Tali

"Sir, my... my name is Tali sir, please don't tell Master, I'll do anything, I beg you!"

Kien chuckled and replied, "Girl, you'll already do anything, what more could I want you to do?"

Tali realized the truth of his words and lost hope.

"I'm sorry for not listening to you. Forgive me, sir."

"There is nothing to forgive. The only person I am willing to put blame here is Miro." At this, Tali flinched. That name Kien had never once spoken in front of her, respecting her master's wishes. "The only reason you're acting the way you are is because of him. You have to break out of it girl... Tali."

Tali shook her head again and asked, "Please sir, I'll never be your equal, or high enough to be on a first-name basis with you or anyone else. I'd never even imagine it sir."

The response wasn't one Tali expected or wanted to hear.

"You better get used to it, girl, because from now on I -will- address you as Tali."

"But Master, he'll never forgive me. Please, I told you my name, for you asked. Please don't punish me with it, please," Tali was in a panic. She knew the slip of her name would be a disaster with her master. At times she knew him to be quite merciless.

"He'll deal." At this Tali looked up again, confusing thoughts running through her head. She had no clue what was going on, but it sure was strange. He continued, "I think that's enough for a day. Would you like to go back?"

"I'll do as you command."

"Answer yes or no."

Tali couldn't stand it anymore. She dropped to her knees once again and cried, "Please just tell me what to do sir. Tell me what to do and I'll do it."

Kien stared at Tali for a moment, then said, "Tell me when you want to go back," and he walked away. For a moment Tali just sat there with her mouth open, but when she realized it she quickly closed it. She leaned forward and put her elbows on her knees, just sitting and wondering what to do. Would Kien really make her decide when to go back? Maybe if she stalled long enough he would decide that it was really time for her to go.

When Kien entered the room again, he found Tali sitting on the floor, cross-legged. She looked up at him when he appeared, but shifted her gaze back to the floor in his general direction before their eyes could meet. He didn't say a word, but pulled out a book and began thumbing through the pages.

An hour, or so Tali would have guessed, passed, and Kien glanced up at Tali. Still she sat there, shifting from side to side occasionally. He closed his book and went into the kitchen. Tali became alert when she realized he was making dinner. The next time he walked into the room, he was holding tray.

"Since you seemed to want to stay for dinner, I took the liberty to make you some," Kien said, as he placed the tray in front of Tali on the floor.

Tali jumped up and protested, "Please, Sir, I didn't mean to trouble you for dinner... It was never my intent to stay so long."

"Then why did you?"

"I was waiting for you to... to tell me it was time to go, sir."

"I said for you to tell me when you wanted to go back. Do you want to now?"

No response.

Tali stood there, staring at her feet. The food looked extremely tempting. Delicious food that she hadn't had in months, if not years. She shook her head at those thoughts and took a couple steps back.

"I don't... I don't think I should eat here..."

"Nonsense! I've made you dinner, and you'll eat it. If you want to leave afterwards, I'll give you a ride back to Miro's place. If you want to stay, I'll find a place for you to sleep." Tali let out a groan before she could strangle the involuntary noise. She looked up to see Kien leaving the room. Hopeless, Tali sat down on the floor and ate her dinner. When she finished, she picked up the tray and made her way to the kitchen. There she saw Kien rise from the chair he sat at and walk towards her. He moved to take her tray but she twisted away.

"Please.... Please sir, at least let me wash the dishes I eat from." She looked down into her dirty plate and waited for permission. Instead, Kien tipped her chin up and looked into her eyes. They pleaded for help, for the chance to do something for him in return for his kindness. He decided to spare her this one chore.

"Go ahead," he said, and saw the light dance in Tali's eyes and a grin break out on her face.

"Thank you sir," she said, curtseying while still holding the tray. Tali finally felt like she was doing what was expected. While scrubbing the plate clean, she wondered what would happen afterwards. Somehow, she'd have to find a way to return to her master... but how would she tell Kien?

Wiping her hands off on her shirt, she walked towards where Kien sat, reading again, and asked hesitantly, "Sir... I don't mean to trouble you but... may I return to master's place please?"

"Of course! I'll take you there immediately," he replied without hesitation, smiling at her request.

"That's not necessary sir, I know the way home."

"Nonsense, I have to see you get back safely. Who knows what awaits you in the night?"

Tali thought this was silly, since she'd been sent on errands at night plenty of times before, but realized this was another fight she wouldn't be winning.

The walk back was silent and set at Tali's pace. Kien simply kept in step with her. When they finally reached Miro's house, Tali softly knocked on the door and stepped back to kneel.

As soon as she made the motion to drop to the floor, Kien swept an arm underneath her left, and tugged upwards. She tried to relax and let gravity pull her to the ground, but her weight made that impossible against Kien's hold.

"Please... please let go!"

"You will stand like the human you are and not degrade yourself before another."

"I can't be standing when he opens the door!" Tali shouted, and tried to break loose again. At that instant, the door opened and she froze, looking at her master. His eyes held sorrow the moment he opened the door, but when he saw her they filled with happiness again.

"Girl... you came back," he stated.

Tali wasn't sure what that was supposed to mean. Did he think she'd never return? That she'd stay with Kien?

She couldn't think of anything to say, but that he thought she wouldn't return terrified her. "Master..." she muttered, as she stepped away from Kien to fall to her knees before him. She heard Kien's footsteps retreat, as her master pulled her up from the ground. When Tali turned around, she only saw Kien's back, his figure fading into the darkness. He stopped for a second and turned his head.

"Good night, Tali," he said, before disappearing beyond the light's reach.

Tali's master walked into the house, and she followed right after him, closing the door softly behind them.

"Master, I'm sorry I told him my name... and I ate at his house, and I sat on his couch, and..." she was about to confess to everything she did. Her mumblings reduced into tears as she thought about how disappointed he'd be.

"Girl," he said, and she quieted, "It's okay... I'm just glad you came back."

"Master, what do you mean? Of course I'd come back. Why wouldn't I?" Tali was confused now. She didn't know what was going on with her, or her master.

"I've decided that you need to learn what the real world is like. Kien was right... you are a person. It's time... It's time you learned how to behave as one too," he said, with obvious difficulty. He was ready for her to decide to move on with her life instead of serving him.

"Please don't say that, master. I want to stay with you, to serve you," Tali said through her tears, "Are you tired of me, master? Please don't say you are... I'll try harder to please you, I'll take all your punishments, I won't disappoint you again... Please master, I deserve anything you want to do to me from everything I did today, and I'll willingly take it. Please don't send me away from you," Tali babbled, afraid of losing the one thing that held her together for the past few years.

"Tali." Her name again. He used her name. He must've remembered from when Kien used it. She quieted again. "I'm not tired of you, but Kien finally made me realize that you can't live on knowing only servitude. I hardly treat you well here... I'm surprised you didn't stay in his care. You'll have to go back soon, within a few days."

Tali shook her head at this news, hearing her life slip away.

"I don't want him, master! I live to serve you, just as you've taught me. Please don't take that away from me. I'm begging you to let me stay with you... I'll do anything to stay with you. Please, master... please correct me for my errors today."

"And what were your errors?" he inquired. She listed them. From beginning to end, she retold the day, and everything that happened. "Well, from what I can see, your errors were that you disobeyed Kien, when I clearly told you to do everything he said. That deserves two hours."

But when he said it this time, she could hear the resignation in his voice when he gave the verdict. That night, during two long hours, Tali screamed the most she had in a very long time. The screams, however, were not in pain. Instead, they were in anguish, as she thought of being unable to serve her master as she once did anymore. The next day passed in relative quietness compared to what Tali was used to. Her Master gave her simple chores, which she put all her efforts into doing. She wanted to prove that she was serious about serving him, but every time she finished a task, seeking for approval, it never came. There was to be no speaking out of line, so there came no time to beg for his thoughts.

She served his favorite dish with just enough for him, without hinting that she wanted a bite. Head down, kneeling before him while he ate, she prayed he would finish his meal with satisfaction. She was sorely disappointed when he slid half his meal onto the table, telling her to finish it. She looked at the portion and knew that finishing it would mean that she herself would be full by the end.

"Please... Master, I know you need to eat more to be full," Tali said, pushing the plate back towards him as she spoke, but being careful not to lift her eyes.

"If you had made more to eat, perhaps we could have both been full." Realizing her error, Tali quickly tried to amend the situation.

"I'm sorry, Master, I'll make more! You can finish your meal and I'll make enough for myself when you've no more need of me."

"Are you trying to tell me what I can and can't do now, girl? I told you to finish it, not to make more," said Miro, with a hint of annoyance in his voice. This was going to be harder than he thought... He had been talking with Kien, and they decided that he could still act as her master, but that he had to start thinking more about her and encourage her to do things for herself.

The slightly off-tone was caught by Tali, who took it to heart. She slumped over the plate on the table and began sobbing quietly to herself, yelling at herself in her head for doing something so stupid when all she wanted to do today was keep him pleased.

As Tali began eating between sobs, Miro stood up and walked towards his room. He needed to think of a new approach. Her arrival was unexpected, as was her near demand to be punished... though he supposed that was his own fault. He would need to find some form of balance between being a master which was like an anchor for her, and letting her learn to thrive herself.

When he was almost to the room, he turned around and said, "When you're done, clean up and come to my room," then he continued on to his room and closed his door.

What Tali heard was another order, so she wolfed down the rest of her meal. Normally cleaning dishes was routine and she did them without a thought, but today she made sure that everything was perfectly clean and dried before heading to her master's room.

When she reached his room, she knelt and knocked lightly. No response. Normally he wasn't too strict about this procedure but today she counted silently to 300 -- 5 minutes. She knocked again, harder. This time she was awarded with the opening of the door a few seconds later.