New Character alert..... Meet Kathryn!
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Rachel
Outside the day was bright and fair. It was cold, considering the season, but with her dress and jacket, the breeze that swept across the sky was nothing more than a pleasant breath against her exposed skin. Rachel found herself struck by how beautiful the grounds of Magnus's estate truly were.
All around her, signs of spring sparkled with promise. The grass was green, the majestic trees all around dotted with fresh buds of flowers, threatening to open. Their scent already perfuming the air. In the dim of twilight she hadn't realized how expansive her new Master's estate truly was. It seemed as if the land stretched on forever, marked by lovely low hills on which sheep grazed in the distance.
Alice smiled when she saw Rachel's expression, staring wide-eyed at the expanses of lush greenery of the grounds.
"I knew you'd like it here," she said. "Later if you wish, you can wander on your own. I have work do, but once you've had some food you are welcome to explore. As long as you stay on the estate you will be perfectly safe. The various sibla Magnus employs know well that our Master will tolerate no abuse of his slaves.
Rachel nodded her understanding. From the way Alice stated that fact she realized that it must not be so on other estates. After learning more of human slavery under other sibla masters, she could hardly doubt it and had no wish to hear more horrible truths.
"What's that?" Rachel asked as they came to a large long building, not far from Alice's home. Another large structure beside it.
"That," Alice said, "is where the rest of our Master's slaves reside. When you have recovered a bit more it will be your new home. The building by its side is a recreational hall Magnus has generously created for his humans to relax and socialize. It is a true luxury, especially in the winter months when it is too cold to remain outside for long. There are comfortable chairs, a warm fireplace. He has even stocked it with an assortment of books at my request. Can you read Rachel?"
Rachel nodded. "A little," she answered. "my mother had a few books. She started teaching me."
Alice smiled. "Wonderful," she said. "All of our Master's stock are born wild, aside from myself that is. I am always pleased that, as a result, most have at least rudimentary reading skills. I personally love to escape into a book and am grateful that I was granted the privilege of literacy in spite of my start in life."
"Your start in life?" Rachel asked, trying to make sense of Alice's words. "You mean on the farm where you were born?" Were all of Magnus's other slaves stolen from their homes as she was? The old woman's statement seemed to confirm it. But why would Alice have been different? And, if she'd been born a slave, why had she been taught to read? But Alice seemed not to have heard her question.
"Later I will bring you to the slave hall to meet the others. Most enjoy relaxing there after the day's work is complete, but I have already informed them that attendance tonight to welcome you officially is compulsory."
Rachel was not certain what compulsory meant, but Alice spoke the word with a certain accent of authority. It was clear enough that, whether she wanted to or not, she would soon meet the other humans of her master's estate. Staring at the building uncertainly Rachel wondered what the others might be like. Alice might be a bit distant, but she seemed to be kinda as well. At least now. But the would the others think of her if, as Alice had said, none of Magnus's slaves were as young as she was.
The older girls she'd known in Demin had always been too busy with their own friends to ever pay much attention to her, worrying about the things she imagined older girls worried about like helping tend their families' homes or looking for a husband. But Rachel had been an only child and Mamma had taken care of almost everything around the house. Her parents had certainly never let her talk to any boys, so she had had little to talk about when she did manage to encounter any older girls in Demin. It had never been easy for her to just talk to strangers.
As if in answer to her question about the other humans, Rachel saw a woman appear at the door of the long building. She was likely a good six years older than Rachel herself, with pale skin and dirty blond hair. The moment their eyes met the woman scowled. Rachel was surprised by the suddenness of the gesture. The cold shock of dislike she felt radiating from the glare. The woman turned back towards the door and a moment later another figure appeared by her side.
This woman was a bit older by the looks of it, though still young, maybe in her twenties. Her soft brown doe eyes were slightly less hostile, but there was no warmth in them. It wasn't long before more women came to join the first two, all staring at Rachel.
Alice must have seen where Rachel's gaze fell. She put a hand on Rachel's shoulder and cast her own glare at the staring women. All quickly disappeared back inside, leaving only the echo of their seeming dislike.
Had she done something wrong already? Rachel wondered to herself. Why had they given her such nasty looks? The prospect of meeting all of Magnus's slaves felt far more frightening if this response to her was any indication of what the rest might offer in welcome.
"Ignore them," Alice said, guessing at Rachel's concerns. She guided Rachel away from the slave quarters. "Those who are new have a tendency to face a certain amount of curiosity from the flock when they arrive. It is uncommon for Magnus to bring home a new slave out of season, even more surprising to see your age, so you might garner a bit more scrutiny than the rest. They will adjust."
"Out of season?" Rachel asked in confusion. Alice stopped and gave her a long stare.
"Have you not deduced your new Master's business?" she asked. "Given your concerns earlier I was certain you realized the purpose for which he keeps humans on his lands. The human trade, like any other, has its seasons. Most new members to our ranks were purchased in the early spring markets a few months ago. There was a small harvest as well which is standard after the winter thaw but those spots have already been filled."
Rachel felt a strange squirming sensation travel along the length of her skin
Harvest
Their Master had murdered his slaves. He'd eaten them!
"In any case," Alice continued, "it is uncommon for Magnus to take any from among our ranks until the fall at this point. But there is a budget that must be maintained. If our Master decides more space must be created to accommodate a new member to his flock, it will be his decision to make."
Understanding slowly crept into Rachel's brain, settling uncomfortably in the pit of her stomach. They would need space for her. Did that mean Magnus would slaughter one of the others so that she might have a place on his lands? The idea was horrifying.
"This is our life here, Rachel," Alice said, no doubt seeing her discomfort with the statement. Her tone was not harsh, but matter-of-fact. "All the girls here know it. But you are indeed a bit unexpected and it may take more time for them to accept that truth again. Magnus may do as he pleases. We belong to him and must obey his wishes."
Rachel couldn't quite tell if there was any resentment in Alice's words. There didn't seem to be. The woman appeared to be entirely comfortable with the fact that they were all the property of another. One who might take their lives whenever he so chose. How could anyone possibly believe that was right?
"Do not worry yourself," Alice continued. "Nothing has been decided yet. Best to focus on the present. I wish to show you the kitchens here so you may find nourishment of course, but I also hope you will soon join me in working there. And you can meet my other main assistant, Kathryn. I think you two will get along quite well actually."
Rachel didn't answer. If the others were any indication, it didn't seem likely that any of the women would welcome her with open arms. Now that she understood why, she couldn't really blame them.
"Did you help your mother in the kitchen Rachel?" Alice asked, pulling her from her thoughts."Perhaps in preparing your family's meals?"
"Yes ma'am," Rachel answer quietly, trying to hold back tears at the mention of her mother. Faced with the prospect of only hostile companions the loss of her loving parents felt all the more disastrous. She had no one.
Alice nodded in approval, apparently taking no note of Rachel's new wash of melancholy and fear. "That will make things easier," she said. "You might quite enjoy the kitchens. I myself am very happy to have such facilities at my disposal. You will see that the kitchen in the main house is quite impressive."
Rachel gave a half smile before looking down at the ground as they continued to walk, trying to feign some degree of enthusiasm when in reality, she wished she had never agreed to leave Alice's bed.
"Well, here we are," the old woman said. Rachel looked up in surprise to see the big house before them. Magnus's house. She had seen its size the night before, but in her exhaustion and fear she'd failed to fully take in how grand it really was. A beautiful white structure three stories high with majestic columns on either side of the front door. Windows peppered its sides framed with lovely black painted shutters. Rachel had never seen a home so impressive.
"As you know," Alice said,"this is where our Master lives, and where you will work."
Rachel continued to stare at the house , but Alice placed a hand on her shoulder and gently guided her around the back of the building to a hidden entrance.
"This is the slaves' entrance," she explained. "You must never use the front entrance to the house nor the servants' entrance unless direct to do so by Magnus himself. Do you understand? Those entrances are forbidden to humans."
Rachel nodded taking note. She certainly didn't want to do anything that might get her in trouble with her new Master.
The small door led to a corridor and a set of stairs.
"The kitchen is in the basement," Alice said as they continued, "next to the larder where most of the food is stored on Magnus's estate."
As they walked through narrow halls Rachel tried to pay attention to her surroundings. She could feel the air around her grow cooler as they descended beneath the house, tinged with a slight scent of must. It reminded her of the cellar her father had built beside their home to store any extra food they'd managed to collect in a cool palace.
The smell and sensation of the underground was comforting somehow, filling her mind with happy memories of pickling vegetables and making jam with Mama then storing the jars carefully in the cellar with Papa. Maybe working in the kitchen wouldn't be so bad after all.
The hall ended in an old wooden door with a worn metal knob, the brass worn to a golden shine from the touch of so many hands. Rachel's eyes opened wide as she stepped through the entrance, following Alice. The narrow hallway was such a stark contrast to the impressively large room they'd entered.
A large multi-burner stove in one corner, complete with multiple ovens, and a fireplace in the other. The ceiling and walls were covered in shelves and hooks lined with pots, pans, and jars of spices. In the center of the room sat a long wooden table that seemed sizable enough to service quite a number of people. Rachel imagined that this must be where Magnus's other slaves came to eat as well as cook.
Trying to take in the entirety of the room eyes quickly came to focus on the only sign of movement in the vast expanse of domestic implements, another human woman. Her back was toward them as she stood beside a large pot, stirring something that smelled delicious.
"Kathryn," Alice called out, "come and greet the newest member of our little kitchen team."
The woman turned at the command. Kathryn was young Rachel noted. No more than nineteen, with a round, pleasant looking face, tan skin and dark brown eyes. Wiping her hands on the apron around her waist, she smoothed back a few strands of jet black hair that had escaped the coil bun on her head and gave Rachel a small but genuine smile as she came to meet them.
"Rachel, this is Kathryn," Alice said. "Kathryn, Rachel."
"It's nice to meet you, Rachel," Kathryn said. Rachel was surprised st how friendly she was. She'd already assumed that all of the other girls would have the same reaction to her that the first group had. Kathryn's affect however was warm and welcoming.
"We are looking for something Rachel might like to eat," Alice said.
"I was just heating some stew for lunch," Kathryn said nodding towards the pot. "And there is fresh bread I made this morning."
"What do you think, Rachel?" Alice asked, placing a hand on her back. "Does that sound appealing?"
Another whiff from the pot hit Rachel's nose and her stomach growled impatiently. She nodded.
"Go on and sit down then," Alice said, ushering Rachel to the large wooden table.
"Would you like some stew as well, Alice?" Kathryn asked, beginning to move about the kitchen.
"Please," Alice answered as Kathryn set a round loaf of crusty bread on the table. "And why don't you take a break and join us."
"I'm not sure I should," Kathryn answered in response to Alice's suggestion. She cast a hesitant look at Rachel. "It's nearly 12 o'clock and I still haven't started on dinner. I was going to eat when the others began to arrive..."
Rachel wondered what had caused the subtle change in the older girl's demeanor. Was she afraid the others might see them together?
"The others won't come for another hour or so looking for food," Alice said in challenge, "and I'll make sure you have everything ready for dinner. Even if I have other affairs to attend this afternoon, Cynthia and Olivia are already slated to come and help you are they not? I'll ask a few others for aid if need be. Right now I believe it is more important that we acclimatize our friend to her new home." Rachel could hear Alice's tone hardening ever so slightly. It was clear this was not a request.
Kathryn gave Rachel another uneasy glance before turning back to Alice and nodding. "I suppose I could, she said. Let me just get us all some plates."
"Be careful you don't eat too quickly," Alice cautioned as Kathryn set down three steaming bowls of stew. I know how hungry you must be, but remember that you haven't eaten properly in at least a few days. Pace yourself." Rachel nodded as she dipped her spoon into the bowl.
"This is delicious!" Rachel exclaimed, her eyes wide in surprise as the mix of herbs and spices hit her tongue. The stew was thick and savory with perfectly cooked vegetables and succulent chunks of meat that practically melted on her tongue. She'd never tasted anything so good.
"Kathryn is an excellent cook," Alice said, smiling at Rachel's reaction. "One of the best we've ever had here. Perhaps one day she'll take my place and run this kitchen herself." Rachel saw Kathryn blush slightly.
"It is only because I have had such an excellent teacher," she answered with a bashful smile of her own. "And I could never take your place Alice."
"Try some of the bread," Alice said cutting them all large thick slices and dipping her own into the stew.
Rachel copied, feeling her body warm with the comforting food quickly filling her stomach. But the air between them was still tense. Rachel could feel Kathryn watching her intently as she ate. It made her uncomfortable.
"Eat Kathryn," Alice prompted, noticing the older girl's behavior. "And stop staring at the child. If you have questions for her, ask."
Rachel saw Kathryn look down awkwardly at her stew.
"Fine," Alice said, setting down her spoon. "I will ask my own questions then. I am a nosey creature by nature after all. "A mischievous grin appeared on her face, but neither Rachel nor Kathryn responded. "Where have you come from Rachel?"
"A village called Demin," Rachel answered before taking another bite of her bread. "It was set in the mountains by a beautiful lake." Kathryn looked up in surprise.
"I've heard of it," she said. "I too was born near the northern lakes. Not far from your village I believe. At least where Demin used to be before it vanished."
Rachel met Kathryn's eyes for a moment, wondering how much the older girl could tell her about the village she herself didn't remember. The place she'd been born. She'd never much thought of her family's first home before but she couldn't help but wonder how many other human villages her parents might have known of. Had they lost friends by moving into hiding?
"You see," Alice said with a smile. "I knew you two would have something in common."
"Did raiders take your village too?" Rachel asked with interest.
"No," Kathryn answered, the expression on her face growing darker. "I was sold. My family had too many children. It was decided that one had to be sacrificed to the sibla traders."
Rachel had heard of it before. Villages that kept sibla raiders away by voluntarily selling a portion of their population. It was why her own village had tried to hide themselves. It was horrible to imagine that any would willingly give up their own children. Then again, hadn't her own parents sacrificed her older brother? They'd been forced to do it, but now that she understood what slavery to the sibla meant she was angry to imagine that her mother and father hadn't fought harder to keep her only other sibling from death.
"I'm sorry," Rachel said, trying to offer sympathy.
Kathryn nodded. "I was the oldest. I had to protect my brothers and sisters. I volunteered willingly." She looked down at her bowl and Alice put a comforting hand on her shoulder. Kathryn looked up again giving Alice a half-hearted smile.
"Kathryn is relatively new here herself," Alice said. "Just over year now yes?"
Kathryn nodded. Rachel saw her wipe the tears from her eyes quickly before they could fall.
"But you," Alice said, turning her attention back to Rachel. "You said your village was raided?"
Rachel nodded. The stew began to feel heavier in her stomach as the flashes of memory came to her mind. She could hear the screams. See the flames. Smell the blood and smoke. Feel the rough grip of her captors as the shoved her in a cage along with so many others.
"They burned our house," she said, tears dripping down her cheeks. "They killed my mother and father. Then they put me in a cage. And I didn't know where I was. And they hit me." Recounting each horrible detail, emotions flooded her mind. Fear, panic, despair. "They made me eat gray goo off of the floor. I was sure I was going to die. I was going to die"
The words poured out of Rachel as she gasped in breath after tear-filled breath. Now that she'd started she couldn't seem to stop. "They made me watch. I watched them slaughter those boys. I thought they were going to kill me too. There was so much blood..."
Rachel felt arms wrap around her in a tight embrace. "Hush now child," Alice said. "It's alright." Rachel fell into Alice's body letting the older woman's shoulder absorb her tears.
"Kathryn, get her some water," Alice ordered.
Rachel felt Alice's hand gently stroking her hair. "I'm sorry Rachel," she said. " I didn't mean to upset you so."
Rachel nodded as she tried to get her breath under control.
"Here."
Rachel heard Kathryn's voice and felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up through tear filled eyes and saw Kathryn there beside her, holding a cup of water. She took it with a shaky hand
"You see this Kathryn?" Alice said as Rachel took a small sip of the cool liquid. "How much this poor child has suffered? Do you really think she deserves the contempt of you and your friends? You should have seen the glares some of the others gave this poor girl earlier. She is a victim like you. Like all the rest. Forced into slavery so young. Forced to endure so much."
"But Alice I never..." the younger woman protested.
"I don't want excuses."
Kathryn nodded. "I'm sorry, Rachel, she said. "I'm sorry for what happened to you and I apologize if my friends and I were not welcoming enough. The others are likely just scared. They are afraid Magnus will..." she stopped. "It doesn't matter," she said shaking her head. "It's not your fault anyway." Kathryn squeezed Rachel's arm reassuringly. "I'll help you," she said. "I know how hard it is to be new here, but you'll learn everything you need to know very soon and adjust. I'm sure of it."
Rachel nodded, wiping back her tears as she tried to make sense of Kathryn's words in her mind. "Thank you," she said earnestly. "Thank you both for being so kind." She noticed Kathryn look away slightly, a guilty expression on her face.
"And of course Kathryn will help you with the others as well." Alice prompted. "Now that you two will likely work together I'm certain you will become fast friends. Kathryn is quite popular and can ease your way among the flock by granting you friendship. Isn't that right Kathryn?"
Kathryn looked uncomfortable still, but she nodded. "Of course," she said, giving Rachel a quick smile that seemed at least somewhat forced. "but you should ignore the others in any case," she said, "whatever they might say. Once they get to know you I'm sure they will like you on your own merit."
Rachel wasn't certain Kathryn was right. After all, hadn't Alice explained why the others were bound to dislike her. It was possible that their master would kill one of them to accommodate Rachel. To make sure she had food and a place to sleep. How could the other's not hate her?
"Even if he does slaughter one of them because of me?" Rachel asked tentatively, afraid to give voice to her fears.
Kathryn pulled away slightly and chewed her lower lip, but Rachel saw Alice's eyes narrow as she stared her down.
"If our Master does choose to take one from among his stock, as is his right, it will have nothing to do with you Rachel," she said. Isn't that right Kathryn? The others will understand that."
Under Alice's glare Kathryn nodded emphatically.
Rachel was not convinced.
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Ok so this chapter was a bit on the longer side. I'm trying to keep them short. hehe. What are your first impressions of Katheryn? Of the others? Looks like Rachel still has her work cut out for her if she intends to fit in. I'm still trying to work on the order of chapters ( do remember this is a first draft...hehe), but next week will likely be another snippet of the past.
We still have yet to see why Magnus and Alice relate to each other the way they do. Clearly Alice has a lot of power here, but why still remains to be seen. I wonder if people have any guesses? Thoughts in their mind? I'm pretty sure that without the reveal its unlikely you could guess correctly but I'm sure there are speculations. hehe. For those of you who have made it this far, THANK YOU! So glad you are following the story. And if you like what you've read? Please remember to click the star and vote:-)