((OOC Introduction:
In previous posts Izira has internally referred to her history with a wizard.
See: Back at the Inn; Mornings with Hope; and Moments at the Inn.
This is that history...
WARNING: Content - while not blatant - is still mature.))
The Wizard: Chapter One
"Line up! Line up!" The woman's harsh voice called, taking away what little pleasantry the outside yard had to offer the children. Quickly the youths of various ages and size lined up. There was no order to it. They just found room where they were able, pushing and shoving if they must. Izira found herself third from the left end, stuck between two of the taller boys, Mox and Pav. Mox was cocky and blonde, athletic in build and actually younger than Izira's twelve years by two seasons. Pav was darker and carried more muscle; with his age of near sixteen he should have had some gathered intelligence, but his head was as thick as his chest. They weren't the meanest that lived there in the house, but she disliked them just the same. Anyone that touched her, she disliked these days.
Down the line, from the right, Mistress Chloe walked with an older gentleman. These visits were common, someone come for a child. This wasn't an orphanage, just a nicely done up slave house. Very rarely did someone leave to go to a new home with new parents, if they were lucky their new boss would have their own interest in mind. Mistress Chloe only had her own interest in mind, an interest that lined the pockets of her purse. Profit was the only reason for keeping a group of misfit children dressed, fed and more or less healthy. The more children she kept about, the more hands to help with the house chores and the better selection she had to offer her clients.
This one did not look like the usual lot, which consisted of property owners looking for cheap house servants or men looking for young brides. Nor did he look like one of those types that came with instruments and -scientific- questions in hand. Still, far as Izira's mind went, the man looked off. Mistress Chloe walked the line, wearing a blue dress that didn't fit her bulked form. The woman would have been more suited to bear wrestling than raising children. Even the tidy bun at the back of her head seemed to mock her inability to look feminine. Beside Chloe, the man was short. Though, he still had several feet on young Izira. It was summer. It was hot. Izira stood in bare feet on the dirt in the yard, an orange spring dress draped loosely over her form. It was too big, given to her by Mistress Chloe when an older girl left and her new -benefactor- instructed that her old rags be left behind. The man, despite the heat, was wearing a long black robe with patterns worked into the hems in dark blue. His hands and face would have looked stark white against the dark coloring of his robe were it not for his hair. Silver white, pulled back into a short ponytail, it showed that the man had at least a touch of sun to his skin. It was an odd color, Izira thought, for he didn't look old-old at all. But he was most definitely an adult.
Indirectly as she could, Izira watched Mistress Chloe and the man move down the line. He appeared indifferent to the children presented, almost as though they were bushes that followed the path he walked. But every now and then he paused, nodding to a child that the Mistress would then pull forward. Girls. The ones he picked indicated no -type- in mind. Llana was strawberry blonde, taller and older, showing the signs of flowering into womanhood. Mauni was almost as tall, straight as a stick, with odd violet eyes and blue hair. Heather was short and mousy, Izira wasn't sure the girl ever said anything. Heidi was another blonde, a touch heavyset. She had big rosy cheeks when she smiled but she wasn't smiling just then. The pale 'lyn twins, Gwedolyn and Luellyn, and dark, exotic Mellanni followed. Was he taking them all or just thinning the herd? Izira was considering the selected girls when she turned to see who he would pick next. His dark, midnight blues were on her.
"This one."
In previous posts Izira has internally referred to her history with a wizard.
See: Back at the Inn; Mornings with Hope; and Moments at the Inn.
This is that history...
WARNING: Content - while not blatant - is still mature.))
The Wizard: Chapter One
"Line up! Line up!" The woman's harsh voice called, taking away what little pleasantry the outside yard had to offer the children. Quickly the youths of various ages and size lined up. There was no order to it. They just found room where they were able, pushing and shoving if they must. Izira found herself third from the left end, stuck between two of the taller boys, Mox and Pav. Mox was cocky and blonde, athletic in build and actually younger than Izira's twelve years by two seasons. Pav was darker and carried more muscle; with his age of near sixteen he should have had some gathered intelligence, but his head was as thick as his chest. They weren't the meanest that lived there in the house, but she disliked them just the same. Anyone that touched her, she disliked these days.
Down the line, from the right, Mistress Chloe walked with an older gentleman. These visits were common, someone come for a child. This wasn't an orphanage, just a nicely done up slave house. Very rarely did someone leave to go to a new home with new parents, if they were lucky their new boss would have their own interest in mind. Mistress Chloe only had her own interest in mind, an interest that lined the pockets of her purse. Profit was the only reason for keeping a group of misfit children dressed, fed and more or less healthy. The more children she kept about, the more hands to help with the house chores and the better selection she had to offer her clients.
This one did not look like the usual lot, which consisted of property owners looking for cheap house servants or men looking for young brides. Nor did he look like one of those types that came with instruments and -scientific- questions in hand. Still, far as Izira's mind went, the man looked off. Mistress Chloe walked the line, wearing a blue dress that didn't fit her bulked form. The woman would have been more suited to bear wrestling than raising children. Even the tidy bun at the back of her head seemed to mock her inability to look feminine. Beside Chloe, the man was short. Though, he still had several feet on young Izira. It was summer. It was hot. Izira stood in bare feet on the dirt in the yard, an orange spring dress draped loosely over her form. It was too big, given to her by Mistress Chloe when an older girl left and her new -benefactor- instructed that her old rags be left behind. The man, despite the heat, was wearing a long black robe with patterns worked into the hems in dark blue. His hands and face would have looked stark white against the dark coloring of his robe were it not for his hair. Silver white, pulled back into a short ponytail, it showed that the man had at least a touch of sun to his skin. It was an odd color, Izira thought, for he didn't look old-old at all. But he was most definitely an adult.
Indirectly as she could, Izira watched Mistress Chloe and the man move down the line. He appeared indifferent to the children presented, almost as though they were bushes that followed the path he walked. But every now and then he paused, nodding to a child that the Mistress would then pull forward. Girls. The ones he picked indicated no -type- in mind. Llana was strawberry blonde, taller and older, showing the signs of flowering into womanhood. Mauni was almost as tall, straight as a stick, with odd violet eyes and blue hair. Heather was short and mousy, Izira wasn't sure the girl ever said anything. Heidi was another blonde, a touch heavyset. She had big rosy cheeks when she smiled but she wasn't smiling just then. The pale 'lyn twins, Gwedolyn and Luellyn, and dark, exotic Mellanni followed. Was he taking them all or just thinning the herd? Izira was considering the selected girls when she turned to see who he would pick next. His dark, midnight blues were on her.
"This one."