Yhuni glowered at Faln when he told her she couldn't kill herself, then snorted softly. It hadn't crossed her mind though it was also true that she did not fear death and that, if it really came down to it, she would have no issues with taking her own life. She came from a culture that worshipped Death, viewed suicide as honorable, and had the living dead and skeletons all around. She communed with spirits daily. Needless to say, she was quite accustomed to death, but that also didn't mean she was ready to die yet. It also didn't mean she wasn't scared to death of the pain that usually came with the dying process.
Still, she resented that order more than she resented him forbidding her to use her magic. That was bad enough; she wouldn't be able to get in touch with her brother without it, or work out an escape. But even more she resented the power he had over her life, and this stupid fucking collar that gave him that power.
She glanced back down at the cobblestone street as he told her she was to call him "master" and tried to focus entirely on the sensation of the uneven ground on her cracked and dry feet, hoping the discomfort would distract her from the frustration that was building up in her. That was when Faln grabbed a fistful of her hair, and that distracted her well enough. She gave a little cry of surprise and pain, then clamped her mouth shut stubbornly even as her eyes began to water. But the wincing came more from his words, hammering home the awful truth, than it did from the discomfort. She really didn't want to hear all that; she already knew it, but she still didn't want to hear it, because actually hearing it reminded her of how scared she really was, even if she was doing a fairly good job of hiding it. Being owned by someone, just a piece of property to do with as they pleased...yeah, that scared the shit of of her, and she swallowed hard and kept her eyes averted as she tried to hide that fact, but her shallow breathing probably gave her away.
There was some small comfort in that last line, that he didn't want to see her harmed, but it wasn't much. At first there was relief because she thought that meant she wouldn't have to worry about him beating or raping or killing her, but a second later and she remembered that some people didn't consider it harmful if it didn't leave any permanent marks. She quickly pushed the thoughts from her mind. He said he wanted to be fair, though, and something else in all that stood out. Earn herself back from him? Wait...did that mean she could gain her freedom back?
But before she could ask--even if she was a little afraid to ask because of what the answer might be--he released her hair and asked her about her magic. Yhuni reached up to massage her scalp, idly scratching with her nails where her skin itched. About the only ray of light in this whole situation was that she'd be getting a bath.
And that was a very small ray of light.
"I can summon things. Spirits, both malign and benevolent," Yhuni answered automatically, grimacing even as she spoke and helpless to stop the words. "Some can be used as messengers, some can be used to accomplish tasks, some can give knowledge or protection, some can be used to sabotage enemies. It all depends on who is summoned and what I need to be done, and with many of them it also depends on what I'm willing to give. Many require a fee be paid before they'll help," she spilled out, crossing her arms over her chest as they walked. "And by 'fee' I don't mean money," she added cryptically, still not looking at him.
She finally did look up when they turned toward a shop, one right beside the river, and Yhuni peered curiously at it before frowning. Cini's Cleaners? Faln pushed through the door and she followed after him, squinting against the steam...and then blinking. Clothes were hung up all over and a large woman was bent over a copper tub. So...this was a clothes cleaning place? But she thought Faln had said "bath", and her clothes were far too worthles to even waste a cleaning on.
Yhuni stood by quietly as the two spoke, obviously familiar with each other, though she did look up when the woman came to inspect her, shifting from leg to leg awkwardly. Underfed. Eh heh. That wasn't quite the truth. She had been fed as much as the other slaves, who were thin but not starved, and still she had never gained weight. She had really hoped that would work to her advantage and she might not even get sold, but...
That was when Cini called for the "boys", who came running in, and she really thought nothing of that or of the previous comment about the boys helping. She just figured they might clean her clothes, worthless as they were, or prepare her a bath--even if she was a slave, still, it was the only thing she could think up. But that was when Faln asked for her clothes.
Right then and there?!
"What? Right here?" she gasped before she could stop herself, giving a wide-eyed look around herself, at Cini, the three boys, and Faln. She wasn't especially body shy, but that was still asking a lot! For her to just strip naked in front of five complete strangers?! Four of them male?! Her mouth was open in horror, and yet she still couldn't fight the command. Her hands moved on their own accord, pulling off her shirt, stripping off her tattered skirt, and she literally threw the clothes at Faln when she was done so she could quickly cover up her chest, murder in her eyes as she looked at him. It wasn't like her body was much to look at, her stomach sunken in, her ribs poking out, even her hipbones sticking out more than they should, but it didn't mean she still didn't have her pride.
And her pride stung all the more at Faln's instructions, her cheeks reddening with embarrassment and anger. Thorough wash?! He was talking like she was a shirt or something! And have them do it?! Oh fuck no.
All pretenses were dropped right then and there, and Yhuni no longer cared about pretending to be meek and humble. She snarled something unintelligible before stomping off after the boys, nearly doubled over to cover herself. Until they dumped rather cold water over her and started washing her, telling her to bend over or spread her legs, which she had to do because they told her to, and Faln had told her to obey...that was when she lost it. She was not about to be molested by a bunch of kids! Or anyone, for that matter! Faln told her to listen to them, but they'd never told her that she had to let them wash her!
"STOP IT!" she shouted suddenly, slapping their hands away none-too-gently and standing up straight. She clamped her legs together and covered her chest with her arms again, body angled away from them. "I can wash myself! Go the hell away and I swear if you touch me again, your only wet dreams will come from succubi sucking the life out of you! And not in a fun way, I promise!" she snarled, snatching a washcloth out of one of their hands. Her chest was heaving in her anger, her face was red, and she felt utterly violated. She hardly even felt the cold anymore she was so upset, though she was still shivering.
"I can wash myself," she repeated, much more calmly, before turning her back to them so she could start scrubbing herself, and wash her hair. If she couldn't see them, even if they were watching, it at least made it a little easier on her. She could pretend they weren't there, get this over with as quickly as possible, and just focus on all the layers of dirt and grime she was getting rid of. By the time she was done, it was almost as though she were a new person--her dark skin shone a nice shade of copper, and her hair, once a dull, limp gray, turned out to be a snowy white.
It didn't do anything for her emaciated body, of course, or for her embarrassment, but at least she felt clean again. Kind of. She still felt horribly violated.