Bastileborn - Dragon Fire Pt. 02

Many miles north of Daylith, the sun was rising over the elven city of Carus. A slave maiden named Thistle woke to find the slave quarters in an uproar. New human slaves had been captured in a skirmish by the Talfane River. They were being brought to the palace for sorting.

"Nora, what's happening?" Thistle asked as she struggled to pin her long, dark hair up in a bun.

She was jogging behind the gray-haired dwarf towards the kitchen. Nora had been Thistle's caretaker for as long as she could remember. Nora was four and a half feet tall and stout as a tree stump. Thistle's tall, willowy frame looked very delicate in contrast to Nora.

"Fresh slaves coming in this morning! I was promised a young apprentice with a strong back to help with the farm animals. I get first pick! Hurry up, sweetheart. Ya can pin yer hair up later," Nora said as she grabbed Thistle's slender arm and pulled her down the stone corridor, causing her to drop her hairpins.

"Blast it!" Thistle huffed as they scattered across the stone floor.

They quickly disappeared into the drainage gullies along the walls. Her beautiful dark hair fell over her shoulders and into her face like a shiny veil. She would have to tuck it behind her ears. She hated doing that because she was extremely self-conscious about her ears. She was a high elf, but her ears were half the normal height.

"Don't worry, silly. I'll get ya some new pins tomorrow," Nora said cheerfully.

Thistle knew Nora was good for her word, but she never understood how the old dwarf developed so much clout with the royals. She was the only slave in the castle that could get new hairpins or clothes within a day of declaring she needed them.

Nora pulled Thistle through the kitchen and out the back door. The morning was cool, and the sun was just peeking over the trees. A small crowd of palace slaves stood in the service yard to see the new arrivals. Nora pushed her way to the front with Thistle in time to see the slave cart appear over the hill. It was being drawn by a humongous white draft horse. Thistle loved the beautiful animal. She often wished she could ride one, but they were honored creatures. Slaves were never allowed to mount them.

A tall, golden-haired elf was driving the horse. His traditional red and gold tunic over leather armor marked him as a palace sentry. Two more sentries were standing on the back of the prisoner cart. They halted in front of the small crowd of slaves and opened the cage door. They led the human prisoners out and lined them up on their knees in the grass.

There were four humans in all. They were dirty and battle-worn, but they looked healthy and proud. Two of the men had dark beards and old battle scars. They were clearly middle-aged warriors. Thistle knew they would be taken to the fields and quarries where they would be watched by other warriors. One of the men had gray hair and was slender. He would be put to work with other palace slaves. The most fidgety prisoner had no beard. His body was lean, and his skin was mostly fair, with little or no battle scars. He had messy brown hair that fell in shiny strands over his forehead. He was looking at the crowd of slaves warily.

Thistle caught her breath when she saw his face. He was handsome for a human. His eyes were bright hazel mixed with gray, and his face was stern and inviting. He was scanning the crowd. His eyes met hers for a short second and then continued on. Thistle blinked when his gaze jumped back to her. He stared at her for a moment, then he mouthed the words "help me." She watched in confusion as he fell face-first onto the ground.

"Oh no! He needs help!" she yelled as she pushed around Nora and ran over to the fallen man.

"Ya stupid ass, come back!" Nora bellowed, but she didn't dare run towards the elf sentries.

"Go back to the others!" ordered the head sentry.

"Please, he needs help," Thistle insisted as she knelt beside the young human and touched his neck to find a pulse.

She looked at his hands that were bound behind his back and quickly noticed something was wrong. The rope had been frayed and was no longer tied around his wrists. He was simply holding it. She gasped in realization of his trick, and that's when he shot up like a snake and grabbed her. He jerked her into his lap, putting her between himself and the sentries. He had been hiding a small knife that he pressed firmly against Thistle's throat.

"Release her!" growled the sentries as they pointed their spears at him and Thistle.

"I think not," he announced over Thistle's shoulder. His voice was deep and determined. "I'll be taking my leave of you. If you follow me, this woman dies."

The head sentry laughed at his threat and stepped closer to Thistle. That made the young man grab her arm and twist it, causing her to cry out. The sentry stopped at that point with rage spreading across his face.

"Just as I thought," the young man said smugly. "She may be a slave, but she's still an elf. You bastards can't stand the thought of a human hurting one of your own."

Tears began spilling from Thistle's eyes as the young human pinched and twisted her arm.

"Please, let me go," she whispered.

"Shh, I'll try not to hurt you. Just stay calm," he whispered against her ear. His breath was hot, and he smelled strangely pleasant. She had never smelled anything like him before. "Stand with me," he whispered as he began to pull her to her feet. They stood and backed away from the sentries, edging closer to the palace slaves. "When I say run, I want you to run with me to the right and make a break for the gate. I'll protect you if you help me," he whispered earnestly.

She nodded as she stared down the sentries' spears, wondering how badly they wanted to recapture the brash human.

"Ready?" he whispered as he loosened his grip on her arm, preparing to run.

Suddenly, a loud CLANG startled Thistle and she yelped. The young human dropped his knife and let go of her arm as he collapsed on the ground behind her. She twirled around to see Nora standing over the young man with a large iron skillet in her hand. The sentries were bent with laughter after that. The head sentry walked over to Nora and patted her on the back.

"Well done, madam dwarf! You shall be commended for this act of bravery," he said with a smile.

"Bravery, my fat ass! That pathetic whelp hurt my baby girl! It was vengeance!" she bellowed.

Everyone laughed even more as they clapped and cheered for Nora.

"Either way, be thinking of what you would like in terms of a reward. You defended one of our race. That's an honorable action even if she is only a slave. Are you all right, young miss?" asked the sentry as he looked at Thistle.

Her face turned crimson after being so politely addressed by a royal sentry. She never knew that simply being an elf made her valuable to other elves.

"I'm all right, thank you," she whispered with an innocent nod as she kept her eyes to the ground.

"Ah, it's a shame to see a beautiful maiden as a slave. What a strange deformity," whispered the sentry as he gently touched Thistle's right ear, making her shudder. He had never seen ears so short on an elf maiden. He assumed she was deformed and sickly, but her beauty said otherwise. "Please, madam dwarf, continue to protect her. Now... what shall we do with this wild human?" he asked as he turned his attention to the unconscious man and nudged him with his spear.

"I want the whelp," Nora declared. "I'll work his ass off in the slaughterhouse for what he did."

"Are you sure, madam? We're not entirely sure what he is. He can fight, but he is not a seasoned warrior. He may be too much for you to handle."

"I'll be fine, thank ya very much. We'll keep him sedated until he learns his place. Tom, get the meds!" Nora yelled to the slave quarter doctor as she handed her skillet to Thistle.

Then she grabbed the young human's arms with her stubby fingers and pulled him along. Thistle watched in amusement as Nora dragged him into the palace kitchen. Thistle turned and bowed politely to the sentries to bid them farewell. Then she hurried into the kitchen behind Nora. She returned the skillet to the wrack over the stove before she followed Nora up the hall.

"Nora, what are you thinking? I don't think this is a good idea. He's scary," Thistle said as she studied the young man's strange clothes.

The quality of his boots and belt were not common. His shirt was leather and sleeveless like something a warrior would wear, but his muscles were lean.

"Nora, he has the build of an assassin!" she said in shock as she stopped in the middle of the corridor.

Nora stopped and looked at her in surprise.

"Thistle, don't be silly. How would ya know something like that anyway?" she asked with an eyebrow raised.

"I've read about them in the books the whispering lady gives me. There are all kinds of human war stories in those books."

"She is right, you know," announced old Tom as he stepped around Thistle to look at the young man.

Tom was an elderly human. He taught Thistle how to read.

"I didn't know those were violent books! I shouldn't have let ya read them!" Nora grumbled as she continued down the hall and kicked open the door to her and Thistle's bedroom.

"Let Thistle read what she wants. It will teach her more about the world than you can," Tom said as he helped Nora lay the young human on Thistle's bed.

"Hey! Where am I going to sleep?" she asked in alarm.

"Don't worry, sweetheart. It's only temporary," Nora sighed as she searched their small closet for some rope.

She tied the human's arms and legs to the thick oak rails of the bed as Tom mixed a concoction of smashed herbs into a small bottle of strong whiskey. Then he began prodding and shaking the young man to rouse him. He groaned and mumbled something as Tom picked up his head and put the whiskey to his lips.

"Alright, young fellow. Drink this. It will help the pain. It's some of my finest spirits," he said as he poured it into his mouth.

Thistle watched the human as Tom forced him to drink the altered whiskey. His handsome face drew up like he had tasted something nasty, but he drank most of what Tom had before he started coughing.

"There, there, boy. You'll be fine," he said soothingly as he felt the knot Nora had made with the skillet. "Damn, dwarf! Were you trying to kill him?"

"Of course!" she snorted.

"Goodness, I hope you didn't give him a concussion."

"Why do ya care if he dies or not? Ya saw what he did to Thistle! He's a monster. I'm going to give him hell if he survives!" shouted the old dwarf.

"Nora, please. He's a young soldier far away from home that was captured by ancient enemies. He only did what he was probably trained to do, and that was attempt to escape. He knew Thistle was the only hostage that would be valuable because she's an elf. Treat him properly, please," Tom grumbled.

Nora huffed a few more times, but Thistle knew she wouldn't have the heart to torment another living being for long. Nora was very kind, but she was as stubborn as an old wet hen when it came to Thistle. Thistle was her 'baby girl' and everybody knew it. Thistle was nineteen and perfectly capable of taking care of herself under normal circumstances, but no one dared to say that in front of Nora. Thistle was the closest thing Nora had to a real daughter, and she would give her life to protect her.

"I'll do what I have to, old man. Thistle, ya watch him at a distance. If he looks like he's dying, run and fetch Tom. I'm going to start work before I get in trouble. I'll do yer chores as well for today. Ya should rest anyway after that horrible episode," Nora said as she pet Thistle's dark hair and gently looked at her arm to make sure she wasn't injured.

"I'm all right, Nora. I'll sit on your bed and read until lunchtime," she said with a smile.

"Okay then... thanks for yer trouble, Tom," Nora mumbled as she tied on her apron and stalked out of the room.

Tom chuckled as Nora slammed the door behind her. He turned to Thistle and handed her the small bottle of whiskey.

"Make sure he drinks the rest of this when he wakes up. It will keep him sluggish and manageable. It will also keep his pain down. Take care of yourself, sweetie. Come get me if you need me," he said as he patted her head. Then he turned and left Thistle alone with the young man.

Thistle nervously stared at the human for a moment. Then she sighed and smiled. She set the rest of the whiskey on the shelf by the window before she cautiously approached her bed. She knelt beside it to retrieve a book out from under it. Her hands were trembling from simply being so close to the strange human. She quickly realized that she was acting silly. The man was unconscious, sedated, and tied to the bed. She had nothing to fear. She giggled to herself and boldly crawled under the bed to look through her books. She was surprised when she found a new one.

"Oh boy! The whispering lady must have visited while I slept! This is wonderful," she chuckled as she crawled out from under the bed and carried the book over to the window to look at it. "Hmm, The Lost Princess of Two Kingdoms. That sounds enchanting," she said happily as she sat on Nora's bed and opened the book.

Gavin

Thistle was almost to the third chapter of her new book when the human groaned and caught her attention. His eyes were still closed, but they were moving under his eyelids.

"He must be dreaming," she whispered as she climbed off of Nora's bed and walked over to look at him.

She was surprised to see a tear at the corner of his eye.

"He must be having a nightmare. Maybe I should wake him," she whispered as she slowly touched his shoulder.

She hesitated as she felt the warm skin of his upper arm. The muscles underneath felt hard and strong. He suddenly made another soft groan that sounded sad. She worked up her nerve at that point and quickly shook him.

"Hey, human. Wake up. You're having a nightmare," she called, but it didn't rouse him. She sighed and looked at him thoughtfully. "You're very handsome for a human," she whispered as she drew closer to his face. "Wow, you smell really good," she whispered as she leaned in more and inhaled. Her soft hair fell across his face, and she heard him take a deep breath.

"Mmm, you smell good too," he whispered sleepily.

Thistle gasped and scrambled away from him with her heart in her throat. He opened his hazel eyes and looked at her warily. She was standing against the closet door with her hand over her heart.

"Sorry if I startled you," he whispered as he closed his eyes and tried to move his arms. His eyes flew open again when he realized he was bound. "What the hell is this? Where am I?" he demanded.

"Uh, you're in my and Nora's room. You're in the slave quarters of Carus Palace."

His eyes widened in frightened shock for a moment.

"I was captured..." he mumbled to himself.

"Uh, how is your head? Nora hit you pretty hard with the skillet. You've been out for a few hours."

"It's pounding, to be honest," he groaned as he laid back on Thistle's pillow. Then he tugged at the ropes binding his arms. "Hmm, this looks rather precarious. Are you planning to do something bad to me?" he asked as he looked at her suspiciously.

"Of course not!" she said in astonishment at his accusation. "We tide you up so you wouldn't hurt me or Nora! You hurt me earlier, remember?" she asked as she rubbed her aching shoulder.

"I'm sorry I twisted your arm. I had to be sure the sentries wouldn't kill you to get to me. Will you untie me so I can escape? I promise I won't hurt you or any other slave. I just want to get out of here, please."

"I can't let you go. That would be a crime. They would kill me for that," she said nervously.

His expression fell when he saw the fear on her beautiful face. He stared at her in wonder for a moment. She was remarkably beautiful for a slave. Her long dark hair was like a satin river draped over her shoulder. Her eyes were large silver gems in her small featured face. Her dress and apron were a simple mix of white and brown linen that hugged her slender frame. A pillow of white cleavage peeked out of her bodice, adding to her soft and alluring appearance.

"Miss, why are you a slave? You're very beautiful. If it were not for your rags, I would have thought you were royalty. There is a strange look about you. Your eyes are humble compared to the other elves. Why are your ears short? Are you a half-blood or something?"

She stared at him in shock for a moment, feeling insulted by his questions.

"I don't know what you're talking about. I'm a high elf. I know I look a little different. I think that's why I'm a slave. The sentry said I was deformed," she said sadly as she touched her ears. "I always thought I wasn't as pretty as the others, so they made me a slave to keep me away from the more beautiful people of our race. I've never met my parents. I fear they may have been ugly, short-eared criminals."

"Bullshit! That can't be true," scoffed the young human. "You're amazingly beautiful! Have you ever looked in a mirror? You don't honestly believe you're a slave because you look different, do you?"

She looked at him for a moment, not really knowing what to think. She was treated well. She liked living with Nora. She didn't care that she was a slave as long as she had Nora.

"I don't know why I'm a slave, and I don't care. I'm happy being a slave. Nora takes good care of me."

"Wow... you have no clue what life is like for normal people, do you? Have you ever left the palace?"

She looked at the floor and shook her head.

"You've been here since birth then... a beautiful maiden hidden from the world. What an intriguing mystery," he said curiously.

"No. I'm not intriguing, and I'm not a mystery. I'm a deformed elf. My people are ashamed of me. They don't want to see me in public," she mumbled in irritation. She was beginning to think he was making fun of her.

"Wait a minute... by the gods! You look like my cousin Eric when you frown like that. He gives me that same look when I make fun of him!"

"Well, I never! You are mocking me!" she said as tears began to well up in her eyes.

"I'm not mocking you. I'm just saying you remind me of my cousin. You two could easily be siblings. It's nothing to get upset about. You both have my uncle Gregory's eyes," he said with a smile.

She stared at him with her lip trembling after that.

"It's an insult to say a high elf looks like a human," she huffed.

"For crying out loud! I'm comparing you to human royalty. They're considered attractive people. How is that an insult?"

"I don't know!" she snapped as she sat on Nora's bed and crossed her arms to pout.

"Yeesh, you pout like Eric too. I need to tell Gregory I found his lost daughter," he grumbled.

Thistle stared at him angrily as he stared back at her frowning. Suddenly, the expression on his face turned to shock. She wondered if he had seen a ghost. She could literally see the color draining from his cheeks.

"Gregory's lost daughter," he whispered as he searched her eyes. "Is your name Thistle, by chance?"

"Yes. How did you know that?" she asked in confusion. He had been unconscious the few times Nora said her name. There was no way he could have overheard it.

"By the gods," he whispered as he stared at her in fear.

"What?" she snapped.

"You really could be Gregory's lost daughter... he has your name engraved on his sword."

Thistle stared at him in horror at what he was implying.

"You're... you're lying to mock my ears!" she spat as she scooted back on Nora's bed and pulled her legs against her chest.

Gavin stared at her for a long time. The more he studied her face, the more he saw her resemblance to his uncle and cousin. If his suspicions were true, he had stumbled upon a scandal that could easily start a war.