Chains rattled in the silence that followed as Hayate shifted from his hanging position. It had been some time now since the wagon had stopped because of a broken wheel, and he had been dumped out of his cage unceremoniously onto the ground, and dragged into what he figured was some sort of stable. The chains were thrown over him so they could hang him up by the arms, his face facing the stable door. He was stripped of all his clothing, wiped down with a wet cloth and then rubbed down with some sweet scented oil. The fact that Lydia was doing this herself almost made him want to cry as he looked away from her touching him all over the place.
Hayate noticed his own body first. He was still bruised all over however thankfully that elven paste stuff had made him a lot more conformable. His hair had been washed, trimmed and cleaned, clothes suddenly changed after Lydia got done with him; now he was wearing some strange all blue garment, some sort of pants and tunic that showed his shoulders and arms, and soft leathery blue boots. She had even gone as far as placing a stupid dangly hoop earring in his ear, but he soon realized it was just something that marked him as a slave.
The next thing he noticed were his surroundings oddly enough. The place stunk, yet it was barren as if the previous owners had abandoned it. He figured they were a few miles now from the brothel, but he wasn’t quite sure, and Lydia who used to be to him someone so open and honest had told him nothing of where he was going so far.
The door to the stable was slightly ajar and Hayate could hear her cussing to someone who was apparently not following orders. Hayate figured the next stop would be his last because she’d probably want to get rid of him quickly in case his leaving was thought of as strange. After all he did leave that note.
Faivish…
Hayate blinked looking up suddenly wishing he had said something more than, “I’ll be back� on the note, perhaps more details of why he was leaving. All he had wanted to do was find closure, but now he was hanging here like a piece of meat ready to be slaughtered by several he was sure lawless customers.
He shifted slightly, pain shooting through his arms as he hung there, his toes barely touching the ground. He had to strain to hold himself up because if he dangled there for too long the pain would begin again, the same pain he felt for the last hour that struck his shoulders from being hung up by both wrists. And damn his sprained wrist. The pain was too much to bear.
“Ah, so you’re finally awake, huh?� Her voice trailed off as Hayate looked up and found that bitch facing him, a staff in her hand. “This here,� she said running her hands over the smooth surface of her wooden staff, “is in case you get out of line Hayate. And we don’t want that, now do we?�
“Won’t get much for me with any more bruises.�
“Not if they are on your pretty little head.�
Hayate grinned suddenly underneath his long blonde bangs and brought up a knee to kick the blasted thing out of her hands, but not before spitting on her.
Wide eyed and furious, Lydia picked up her staff and brought it down quickly over his head.
The next thing he knew…he was back asleep…
“See, told you.�
* * *
"Alright Rain, hurry, but be careful. Don't try anything stupid.�
Rain saluted Fai and then took off running down the servant’s back way until he was running passed the bathhouse and out the back door and outside.
He was fast because of his small size, maybe that is why he was so good at tracking and following people. Heck maybe one day he realize, he could make a good job out of it! But oh who would want to hire a spy? he thought laughing to himself. And anything was great as long as he was near Hayate.
He made his way through his usual trail that would wind around the brothel and to the main road instead of taking the main road itself. He ended up starting suddenly hiding behind a bush as the stranger came riding slowly his way. Good, the man on horseback wasn’t going at full speed and he would be easy to follow. He half expected Fai to follow the man as well and so began to follow slowly creeping his way along the side trail until the man came to the fork in the road and headed west. Good, good enough information. And so he waited until the man took the next path tucked up a bit on a hill, and crawled out of his hiding space, standing in the middle of the main road.
Now all that was left to do was wait for Fai who he sure was already on his way following the man as well. He had a good hunch about it, so he looked behind him to see if he could spot him already.
* * *
Memories he had long forgotten returned. Hayate was no longer the grown man, but a small frail little boy. With such strong jade green eyes and flowing golden hair that more than often landed him in trouble with the other boys in his home town. His hand was so much smaller the child realized, as the child clasped that hand onto another much older hand, touched by time.
The woman who stood beside him, so tall and so frail it looked as though she might shatter if she even breathed stared out to sea. Yet there was power and grace and wisdom in her eyes that she turned to him. And suddenly her cold hard stare softened, as did her smile.
“Hayate, do you know why I’ve brought you here?�
“Inuinana,� Hayate said, which translated, “Great Grandmother� her people’s language.
The boy known as Hayate looked up to his grandmother with her white flowing hair spilling down her back, her gentle eyes, the soft curve of her lip. There was warmth in her, yet also a coldness that Hayate would never come to understand or know. Why she kept herself at such a distance from him Hayate couldn’t understand. All he wanted was just for her to hold him, and kiss him, tell him he was loved, but as it was with her people, they had no need for such a thing.
Hayate cried suddenly and she strengthened the hold on his little hand.
“No boy, do not shed any tears. There is always a time for tears, but now is not that time. You must listen to me Hayate,� she said kneeling down to face him. “You must forget this moment, forget me, forget where your ancestry lies. Live your life and do not look back, do not remember what I’ve taught you.�
“Inui?� he said but she put a finger to his lips and shook her head.
“No, you must never speak theâ€"silenceâ€"language again, is that clear?â€?
Hayate came back to the present, head cleared as his memory of his grandmother returned to him. Why hadn’t he remembered after all this time? Remembered her. Why did he allow all his teaching to be pushed back into the depths of his mind and forgotten?
Teachings?
He didn’t quite understand.
He woke as one obtaining knowledge, one who for some reason just didn’t feel afraid all of a sudden. He looked up at Lydia, his eyes icy, lifeless, distant as his grandmother’s had been that day and whispered to her, “Khlo’teri-ghem. Ja’vyurlium’O.�
Lydia spun around. “What did you say?�
Hayate stared at her again, harder this time, the jade of his eyes changing until they became deep green pools of liquid.
He said again, almost as a whisper, “Khlo’teri-ghem. Ja’vyurlium’O.�
Then he began to speak to Lydia, forming words that he did not understand, could not interpret. The words kept on coming, as if he were giving birth to them inside his chest. They rolled about, dancing along his skin, setting fire to his stomach. Hotter and hotter they continued coming, he continued repeating the same words over and over to again not caring to stop at the look of horror and shock on her face. Then suddenly the words took shape, into a single form and burned along his arms until they reached his hands and the chains holding him up began to glow faint, and he didn’t think about escape, didn’t think about any words that had been said, thought nothing but the pouring of these foreign words that took him over.
“Khlo’teri-ghem. Ja’vyurlium’O…�
“Khlo’teri-ghem. Ja’vyurlium’O…�
“Stop it!� Lydia screamed lifting her staff from the floor and swinging it across his midsection.
The words stopped and Hayate’s eyes dimmed as he swung around in the air. The words stopped and suddenly the knowledge seemed to disappear and all he knew was pain all along his belly.
Trembling, Lydia backed away from the boy until her back hit the front door of the stable. She reached behind her, fumbling with the lock until the door gave way and she tumbled outside by the feet of her companions. Standing she tried to compose herself and turned to them bellowing out orders. “You! Post another guard here! I want this boy guarded at all times!�
“Lady?�
“Just do it!� She screamed.
She turned and stalked away suddenly, hands shaking, mind reeling at what she had just witnessed, and then suddenly as it all made sense she stopped and began to softly laugh.
Why Hayate, you endless source of secrets. So, you have some ]elven blood in you?
“Good,� she said grinning suddenly, making her way over to a small little stage that had been built haphazardly near the river.
“I can’t believe you are part elf,� she said talking to herself, rolling over the new information in her head. “And all this time you didn’t tell your beloved Lydia anything.�
She made a soft sound and folded her arms across her chest. Yes, this was a good turn of events. Now she had something, someone that would fetch an even higher price than before. To have a boy so young with so much experience under him already and also…elven blood in him. Hell it might just be a little, but it was enough to send her toppling back in alarm.
But something wasn’t right. She had recognized some of the speech as odd, yes perhaps elven, because what else could it be? Yet, there was something dangerous in his words, something that still caused a shiver to remain along her skin. As if Hayate was reaching out to strangle her.
Ah, what nonsense, she thought doing away with her knew wondering, and suddenly looked back at her men and threw a staff to them. “If the boy gives you any trouble, hit him with this.�
Hayate watched her go, not quite sure what had gotten into him, not quite sure what the hell he just had said right now. It frightened him, but what was worse was he also didn’t know how much time had passed. He was completely alone, yet outside he could hear shuffling as if a large crowd was gathering. No, it couldn’t be possible? He thought they had just made a quick stop for repairs, but this run down little whatever it was called couldn’t be where she would be selling him off? So soon?
It couldn’t be true? he thought with a shake of his head. He gasped suddenly remembering that Lydia had knocked him over the head.
As if all his fears were suddenly manifesting themselves today, the door to the stable opened, bringing along with it bright sunlight that blinded him and several armed men who looked ready to take him to his next destination.
“Well, well, time to go lover boy,� Lydia said walking over to him slowly. Two large brutes came after her and reached out to grab Hayate’s legs, holding the struggling lad as she took a few more steps closer to him. “That’s in case you try that again,� she said lifting a small bowl in her hands.
“What’s that?â€? Hayate said glancing at the funny lookingâ€"what was that, puke?â€"and giving her his dirtiest look.
“You should probably know all about this elven remedy Hayate,� Lydia said smiling and suddenly swirling a bunch of it on his face. “After all being part elf and all.�
Hayate laughed. “Yeah, really, well then where are my ears, bitch?�
“Oh Hayate, just because you don’t look well…� Lydia stared at him hard, her eyes travelling the length of him from his pale blonde hair, gem-colored eyes, the sharp angles at his face, the beauty, the long lean muscle mass…he wasn’t tall but then again he wasn’t full elf either.
“Oh, yes definitely have elven blood in you alright.�
She laughed and began to rub the mixture all over his body and Hayate had to stop and pay attention because his skin was tingling, and the bruises he once had were vanishing as if they had never been there. Was his skin actually…glowing? Did it look clean as she wiped the stuff away off his skin with a soft rag? What the hell did she put in that stuff?
“If you mix Black X with a few special ingredients as the elves do,� Lydia said smiling, “It makes a wonderful skin cream. Especially takes care of any minor bruises, and the scent is quite wonderful,� she said lifting the bowl to her nose to take a long sniff.
“Now,� she said wiping her hands on her shirt. “Are you going to give me any more problems today? Or, are we going to come along nicely…�
