Chapter 2
The man did nothing to make the walk more comfortable for Elara, but he didn't make it worse either. He continued to walk in front of her, seemingly unconcerned whether or not she was following him. His pace was relatively slow, perhaps giving some mercy to the poor girl after putting her through the ringer, though Elara didn't quite discount that the man may still feel a bit rough from travel. She continued to watch him from a distance as she followed him. It was only then that she realized her vision wasn't blurry any longer. She could make out the elaborate detail along the trim of the man's robe, and she was much further away than before. It looked like runes, but unlike any she had seen before. During her emo days, her boyfriend had been well into Viking mythology, so she had seen quite a few in her time. If she didn't know any better, Elara would have sworn that the robes this man was wearing were mage robes.
The sounds of the man's feet crunching the grass underfoot. The chirping of birds and ... wait, could she make out the sound of a child's voice? Elara turned her head to listen closely. Yes! It was unmistakable. A child was singing nearby, playing in the field. A child meant that people were probably nearby! She might be saved if she could come up with a plan. She took in a breath, and she could smell something else in the air, too. A warm bread, sweet and tangy like a cake, was cooling somewhere. She licked her lips reflectively, wishing to taste whatever delicacy was making such an insanely delicious aroma. Without thinking, Elara's feet changed direction, and she found herself heading in the direction of the food and away from her captor.
"No, you don't!" The man's voice called out from behind her, leading her in the other direction. His voice seemed different somehow; the accent was still there, but it no longer caused Elara any issues in understanding the man, which wasn't something she had realized until now. Her head snapped in the man's direction, who seemed to be continually amused by her. "Listen, little sparrow, this landing point is a popular one, and the best way to catch flies is with honey," he said, nodding his head. His eyes looked out across the seemingly empty landscape. "I understand you're probably hearing and smelling some awfully tempting stuff, but I'm telling you, your life will be a lot worse if you head in those directions." He shifted uncomfortably, pulling his robe tighter around him. "You'll eat once we get to the city, which, if you stop wandering off, we'll get to by nightfall." His massive hand gripped Elara's arm, not giving her any room to protest. She looked at her arm, wondering how bruised it would be in the morning. As his pace quickened to what seemed like the man's natural stride, Elara wondered if any part of her body would not be bruised by morning.
"Okay, so here's the thing." The man spoke again after several minutes. "You now belong to the mage's caste as a scout slave, otherwise known as a sparrow. My job is to give you your mark and deliver you to your new owner. I don't get paid if you don't make the transfer." His grip tightened painfully. Elara winced. "But 'all in one piece' doesn't mean I can't hurt you." He stopped and glared down at her with a look that said way more than his words could about the violent intent behind his eyes. His eyes lowered down her body. Elara moved her free arm to cover herself, but the grip on her arm tightened even further, sending a burning sensation down her arm and through her shoulder blade. Elara's hand dropped weakly as she mewled, bending away in pain but no longer blocking his view.
"If you cause us any more delay, little sparrow. I want you to know that I will take great pleasure in using you to relieve my frustrations. It's already marked on your consignment manifest that you aren't worth extra for virginity. My guess is whoever sold you, wanted you gone quick!" he sneered. "I wonder who you pissed off?" He grinned, releasing Elara's arm and walking off in their initial direction.
