. I do it to lessen your fears, to ease your mind further. I will enjoy it, that I cannot help, but that is not the purpose for my offer, and should you be uncomfortable, I will put my shirt back on, grease be damned." "No. Leave it off." Alex whispered it, unsure of the feelings going through him, but not afraid, either. Sable nodded, and went back to work, Alex beside him, handing him tools, holding the horse steady. Slowly, Alex let his eyes look, really look at Sable. He should have been afraid, being next to the larger man when he was half-naked. And there was a trace of fear present, Alex had been raped too many times for there not to be. He knew that he was safe from that, though he found it strange that he could be so sure. But sure he was, just as he knew himself safe from the master's desires. The back showed faint marks of a whipping from long, long ago. From their size and placement, Alex judged it to have happened when Sable was still a boy, though an older one. The scar from the collar looked to be younger, yet just as old, and Alex remembered that he had been given permission to ask. "Sable? You said that I might ask, but I would not cause you pain." "Ask, Jade. Does the question hurt too much, I will say so and no more." "Your neck, the scar there..." Alex saw the brown eyes flicker with pain, but they were not filled. He saw that the question didn't really bother Sable, and guessed it was a story he'd grown used to telling. "I was a freeman, once. My father held titles, lands, even slaves. We were rich, and if we were not a close family, we did not hate each other either. When I was sixteen, the world changed. It was a hard time, the politics no longer favored my father, and he had made enemies by virtue of being well to do. There were skirmishes along our borders, and I rode along to help patrol. On the way, there was a raiding party. I was recognized and taken hostage. I fought, but there were too many of them, and I was simply a gangly boy, almost as tall as now but all bones and nobs." Sable shifted to the next stable, lifting the horse's foot and getting comfortable before resuming his tale. "They overpowered me easily enough. I was taken back to camp, where the Earl that opposed my father was glad to see me. He told me that I was being held for ransom. He seemed pleased until, in my innocence, I foolishly spoke. See, I had been warned by my father that such an event might occur. It was not uncommon, and we were all but at war with the Earl's people. He allowed me to leave, so long as I had the clear understanding that, as his youngest son, I would not be ransomed, his gold needed to continue fighting or in reserve to ransom my brother, his heir. I was not hurt by this, it made sound sense to me, and with no ill will, I chose to take my chances." Alex shifted the horse a bit with his hip, keeping the leg bent properly for Sable, but he did so without thinking about it. To have been rich, to have owned slaves, and then to become one yourself must be worse than the way it had happened to him. He'd never known much and, while he'd never been beaten or raped as a child, there weren't that many differences in his actual lifestyle. Alex quieted his mind, Sable was speaking again. "Stupidly, I told the Earl as much. He knew it was the truth, could see that I was too naive for it to be a ploy. He was furious and decided that, if I could not be a ransom of war, then I could be a spoil of it. He had his men tie me to one of the wagons, stripped. He whipped me himself, and it was the first time I'd ever been hit, really hit. Still, I thought of my father and tried not to bring shame to our name. I managed to pass out before I screamed, and when I awoke, I was being collared and chained to the same wagon." Sable shifted, and his arm brushed Alex's as he reached for the grease again. The touch was accidental, Alex knew, but there was no denying the effect it had. His arm seemed to tingle where Sable's warm skin had been, and he was very aware of how close they were to each other. If Sable noticed, he didn't show it, only resumed speaking. "The Earl sold me the next day, to a hostler passing through, on his way to another kingdom completely. The man barely spoke, but I was afraid enough to obey. My first day as his slave, another boy had disobeyed him. The man whipped him with a knotted cord until the boy's back was in shreds. I was still trying to recover from the Earl's whipping, I knew I couldn't take that as well. Besides, I had a thought that if I could just hold out, stay calm and out of trouble, my father would come for me." Sable paused and, this time, the pain in his eyes was deeper. Alex hesitated, then gingerly let his palm rest on one thick shoulder. Sable startled, then gave Alex a grateful look, nodding that he could move his hand away. "I found out later that my father had died in his sleep only days after I left on the scouting party. My brother was killed in a skirmish only a month later, leaving me heir to our lands, but missing, a slave now, and helpless. The Earl claimed all our lands and holdings, telling everyone I had been killed in a raid as well. Since I'd been taken out of the kingdom, there was no one the wiser. The Earl had won." Sable's voice held a deep bitterness at this, but he only turned to the next horse, hands gentle despite the emotions. "I stayed with the hostler until I was twenty-one. A boy, even one already near his full height, does much of his growing in those last years before he becomes a man. I had been collared at sixteen, and now, five years later, was in the same collar. It was a solid metal band, there was no way to let it out some, no allowance made for the changes I was going through. "At twenty-one, I was bought by the master's father, but not brought here. I had learned a good deal about horses, all I could learn from the hostler, and now was sent to study under another nobleman's stablemaster, that I might be taught the current customs. By that time, I could barely swallow, and my air was beginning to suffer. The master's father had brought his son along. What no adult had noticed in five years, he noticed at once. Without consulting anyone, he ordered the healer and the smith, and by the end of that day, I was in bed, healing. His father was furious, he'd just bought me and now I was going to be in bed for two full weeks. They'd had to all but cut it out of my neck, but the healer was good, and I suffered no infection. He tried to tell his father that I would have died, had it not been removed soon, but Sir William thought it was just another weakness from his son, and I found out later that he'd made the boy wear a slave collar until I was well again." Sable had finished the horse's hooves, and now was washing his hands. "I tried to apologize, to thank him, but he wouldn't hear of either one. It wasn't the first time the master and his father crossed due to a slave, nor was it the last. They fought until the end. But that's not my story to tell." Sable had finished now, and he washed up before pulling a watch from his pocket. It was nowhere near as fancy as the master's, but it was a watch, nonetheless. He caught Alex looking at it and held it out. "It was a gift." The brown eyes had grown soft now with remembering, and Alex saw that there was an inscription. He trailed his fingers over the letters, wondering what they said. "Myra. That was my wife's name." Alex wondered about that, but knew that questions of that wouldn't be welcome, not yet. "It's very nice." "It also tells me that you're going to miss the reading if you don't go inside soon. We're done for the night, go on back." "I don't mind staying with you." Sable's eyes showed that, while he appreciated the thought, he didn't believe him. "Jade, we don't lie to each other here, not even to be nice." It was spoken gently, with a look of affection, but it was a scold, and the first one Alex had earned since his arrival. He bit his lip, dropping his eyes. "I'm sorry, Sable." "No harm, Jade. It was kindness that moved you, not desire to deceive. I only wanted you to know better, for next time." Alex nodded, still a bit unsure, and felt Sable's hand rest on his shoulder. "Now, little one, save your worries for a real offense. I only scold to teach, Jade, remember that. You have nothing to fear from me." "But what if I should commit a real offense? Would I have cause to fear you then?" "No. I do no more than scold or assign extra work, the master sees to any real punishments that are necessary. The worst I could and would ever do, would be to lecture you loud and long and make you muck for a month." It was said with a grin, and Alex felt himself relax a bit. "Now go on, if you're late for the reading, I'll be the one getting scolded, and by the master. Off with you." It was a tease, and Alex smiled, heading for the door. Half-way out it, he turned back, offered a shy word of thanks, then left. Sable stared after him, then settled down to wait for a foal. The days passed quickly after that. Alex worked hard, his strength returning quickly once he'd finished with Fitz's medicine. It felt good being able to work as long and hard as the others, and it added to his happiness. Alex grinned at the thought, but it was true. He was happy, happier than he could ever recall being. He slept warm, dry and safe. He ate well, was gaining weight and muscle, his body feeling better all the time. He was learning to read, making fast work of the letters, and he could play a beginner's game of chess. The evening stories fueled his imagination, filling a place in his soul he hadn't even known existed. All of these things led to Alex being happier than he'd ever dared dream possible. But there was more. Alex was making friends. He knew many people well enough to speak with them, knew more by sight. Evenings found him in a comfortable group, still quiet and shy, but part of his own group, talking and laughing and relaxing. He was no longer frightened around Sable or the master, had learned to meet their eyes and talk with them more easily. He couldn't quite bring himself to banter with them or speak of himself to them, but it was respect and awe of the men that kept him reserved, not fear. Every night, he gave thanks to Danally for her wondrous blessings, repeated his vow of obedience, and looked ahead to the day to come with pleasure. It was a shock then to suddenly, without warning, find himself in serious trouble. Alex had been in the stables with Fitz and Sable, assisting the men with an injured mare. It was a fairly deep cut, and Sable had specifically asked for Alex to assist them. The younger man seemed to have a gift with the horses, a knack for best knowing how to approach each animal, and they calmed to him immediately. They responded to his touch better than to anyone else's, Sable's included. They might answer when the stablemaster whistled, but all Alex had to do was to enter the building, and the heads appeared. Alex had worried that Sable might somehow be jealous, but the older man had quickly put any such fears aside. In truth, he'd had a moment of it, but it had been swiftly overcome by the relief on Alex's face as he realized he had another strength to offer in return for his keeping. Sable was assisting Fitz, holding the mare's leg, while Alex comforted her. Fitz was gentle, but there was nothing he could do to lessen the pain of having flesh stitched, and he had not been looking forward to the horse struggling. He'd never seen Alex's affect on the horses, though Sable had told him, and now he was pleasantly surprised to find the mare standing mostly still, Alex's hold on her head and steady stream of softly whispered words keeping her much more calm than expected. It was a true gift, and when they'd finished and were washing up, Fitz allowed gratitude to urge him to tease. "That was most impressive, Jade. Sable told me you had a talent, but it's really more a gift. You've another gift as well, with the hearing, I understand." Alex felt his body go cold and still, dread and fear filling his chest and stomach. Alex looked for Sable, but the stabler was in his office, writing notes. Alex shook his head, but he was standing slightly behind Fitz, and the man missed it, missed the sudden pallor his words were provoking, the pain filling the green eyes that had gone dark with tension. "Yes," he continued. "I'd say that, with both gifts, there must be more to you than meets the eyes. And, considering the cat as well, it's fairly obvious. It seems our Jade has some fairy bloo-" He'd turned as he spoke the last, and Sable came back out just in time to see Alex throw his fist into Fitz's face. The healer went down hard, blood pouring from his nose. "Jade!" There was shocked censure in the shout, and Alex again froze. Sable had quickly put himself between the two men, but there was no need. Fitz had the sense to stay down and only felt of his nose, not even looking at Alex. Sable saw that Fitz wasn't hurt badly, and turned to Alex. The face was whiter than Sable had ever seen it, the eyes filled now with a terrible anguish, the mouth open as though to speak, but nothing came out. "Jade?" Sable made his voice softer, calm, and saw the green eyes blink, causing tears to spill over. A shuddering breath, and Alex seemed to come back to himself. He looked at his fist, seeing the blood across his knuckles, then at Fitz, now eyeing him warily, but with a dawning comprehension in his eyes. At last, Alex turned to Sable. The big man had relaxed his posture, seeing that Alex was no longer a threat. He was worried, he was a little angry and he was still shocked. Alex saw all of this and tried to speak but, again, nothing came out. He was shaking, and now he felt his knees giving way from reaction. Sable took his arm, easing him to the floor, and looked again at Fitz. Sable decided to handle the immediate problem first. He took a clean cloth, dunked it in cold water and moved to kneel beside Fitz. He cleaned the healer gently, his fingers lightly checking. He then took another cloth and pressed it under the swelling nose. "Are you okay?" He kept his voice quiet, aware of Alex watching them bleakly, still trembling. "Yes. It's not broken, and the bleeding's slowing already, I can tell. Hand me the white ointment." Sable did so, and Fitz dabbed the ointment into his nostrils carefully, wincing at the brief sting, but then nodding as it stopped the bleeding completely. He let Sable help him to his feet, then they both looked to Alex again. "Jade, are you alright?" Sable asked it gently, kneeling in front of Alex. He took another clean wet cloth and carefully reached for the bloodied hand. There was no resistance, and Sable cleaned the hand, rinsed the cloth, and wiped Alex's face. "Answer me, Jade, are you alright?" Alex tried to speak, couldn't, and nodded slowly, before ducking his eyes and head. "Jade, we need to see the master. He has to know what happened, and the sooner, the better. Give me your hand." Alex obeyed at once and let himself be drawn meekly to his feet. The three of them headed toward the main house, Fitz and Sable sharing glances at each other and the man following them so silently. Alex used the walk to pull himself together, his old habits kicking in under the stress. He controlled his tears first, stopping them at once, fought his breathing under submission next, made himself straighten up, and then cleared his face of any emotion. He kept his eyes down, shielding them, and by the time they reached the master's study, he looked as though nothing had happened. A slight throat clearing returned his voice to him. Sable knocked lightly and, at the call, they entered. Fox looked up from behind his desk, a smile on his face as he saw them, but it evaporated as he took in their appearance, especially Fitz's. Quickly striding around the desk, he carefully took the man's face in his hands, tilting it slightly this way and that. "I'm fine, Master, it's not broken, only bruised. It'll be healed in a few days." Fox nodded, his own check telling him much the same thing. Relieved, he asked quietly, "What happened?" There was silence, and Sable cut his eyes at Alex, still standing with his eyes and head down. Fox was puzzled by the calm demeanor, until he noticed something very telling. The body and face may have appeared calm, but the pulse at Alex's neck was jerking wildly. "Jade? Look at me, please." Alex took a deep breath and raised his eyes, ready now for his master's anger. Instead, Fox was looking at him with naked worry and affection, and it shattered Alex's old walls like a battering ram. While they were still crumbling, Fox spoke so softly as to almost whisper. "Were you so very frightened, little one?" Alex lost all his careful controls then, beginning to cry brokenly, and he would have slipped to the ground, had it not been for his master's arms coming around him, holding him in a tight hug. "S-sorry, Master, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." Alex clung to him, unable to do anything but repeat his apologies and sob. "Shhh, hush, hush, little one, it's alright, easy now. Good, that's good." Fox was rubbing the man's back, rocking slightly and reassuring with every breath. At last, Alex quieted to shuddering breaths, his arms still tight around Fox's neck, head tucked tightly under his master's. "Sable, will you get some wine, please?" The stabler already had, and now Fox eased Alex back and into a nearby chair, careful to keep an arm around the still shaking shoulders. Fox put the mug to Alex's lips, waited until three slow swallows were taken, then tilted the tear-streaked features up to meet his own. "Better? Can you talk to me now, Jade?" "Yes, Master." It was hoarse, and Fox drew out a cloth, carefully wiping Alex's face clean, before offering him another sip. "What happened, little one?" "I-I b-broke your rule, Master, the one rule." Shame was a bright red stain on Alex's face now, and he didn't even try to hide his misery. Sniffling, he continued. "I hit Fitz. With my fist. I did harm, Master." "Why?" Alex licked his lips, but before he could answer, Fitz did. "It was as you said, Master, he was frightened. I frightened him. I didn't mean to, and I didn't realize it until it was too late, but I scared him badly. He couldn't help it, there was nothing else he could do, in his opinion." Alex looked up, and the wonder, gratitude and confusion on his face was a sight Fitz knew he would never forget. Danally chose that moment to come running into the room. She jumped on the table and, without preamble, put her forepaws on Alex's shoulders, looking into his face intently. After a moment, she seemed to relax and sat back down before tapping Alex's mouth with a light paw. The others remained silent, knowing that with Alex's beliefs, this could be crucial. Alex looked confused for only a moment, then asked, "You want me to tell him, Goddess? But I told him I broke the rule." Danally drew herself up more stiffly and again batted his mouth. "You want me to tell the master why." The cat's eyes moved deliberately to Fitz. "Y-you want me to tell Fitz why? Why I was afraid? All of it, Goddess?" Even Sable could tell that the answer to this was a 'yes,' and he had no doubts whatsoever that Danally was simply a spoiled animal. "Please, Goddess, I'm so afraid." It wasn't refusal, only almost desperate pleading, Fox noticed, and as Danally cut her eyes to him, he felt compelled to move closer again, reassuring with his presence. Danally made a soft stern sound, and touched his mouth again. Alex looked up at the master, then at Sable and Fitz, before closing his eyes and bowing his head to the cat again. "As you command, Goddess." The cat softened then and climbed into Alex's lap, bumping his hand with her head. He began to stroke her and, taking comfort from her nearness, he took a deep breath and spoke. "I was young when my mother died. But I remember some things. One of the things I remember is the way my father would get so angry at her. He'd yell at her, and always it was the same thing. 'Your damn fairy blood. It's what makes you do these things, what makes the men want you. You do it on purpose, not content with human ways, no. You'll get us all killed one day, you and your half-blood whelps.' "In the village, the shopkeepers wouldn't touch her or take her money. The men would always stare, watch her and my sister. Me, too, I guess, I don't remember that so much. When they came to take her, and they cut her the first time, one of the men cursed because the blood was red. He'd had a bet, I think. They did all sorts of things with her blood, poured it over iron, wiped it on coins, caught it in bottles. Sh-she never denied being fairy, never said anything about it. We were hidden, my sister and I. She knew they were coming, and hid us in the special place under the floor, where she hid money and food and flowers. We could only see some, but we could hear everything. She laughed, at the end. She had a beautiful laugh, we'd do anything to make her laugh, just to hear it, like bells or a stream." Alex paused, picked up the wine still at his elbow and took a sip, then continued. He hadn't looked anywhere but in the face of Danally, and couldn't see how his quiet, calmly told tale was affecting the three men listening, spellbound. "They took her with them when they left. Our father wasn't home, he'd gone hunting, and when he came back, we told him what had happened. He didn't believe us, of course, he just thought she'd gone off with another man. He forbade us to ever mention her again, or fairy blood or anything of the sort. A few days later, we found her body in the woods. My sister and I buried her the best we could, but I was only five or six, I couldn't help much, and my sister was no more than ten. After that, we never spoke of her again. "When the men came to take us, to make us slaves, while they raped us, they talked about fairy blood, wondered if it would work since we were only half-blood. My old master would let people have me, tell them I was full blood, but kept in check by the iron chains. The mistress used to sell my blood, always put a little in her bathwater. She said it kept her skin smooth, young-looking. There were other things, but it always came back to that, fairy blood." Alex looked up then, finding Fitz. "I am sorry, Fitz, I didn't mean to hit you. I just wanted to stop you, before you said it, before someone else heard you, before people found out. I was scared, so scared that it would start again. Only this time, it would be a thousand times worse, because it had been so good. I didn't know what else to do." Danally left his lap, and as he faced the master. Alex slipped from his chair, kneeling in front of the man. "I'm sorry, Master. I broke your rule. I was wrong, and I know I deserve to be punished, but please, don't send me away. I'll do anything, take anything else, just let me stay." "Jade, little one, I'm not going to send you away. Please, stand up and look at me." Alex did, and he saw that the master's eyes were deadly serious, sober as dawn, and yet, full of unshed tears. "Jade, I swear to you, none at Samstar Fields will ever hurt you or mock you for your gifts or your fairy blood. And do you know why, little one?" Alex shook his head and was startled to see a smile break across Fox's handsome face, even as a lone tear did made its way down his cheek. He cupped Alex's face, saying proudly, "Because it's common knowledge that the master of Samstar Fields is at least half-fairy, and most likely, three-quarters." Alex stared, disbelief and hope warring in his heart. Sable spoke then, for the first time. "It's true, Jade. Remember, I told you the master could remember anything he's read, that he had the same gift as you, only with writing? And what you do with the horses, well, the master does it with people." Alex was stunned, and he stumbled back, finding his chair and collapsing in it. "It's true, Jade. I am half-fairy, just as you are. The village knows it, the court knows it. The king knows it. You have nothing to fear by letting it be known here, Jade, but it is your secret to keep or tell. You have my word that I will not tell anyone without your leave. Sable and Fitz will gladly add their promise to mine." The men did so at once, and Alex knew they would keep the vow. "Jade, this place is a haven. I want people to be unashamed of who and what they are. I want them to live in peace, without fear. There are others here, half-fairy, some more than half. It is no more here than a talent, a tool to be used for the good of all. You need fear nothing, do you understand, Jade?" "Yes, Master. I think I do." "Good. If you have any questions or concerns, you may ask me anything, Jade. Now, if you are ready, we can talk about what must happen next, for today." Alex nodded, clenching his fists but sitting up straight and meeting his master's eyes. Sable thought it made him look impossibly young. "Jade, at Samstar Fields, when we do wrong to someone, three things must happen. We must admit what we did, that is always first. Then, if we are sincere, we apologize. I want no apologies said if they are not meant. Is that clear?" "Yes, Master." "Good. Now, you have already done the first two things, and I am very proud of you for telling me the truth, and for meaning it when you said you were sorry. There is but one thing left to do, and that is make an amends. You must try and make it up to him in some way that is helpful to him. It is better if you can think of something yourself, but if you cannot, then ask what you can do. But it must come from the heart, Jade. If you feel you did nothing wrong, then I expect to be told that, and why. If we cannot reach an agreement, then, as the master, my decision will be final. You might still be punished, but you will not be made to apologize or make an amends. I want it plain to you, Jade, that you do not apologize or make an amends unless you honestly desire to do so." "I understand, Master. There are no lies at Samstar Fields." "Exactly." Fox was pleased that he grasped the reasoning behind the rule, and Alex soaked up the approval hungrily. "Jade, can you think of something you could do for Fitz, an amends?" "Yes, Master. But...well, I'm not sure he'll let me, not after today." "I see. There is but one way to find out. Offer it and see what he says." "Fitz, I heard you say you were making soap this week. You were dreading the stirring. I've never done it before, but I learn quickly. If the master and Sable don't mind, I'll stir it for you. That may not be enough for an amends, I don't know. If it isn't, just tell me what else I can do, and I'll do it." Fitz smiled at the earnest face of the younger man. He'd grown fond of Alex, very fond, and he allowed his affection to show. "That would be a very nice amends, Jade, and more than enough. In fact, I'm not sure an amends is needed at all, Master." "We start the way we mean to go on, Fitz. The amends is necessary." "As you say, Master. Then, with your permission and Sable's, I will need him in two day's time." "He has my permission. Sable?" "I have no problems with it." "Fitz, I must ask you, can you work with Jade after this? Will there be tension between you?" "Not on my part, Master. I bear him no ill will." "And you, Jade, can you work with Fitz? Be sure of your answer." "I can work with him, Master, I'm sure of it. I was hitting what he said, not him." "Very good. Jade, you will report to Fitz in two day's time. Fitz, make sure you allow him to make a full amends." "Yes, Master." "Then, if there is nothing else, I will see you all at even meal." Fitz and Sable started to leave, but Alex only looked confused. "Master? You didn't...I thought... Aren't you going t-to punish me?" "No, Jade. I'm not." "Master, please, I'm sorry, but I don't understand. I broke your rule, the only one you gave me. And after you were so good to me, Master..."Alex trailed off, frustrated at not being able to explain better. "Jade, you were frightened, you didn't know what else to do. Yes, I wish you had come to me, told me what was wrong, but it happened too fast for that, you couldn't think. It wasn't your fault, anymore than it was Fitz's fault for saying what he did. Will you do it again?" "No, Master." "Then, since I only punish to teach, there is no need for me to punish you. The matter is settled. You did wrong, you confessed, apologized and made an amends. That is enough for me." Alex, still shaky, looked from Fitz to Sable and back to the master. They seemed to accept that nothing more was needed. Alex found it unthinkable, almost cruel. "You are good, Master, but too good. I-I cannot stand that I have betrayed you this way." The last was spoken in a whisper, and Fox sighed, closing his eyes for a moment. "My apologies, Jade. I forget how new you are to these things. You will punish yourself harshly, do I not punish you first. Very well, little one, give me a moment to think." Alex was visibly relieved, and Fox couldn't help but grin despite his reluctance to punish a slave that had already suffered so much. And he was having a hard time thinking of a suitable punishment. He was debating a couple of options when he had another thought and asked calmly, "Jade, how do you think I should punish you?" "I should be beaten, Master." There was not a hint of doubt in the voice, and that he was clearly expecting his punishment to be physical, was also beyond doubt. That brought a sigh from Fox, and he realized that he really had no choice, not if he were to relieve Alex's guilt. Still, he wanted Alex to know there were other ways. "Jade, striking another person is very serious. In fact, under normal circumstances, it's one of the worst offenses you can commit. It's not so serious in your case, as you didn't plan it, and you hit to try and protect yourself, not out of anger. Can you see how that makes it different, Jade?" He could, and Fox was relieved to see it. "Bearing that in mind, I still want to make it quite clear that I do not expect it to happen again. You will never be punished for being frightened, but you've been here long enough to begin to talk about your fears, not just act on them. So, to impress upon you how seriously I view this, I'm going to be just a bit harsh. You will not attend the evening readings for three nights. You will spend that time instead confessing and talking with your goddess. You will tell her your fears and you will seek her counsel on ways you can overcome them or, at least, deal with them productively. You will work on figuring out what is likely to make you react as you did today, and you will prepare to react differently. Do you understand this part of your punishment, Jade?" "Yes, Master." Alex was pained already at the thought of three days without the reading, but it was a good plan. "Jade, there are no beatings at SamStar Fields. But, you are new to our ways, and do I not add some sort of physical punishment, I fear you will not understand. So, though I wish it were not necessary, I am going to spank you." Alex felt his skin crawl, but he could not deny that it would be a relief to finally have the master hit him, to stop the wonder and worry. "I'm sorry, little one, I would not do it if I didn't feel it necessary. But know this, Jade, and know it well. I will not use pain to control you. I will not give you this every time. You are still learning and this is your first offense, so I'm making an exception, but it is an exception, is that clear?" "Yes, Master." "Jade, I want you to learn from this, and you cannot learn if you're terrified. Would you like Sable or Fitz to stay as witness? They both know how to keep a confidence, and they both know what it's like to be punished this way by me, so there would be no shame. The choice is yours, Jade, whichever you prefer." Alex was taken off guard by the question. Public punishment was what he was used to, he'd never had a master or mistress care who was around. To have someone stay to comfort was even more unknown. He considered it and found that the thought of Sable being there was comforting. "Could...could Sable stay, please?" "Of course." "Master, may I say something before I go?" Fox nodded to Fitz, and Alex was surprised to see the man kneel before him. "Jade, I want you to know that I consider you my friend. I meant it when I said I bore you no ill will, far from it. I'm sorry I frightened you, Jade, it was not my intention, and I promise you I will try to think before I speak in the future. I also wanted to let you know that you're forgiven for hitting me." With that, the healer held out his hand, smiling broadly when Alex took it in his own. A warm squeeze, and Fitz left. "Stand up, Jade." Fox's voice was firm, and Alex obeyed silently. He watched the master lean on a corner of the desk, one thigh resting along the surface. "Usually, a spanking is given on the bare. Leave your shirt down for modesty, but lower the rest to mid-thigh." "Yes, Master." Alex felt a blush stealing up his face, felt an unaccustomed tremble, and wondered at it. There was no whip, no rod, only a man's hand, he couldn't understand why he was filled with such dread. He took a firm grip on his bottom lip with his teeth, and unfastened his pants. Fox gently positioned him face down across his thigh, raising his shirt only after he was in place. Sable had come around the other side, and now he knelt by Alex's head, taking the younger man's hands in his own. At first, Alex thought it was to hold him in place, but then he realized that Sable's hands were under, not so much holding as being held. The man's face was kind, the dark eyes full of sympathy as he spoke. "There is no shame in this punishment, Jade, nor in reacting to it. I'll think no less of you for tears." It was a husky whisper, and while Alex appreciated it, he doubted it would be an issue. The master was only using his hand, how bad could it be? "I had hoped never to do this to you, little one." Their master's voice was full of regret and Alex again felt himself tremble. "I want you to remember two things, Jade. One, the reason you're being punished. Think of what you did wrong, why it was wrong, and what you could have done differently. Two, that I take no pleasure in bringing you pain. Never think I want this, never think it brings me satisfaction of any sort. I hate it, Jade. It means I failed you somehow, failed to reach you, and let you stray too far. I'm sorry, little one, and I promise I'll try to do better by you." Alex was shaking in earnest now, the master's words more than he could handle, their meaning cutting to his heart. A sharp, stinging slap landed on his right cheek. It smarted, but that was all. An equal slap to the left, and one to the center. The master's hands were large, if narrow, and three swats had covered most of Alex's bottom. The sting was still burning, as his clothing was raised. It was over. Three swats. This was the extent of his punishment, and Alex felt the tears rolling down his face, began to cry hard. He was carefully stood to his feet, and he saw that there were tears in the master's eyes. "I do not ever want to have to do that again, Jade, is that clear?" "Yes, my Master." And Alex knew he never wanted it to happen again either. It hurt too damn much. Then he was drawn into a tight embrace, the master's arms soon joined hesitantly by Sable's arms around them both. It was a balm, and Alex couldn't believe how precious it was to him. He dared to hold tightly to them both, feeling their warmth, the sense of rightness and being safe, being...loved. This was what he remembered feeling when his sister had held him at night, what he had felt so very long ago when his mother had rocked him, humming softly. This was being loved, this is what it felt like. Oh, goddess, he'd never thought to feel it again, honestly believed it could not be felt by an adult, that it was outgrown with childhood, put away like milk-teeth, relegated to memories of a softer, weaker time. "Little one, you've been through much today. I think you should go to your room for a bit. Lie down, try to rest, sleep if you can. If not, then just lie quietly a while. Will you do that, Jade?" "I'll do anything you ask of me, Master. Anything at all." Alex gave his heart in the answer, and Fox heard it, knew it for a vow. He hugged more tightly for a moment, then eased back enough to look deeply into those glorious green eyes. The master's hands came up to cup Alex's face and, tilting it carefully, Fox placed a careful kiss on Alex's smooth forehead. It was a blessing and an absolution, and Alex felt it burn into his skin, even as he was flooded with a sense of peace. "We are done, Jade. I will see you at even meal. Go now, and rest." "Thank you, Master." Alex had to say it, and Fox graced him with a smile, accepting the tribute, before urging him gently on with a slight move of his head. Alex left, and as he closed the doors, he saw Fox turn to Sable, saw the stablemaster wrap his master up in strong arms, giving comfort. Alex was glad to see it, grateful to anyone that could give help or pleasure to the master. Alex had fallen in love. Moss, Sable and Jade continued... raven@aeneas.net

Title: Moss, Sable and Jade – Chapters One & Two Author: Raven Email: raven@aeneas.net Pairing: As far as pairings go, there will be Sk/K, Sk/M, K/O, K/M, K/M/Sk and maybe some other assorted variations. Rating: NC-17 Author's Notes: While vaguely medieval in nature and setting, this does not take place in any known time or place. It is full of anachronisms at every turn from material things and manners of speech to philosophies that simply were not present in the real Middle Ages. Also, while this is a slave fic and carries some dire warnings, there are very few graphic scenes in this fic. This is not a typical slave fic in that it is ultimately about goodness, healing, hope and love. There may be more dark scenes before the work is completed, but right now, you will find very little of that sort of thing here. It is not a dark piece, nor a harsh story, so don't let the category "slave fic" mislead you. There is nothing wrong with that kind of story at all, I'm simply warning you that this isn't one of them. Additional Author's Notes: This is a work-in-progress. Please be aware that I do not work on this story very often. It has taken over a year to get it to this point, it may take another year before it is complete. It is my pet project and I am writing it solely to please myself, therefore I only work on it when the mood, timing and setting are just right. That doesn't happen very often, I can promise. It's not a matter of inspiration or feedback, it's a question of loving a private world in my own head and playing there selectively, to keep it special. So, if you really, really, really need to know what happens next and just can't wait...please, do us both a favor and don't read it until it's done. [g] Warnings: Slave fic. Angst. References to non-consensual behaviors. Violence. References to Torture. Oh, yeah, and Angst. Summary: Alex is a slave, but his new home and master are unlike anything he's ever known. Disclaimer: The characters within these stories belong to Fox, 1013, et al. There is no profit made or intended from these stories, and they should be considered as being for entertainment purposes only. back to top

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