You know a hare won't be enough, the voice whispered in Sadb's ear, lover-close, as she pulled the dead rabbit free of the thorny vines that had entangled it, the vines shifting and uncoiling like a living thing by her command. Sadb grit her teeth. The fae didn't have to remind her. It had been months since a person had visited her house of thorns, and she could feel the fae growing restless, dissatisfied with animal tributes and her own meager blood offerings. The thorns were growing thirsty.
"You said animal was enough."
I did, the fae answered, but I've grown bored.
Sadb felt like throwing the rabbit, if there was anything to throw it at--and if it wouldn't damage the pelt. Instead, she just held it by the ears and headed, stiff-backed, outside, the vines parting as she walked to allow her passage as she traveled through the labyrinth of her creation. "Bored, hm?"
Yes. You're boring. You've been very boring lately. Sometimes, it was easy to forget the fae was ancient and dangerous when she took such a petulant tone. You haven't visited any villages in aaages! And no one's come to visit us! Animal just isn't the same. It's not as rich. If you don't snare a human soon, you may soon be snared instead.
And the vines closed in around Sadb then, swinging down to block her passage and pressing in until she could feel the prick of thorns through her clothes. And though Sadb's breath caught, her heart leaping as a chill went through her, she swallowed down her fear and made a point of rolling her eyes. Fae were like animals; they smelled fear.
"Don't be so dramatic. I get it, trust me," she said, and with a flick of her hand the vines receded and she ducked on through the passage and into the bright light of day. "You need to learn a little patience, you know."
I've been patient, and it's been months, the fae pouted. I want human this month. And this month I will get it. And then, just like that, Sadb felt it as the fae receded from her mind and went off to wherever it was she went, leaving her, for a moment at least, in peace.
With a relieved sigh, to have her mind to herself, Sadb went to her fire pit--which was empty--and sat down beside it where she could work on gutting and skinning and cooking the rabbit. Its fur had gotten a little too damaged from the thorns to be worth salvaging, but its meat would still be good. About the one good thing about the fae was she never hungered; her thorns sprouted blossoms, and the sweet smell attracted animals. There was never a shortage of beasts killed in the vines.
And as she worked, she found the rabbit was, like all other creatures killed there, bloodless.
Even though she had grown accustomed to it, it was still as eerie as the first time she'd realized it.
With the animal skinned and gutted, Sadb rose to her feet and walked the short distance to the stream to clean her knife and hands, her fingers growing numb against the cold water. It was a beautiful day, the wind constant but not so biting, the sun warm, the land rich and green. And yet, here she was.
Just another day nursing a bloodthirsty fae.
Just another day both hoping for another person to come on by, and wishing they would stay away.
Gen always enjoyed going places he has not been to before. This part of Sirantil Valley was foreign to him, which made it immediately garner his interest. He enjoyed exploring new places in his own unique way.
The forest was unusually quiet. It was almost as if all of its inhabitants were hiding from some unknown danger. That wasn't going to stop Gen though. He was confident in his abilities as a swordsman. In fact, the uncharacteristic silence further encouraged his exploration. What could go wrong?
It was while Sadb was cleaning up that she heard it, the faint sounds of rustling that wasn't caused by the rhythmic ebb and flow of the wind. This sounded more like the rustling of an animal, but larger--
And when she raised her eyes, she saw she wasn't quite wrong.
For moving over the fields was a person. A tall swordsman, at that.
Sadb's heart leaped into her throat even as her body went rigid with fear--fear for herself, and fear for this stranger. Surely he was here to kill her, as all the others were, and that frightened her, but what frightened her more was what would happen if he tried.
He'd wind up just like the others, flesh tangled and rotting all among the thorns.
Rising to her feet and drying her hands off onto her breeches, she cupped her hands around her mouth. "You there! Turn back! I won't warn you twice!"
Gen came to a halt when he heard a voice. He reached out into the air around him until he discovered the source. It was a young woman.
"What are you doing out here all alone in the woods," he asked. "And why must I turn back? It's a lovely day."
"That's not any of your concern, nor any of your business," Sadb snapped, hands curling into fists at her sides. "What are you doing here? That's the important question."
"I'm out on a walk," Gen replied calmly. "Can't a man simply enjoy nature?"
Gen turned and faced Sadb's direction.
"I know you're there. Why are you hiding? Why not come out here so we can talk?"
"I'm not hiding," Sadb said, her voice growing tight with impatience--and rising panic. "But I find it awfully strange that you're so adamant about drawing me out! Who sent you? How much did they promise you? I assure you, it's not worth your life."
But even as she spoke, she was backing away, edging slowly toward the safety of the brambles. "Go. Away."
Gen tilted his head inquisitively.
"Be calm, child," Gen told her. "No one sent me, and no one promised me anything. No value can be placed on a human life. You don't have to come out of hiding, but you sound like you could use someone to talk to."
Gen sat down cross-legged on the ground.
"What's troubling you?"
"Wh...what's troubling me?" Sadb didn't even know how to answer that. Any of that. It was so contrary to her experiences with the others who had come through here that she didn't know how to begin formulating a response.
Of course, maybe that's what he wanted: to throw her off balance. Surely there were stories regarding the fates of the others who had come to her, so it stood to reason people might want to try techniques that hadn't been tried before. Not that everyone had come barreling in, sword drawn; many had tried to gain her trust first.
She trusted those ones less than the ones who came with their swords out and intentions clear. And this man, with his blindfold, was definitely untrustworthy. Did he think she'd fall for the blind act, when he'd been walking about perfectly fine? It was no doubt sheer enough for him to still see.
She folded her arms over her chest. "You're troubling me!" she finally shot back, for lack of knowing what else to say!
"I was simply minding my own business," Gen replied calmly. "You called out to me. How am I troubling you?"
This young woman was quite strange indeed. She must live a very rough life to treat strangers with such hostility.
"I--"
Sadb closed her mouth and let out a sigh through her nose. He had her there. She had made the first move.
"Then what are you doing out here?" she snapped when she recovered. "What's with the blind act? Trying to win me over and gain my trust?"
Gen cocked an eyebrow at this unusual accusation.
"I can assure you I am most definitely blind," he told her. "But only physically blind. And I already told you, I'm just out for a stroll. I didn't even plan on encountering anyone way out here."
Without another word, Sadb grabbed up a small stone and chucked it at the man's head, deciding to test just how blind he was!
Gen's hand shot up and snatched the rock out of the air before it hit him.
"My eyes don't work," Gen specified. "But I can still see through other means."
Gen tossed the rock aside and removed his blindfold to reveal the two useless, milky-white orbs that were his eyes.
"I can see using the air around me. It has its advantages when compared to normal sight. For example, I know that you are hiding right there."
Gen pointed to the exact spot where Sadb was and then put his blindfold back on.
"Any more questions?"
"Bullshit," Sadb said, even though his eyes basically confirmed it. He was blind. There was really no way to fake that, was there? And yet, it sounded like a likely story that he could see using different means! He had to be faking it!
Somehow!
"Like hell you're--"
Why not invite him inside? the voice said, whispering against Sadb's ear. Let the thorns have him.
Sadb stiffened. So the fae was still watching, still near. Of course she was. She never went far. Still, Sadb balked; she couldn't do that. Even if he was dangerous to her, she couldn't invite him inside. To do that would spell his death, surely.
I want him, the fae said, voice firm as she sensed Sadb's hesitation. I'll have him, or I'll take from you. Surely you know which decision is the wisest here. If he means to harm you, he certainly deserves it.
Sadb went quiet for a moment, eyes going distant as she listened to a voice only she could hear, and then, finally, she refocused on the man.
"You really know nothing about me?"
"I do not," Gen confirmed. "You definitely sound like you could use a friend though. Maybe even just someone to talk to. I have no prior commitments to keep. We could stay at this distance if you like. It's not like I can't already see you."
Sadb chewed her bottom lip. He had her at a stalemate. He clearly had no plans to leave, and she certainly wouldn't do to him. And as for inviting him to her shelter?
She grimaced. She couldn't do that in good conscience, even if he did intend her harm. And she certainly couldn't consider doing that until she was one-hundred percent certain of his intent, no matter what her fae threatened.
Massaging her temples, she let out a sigh. "You can start by telling me about yourself, I suppose."
"Well, let's see," Gen said. "I'm blind, but you already know that. I'm a wandering swordsman. I travel around and take part in tournaments and such. I don't have a home because of all my wandering and I'm a powerful air elementalist. That's just a brief summary."
That took Sadb off guard. She blinked, eyebrows raised. "Wait...you're a mage?"
"Of course," Gen replied matter-of-factly. "I told that I could still see through other means. Those means just so happen to be magical. Would you like to know how?"
"Yes," Sadb said, even as her mind reeled. That...changed matters a bit.
No one who had hunted her had been a mage. And no Connlaothian in their right mind would admit to using magic.
"It's quite simple really," Gen told her. "I can see objects by the void they create in the air around them. There are certain things I still can't see, such as reflections and color, but it's better than not seeing at all."
A friendly smile appeared over Gen's face.
"Now it's your turn. Tell me about yourself."
Though Sadb accepted the explanation, she recoiled at the idea of giving out information about herself. Information given was information that could be used, and the less people knew about her, the better. Besides, it was the mystery that made people cautious. When they viewed her as an evil witch of mysterious power, and not as a scared young woman that was mortal like the rest of them, it made them tread more carefully. It probably stopped some adventurers from even making the full journey.
She lifted her chin. "I'm a witch," she said at last. "Few make it far enough to see my face, and you're lucky you can't see it. I've seen grown men piss themselves at the sight." Thank God he was blind. "I feed on the blood of men."
Gen released a good-natured chuckle at her response.
"I don't believe that," he said. "And I actually can see your face. You're a lovely young woman. I don't believe that you're a monster."
Once again, Sadb recoiled, this time in surprise. Color flooded her face--she'd never exactly been complimented by the people that came to hunt her--and with it also came anger. Not really at him, just a defensive sort of anger, since she didn't know how else to handle such a comment!
"Looks can be deceiving!" she said. "This could just be a guise. Even if it's not, pretty people can still do terrible things."
Gen merely chuckled again.
"I don't get any impression of a terrible person off of you," Gen replied. "But if you're really having such trouble, I suppose I could let you in on a secret that very, very few know. I don't think you would tell anyone about it all the way out here."
Sadb huffed a little at that, but said nothing to the contrary. Instead, she said, "What secret?"
Because damn her if she wasn't curious.
"This one," Gen said drawing his sword. "My blade is very unique. It acts just like a mirror, but instead of seeing your physical appearance it shows you for who you really are on the inside. It has no biased or outside influence. If you ever wanted to know the truth about who you really are as a person, then this is your answer. Would you like to look?"
When he offered her the chance to look, Sadb instantly recoiled. "That sounds like a very clever way to get me to stretch my neck out before your blade."
"I knew you would say that," Gen replied.
He then threw is sword so it stuck into the ground at the edge of the treeline.
"If you want to look, the sword is there. You don't have to get anywhere near me."
Of course if she tried to steal the sword then he would have no choice but to go after her, but he was hoping that she wouldn't. She didn't seem interested in owning a sword anyway, so he figured it was safe.
Sadb winced without meaning to when he threw the sword, but instead it landed a safe distance away from him, and a nearer distance to her. Blinking in surprise, she looked at him, her eyes narrowing.
Maybe...maybe he wasn't what she thought he was?
He was working awfully hard to gain her trust for someone who wanted to just kill her.
With a sigh, she rubbed at her face. "Why are you doing this? Why...why do you care?"
"Because it doesn't seem like anyone else ever has," Gen told her. "Because everyone deserves to be cared for. It was a principle instilled in me by my dear mother. My father left my mother and I after I had been born. I was a disgrace to him because of my blindness. I could never be the next legendary swordsman of the Kaziru line due to my blindness. My mother, however, took care of me. She helped me master my magical abilities and taught me how to handle a blade. She even went so far as to sell her body in order to provide for me."
Gen paused for a moment to let his story sink in.
"My mother cared for me when no one else would despite being dubbed as a useless disgrace. I am now one of the finest swordsman to tread this earth, because she never gave up on me and saw my potential. In memory of my loving mother, I wish to show you that there is at least one person out there who cares and has faith in you...... Me."
Sink in, it did. And when it did, it left Sadb speechless.
She opened her mouth, then closed it several times, because the words wouldn't come even though she tried. Looking away from him, she played with the end of one braid, worrying at the damaged edges and running it through her fingers to keep her hands busy as her mind raced--along with her heart. Deep inside, she wanted it to be true, and she hadn't realized how painfully lonely and frightfully afraid to actually was until he struck right to the heart of the matter. She'd been alone for several years, struggling to survive and doing terrible things to survive, unspeakable things.
She was sure even if this man was genuine, he'd balk when he learned what a monster she truly was.
He'd struck at a weakness of hers, her desperate hope for help, for salvation, for just someone to talk to--and, she realized, that was dangerous. Dangerous for everyone. There would be no happy ending to his good intentions.
"I..."
Oh! So you finally found someone for me! I won't have to eat your heart after all, a voice whispered in her ear then, and Sadb shuddered.
"Go away," she said out loud, speaking aloud to the fae--but hoping desperately that he would hear and listen, that he would think the words were for him. Because they were.
How rude! You had better hope he doesn't leave, the fae said, and Sadb felt her lean against her shoulder, glamoured to invisibility but very much a physical presence. I want him. I want his blood. You'll give him to me, won't you?
Sadb went silent, and the fae brushed her cheek.
I'll give you three days, the fae said. The traditional number, and the days until the full moon. And if I can't have him, dear heart, I'll just have to take you. And then she was gone, leaving Sadb chilled as though from a ghost.
Sadb rubbed her forehead. "You really don't know what you're doing," she mumbled. "But...okay."
"I probably don't," Gen replied. "But that's never stopped me before."
Gen got to his feet and held out his hand.
"If you want my help, you'll have to trust me. I will have to trust you as well. I would greatly appreciate if you would take up my sword and return it to me."
This was definitely a test, indeed. It was a test for her, because she had to approach him. It was a test for him, because she would be approaching him with his sword. This ensured that they were both a threat to each other, and thus on even grounds.
Sadb's heart felt like a galloping horse, her palms clammy as she clenched her hands into fists.
Idiot, she thought, trying to be angry at him so she didn't feel so damned guilty. You're going to have to die, now. I tried to save you. It's not my fault you didn't listen.
It didn't help. And it didn't make her feel any less nervous, less afraid, when he asked her to bring him her sword. He could have gotten it himself, easily, so the test was obvious. A test of trust, but still not a very fair one, Sadb didn't think. He'd called himself one of the greatest swordsmen in the world, so what chance would she have if he decided to wrench the sword from her grasp? And even if she did try to use it on him, she doubted she'd be able to land a blow. She had never handled a sword before, and she didn't know how to fight.
She had her thorns, though. She knew how to use those.
With a deep breath, she went to his sword, tugged it free of the earth, and walked stiffly toward him, her heart beating even faster.
When she stood before him and offered it out to him, the blade resting harmlessly on her palms, it was the closest she'd been to another person in a long time.
I should tell him to leave. I should warn him. No, if I don't do this, she'll kill me. He brought this on himself. It's his fault for meddling.
But she said none of that. Instead she cleared her throat and said, "Here."
And then winced at how small her voice sounded.
"Thank you."
Instead of taking the sword by the hilt, he put his hands under it and lifted it by the blade before returning it to it's sheath.
"Now then," he began. "I know a nice place that we could talk. It has a great view. At least, I was told it did by people who actually have working eyes. Come, I'll show you."
Gen started walking with the intention Sadb to follow her.
"Perhaps you can confirm for me how beautiful the view really is."
Nervously, Sadb shot a look back to the mess of thorns that was her sanctuary, her place of safety and security, and then back to where the man was walking. Oh, she ventured out further when she was alone, but to go with someone elsewhere, away from all that? That had her heart beating even faster. But if he wanted to kill her, surely he'd had his chance when she'd given him his sword? One quick swing, one fast thrust, was all it would have taken.
Swallowing past the lump in her throat, she commanded her limbs to move, and walked after him, trailing him by several paces. Her entire body felt tight and shaky with nerves, but still she followed, arms folded defensively over her chest.
"Is...is it far?"
"That's a matter of perspective," Gen told her. "What's far for you might not be far for me. The whole world is within my walking distance, but I suppose it is a considerable distance from here regardless."
Gen was silent for a little bit before speaking again.
"So what exactly are you doing out in the woods anyway? Are you hiding from someone? Are you lost? Do you live out here?"
A considerable distance? Sadb's paranoia screamed at her, warning her that maybe he wasn''t sent to kill her, but to deliver her to the Mordecai--a fate that could be even worse than death. But still she followed even as she jolted at every sound and kept her ears and eyes alert.
She jumped again whenhe spoke after a moment's silence and looked at him with wide eyes.
"Yes," she said automatically, before realizing he'd asked four questions. "Ah, yes. To all of that. Except the one about being lost. I know where I am."
"Would you care to explain why all of that is," he asked kindly.
[Lol I swear I can count. *quietly edits post to say four questions shhhhh*]
Sadb internally squirmed. She really didn't want to explain, so she decided to keep it simple. He was a mage, too, after all. Maybe she shouldn't be so paranoid--but even mages had outed other mages in these times.
"I, ah...because I'm a witch," she said, hugging herself a little tighter. "I told you, I'm dangerous."
"A witch," Gen repeated. "So then I guess it's safe to assume that you are magically inclined. However, that doesn't make you inherently dangerous."
"Of course it does," Sadb said with a scowl. "All magic leads to dark things. It's only a matter of time. And I am dangerous."
"Now there I disagree with you," Gen told her. "Magic does not always lead to dark things. I have never used my abilities for evil. I am capable of stealing the air right out of people's lungs and creating windstorms powerful enough to level this forest, but it doesn't mean I have to."
Sadb looked over at him, her eyes narrowing. She knew what the fae had said, but God help her, if this man was for real, he was too nice. If he was legitimately intent on helping her...God. It was easier to trap people in her thorns for the fae to feast upon when she could tell herself it was in self defense. She felt horrible for it, but it took a weight off her conscience when she could tell herself it was either them or her, and she was only doing what it took to survive, that she'd warned them and they'd tried to attack her anyway and had only gotten what was coming for them. That they were bad people that just wanted to hurt her.
If this man was sincere, he was none of those things.
She couldn't do this.
Maybe that was why she finally dug her nails into her arms and came clean.
"I have," she blurted, voice sharp and angry. "I have used it for dark things. I am dangerous. Do you get it now?"
Just leave. Just leave. Get scared and run away already! Or get angry and attack me. If you attack me, at least I'll have an excuse.
Gen stopped walking and looked at her for moment and then continued walking.
"What kinds of dark things," he asked just as calmly as before.
"I've...killed," Sadb said, forcing the words out, and before she could help it she found herself quickly adding, "They were trying to kill me, but...I still killed them."
She wanted to kick herself as soon as she said it, for it kind of defeated the purpose of her whole "dark and evil and scary!" schtick, but she couldn't help but justify it. She didn't want to think of herself as a murderer; that weighed too heavy on her soul. And as much as she hated to admit it, she did care what other people thought.
"I see," Gen replied. "Well, sometimes it's unavoidable. I don't like killing either, but I've had to do it once or twice before. Sometimes we are left with little choice if we want to live."
"Once or twice..." Sadb laughed bitterly. "I've done it more than that."
Gen raised an eyebrow at that.
"How many?"
Sadb grimaced, and hugged herself tighter. "About...five?"
"I see," Gen said actually seeming somewhat relieved. "Five is a... considerable amount. I was worried you were a mass murderer of some kind for a second. I suppose five isn't too bad given the situation you are in."
As they walked they soon came to the bottom of a cliff.
"Well, here we are. Our destination is at the top."
"I didn't want to," Sadb said quietly, even as they approached the foot of the cliff. With an uneasy glance up, she took a deep breath and began to climb.
"But...people know about me. And they come to kill me. What else am I supposed to do?"
"That does leave you with very few options," Gen agreed.
Gen watched her begin to climb for a moment.
"You know, I can get us up there much faster. You'll have to trust me though."
Sadb paused, turning to give him an incredulous look that he couldn't see. Trust was something she was in very, very short supply of. This right here was her trusting someone while feeling dread bubbling in her stomach with every step, just waiting for the other shoe to drop and squish her like a bug.
Her fingers twitched where they grasped a clump of grass for purchase. "...Explain what you have in mind, and I'll tell you if I trust you."
Gen took off his pack and laid it on the ground against the cliff.
"You climb on my back and I carry you up," he told her. "It will be much faster."
A cheeky grin appeared once he finished speaking, but it wasn't a devious cheeky grin. It was more of an 'impending joke' kind of grin.
Sadb's eyebrows knit together at that look, and she felt rather like she was the the outsider bearing witness to some inside joke. Was there something she was missing here?
"I'm heavier than I look," she said, shuffling her feet awkwardly.
"Do I look weak to you," Gen asked. "I'd like to think I'm in pretty good shape for a blind man my age."
"Ah, no. You don't look weak, I just..." Sadb had run out of excuses. But really, what was there to be afraid of at this point? If he wanted to hurt her, he could have done so already. He'd had numerous opportunities.
And Sadb realized a heartbeat later that she wasn't really afraid of him hurting her; she was just afraid of his kindness, when she didn't feel deserving of it. Especially not now, with the grisly task the fae had given her.
God, she really was a monster.
She drew in a breath and let it out slowly, her shoulders sagging as she did. "...Alright. Carry me."
"Great. Hop on."
Gen had Sadb climb onto his back and told her to hold on. Then, using his elemental abilities, he jumped a quarter of the way up the cliff in one leap and grabbed hold of a ledge. And then did it three more times, covering the same amount of ground each time, until they were at the top where he let Sadb down.
"See. That was much faster."
By the time they got up that cliff, Sadb's throat was raw from screaming and no doubt Gen's ears were ringing, as she'd been howling right into one of them. She'd clutched him in a death grip the entire way up, on the verge of strangling him, and when he set her down she stumbled and fell to her knees, for her legs were shaking too badly to support her.
If Gen could see like other people could, he'd see a pretty rare sight. Sadb, usually so tightly controlled and bitter, always projecting her "bitter ice queen of a witch" act, looked completely and utterly frazzled at that moment, wide-eyed with shock and curling her fingers into the grass as she tried to get over that...experience.
She coughed and rubbed at her throat. She was so used to speaking low and quiet, if she talked at all (and alone as she was, she rarely needed to), and she didn't think she'd screamed since she was young, so that did a number on her voice!
"Oh...my...God..."
Gen couldn't help but laugh at the poor frazzled girl.
"I suppose I should have warned you first," Gen said.
He walked to the edge of the cliff.
"So what do you think? Is it really as good as they say it is?"
The view Gen had been talking about was the sun setting behind the trees in the far distance.
"What does it look like?"
"Uh..." Sadb took a few more deep, steadying breaths before she rose, shakily, to her feet and brushed her hands off onto her knees. "Yeah. Warning would be nice."
When she felt she could stand without swaying, she lifted her eyes and looked out over the cliff--and saw the view properly for the first time. With a small gasp, she stepped closer to the edge, ever cautious, and stared out over the distance as the sun began to sink beyond the horizon, painting the sky like watercolors.
It had been a long, long time since she'd seen a sight like this. It had been a long time since she'd torn herself away from her own misery long enough to appreciate a sight like this.
"...It's beautiful," she said quietly. "It's...the sky is full of colors, reds and oranges and violets, intense and bright. The sun's setting behind the trees, and it's so...just..." She had never been much of a poet, so she found herself struggling for the words to encapsulate what she saw. "Pretty..."
"If I were able to choose just one more thing to be able to see, it would be color," Gen told her. "Because of all the things I've heard about, colors sound the most beautiful to be able to see. I'd rather see a rainbow than be able to write my own name."
Sadb turned then, giving him a curious look. "You were born blind?"
"I was," he replied. "That's why my father left my mother and I. In his eyes I was a disgrace, because he believed that I would never become a great swordsman like him and carry on his legacy due to my blindness."
"Hmph. What an idiot," Sadb said, and looked back out over the horizon as the sky grew steadily darker.
Gen failed to suppress the chuckle that escaped his lips.
"Yes, I suppose he was rather silly for leaving seeing what I am now."
Gen stayed silent for a moment before continuing once more.
"So, if a blind man can become a swordsman, what's stopping a witch from becoming something more?"
"Circumstances beyond her control," Sadb answered simply, hesitant to divulge. She never knew when the fae might be listening, after all, though she could generally feel her presence--and right now, she felt a relieving absence.
As soon as she said the words, she winced, because she realized, er...blindness was also sort of a circumstance beyond one's control, and he'd made do. Looking his way, she gave a resigned shrug. "I'm...not my own master. Not exactly. It's...it's complicated."
"You are always your own master," Gen replied. "Your life is yours. What you do with it is up to you. But, sometimes, you have to fight for it. You have to fight for the right to make your life your own. Nobody can ever own you unless you let them."
Sadb looked at Gen then, scowling. "Would you tell that to a slave?"
"I don't normally promote violence," Gen replied. "But it does indeed ring true for every slave."
"Hmph," Sadb said, crossing her arms. "And what good is fighting for your life if fighting is what gets you killed?"