I awoke, slowly, sun beams streaming in on me. I smiled, opening my eyes. It took a moment for my eyes to adjust and I was not where I had lay my head. I was in room with windows, I did not have windows in the servant's quarters, they are underground. My bedding was the purest white I've ever seen, and smelled of sweet honeysuckle. The walls were draped with rich fabrics and the wind blowing in the window was warm and fresh.

I went to the window to look out, but the sunlight blinded me to all but the bluest, cloudless sky.

I was not afraid, I found my way through the city, to the keep pretty easily. It is the largest building, in the heart of this city of artificial islands. I wonder what would happen if a large wave would wash through? Would all the bridges be gone, leaving them isolated? It would be a disaster. Yes, my pondering was not for my fate, but of this new place.

I found the hall, and a man answering to the name Donovan gave me a quick introduction to the city, and the keep. I stood their stunned, as he explained my responsibilities. They call this slavery?

As I rose from my sleep, the half orc stood over me protective, I glanced around and saw that the others gave us a berth and there was blood and what looked like an ear on the floor. I asked incredulous as I realized what had transpired, and my protector look down at me with a tender look in his one eye not swollen shut. He said to me in a voice with melody I would never expect from one with orcish blood, ‘Look, I’m nuts over you.’ Then he laughed and sat down hard, exhausted.

When our prayer was complete, the last few days finally as a weight on my head and lack of sleep caught up with me. Though the most foolish thing to do, I gave into the need for sleep. It was my conscious decision to sleep, if I was going to die, I no longer wished to view the tools of my destruction waiting for it.

I awoke in the courtyard of a white stone structure. Its high walls covered in ivy, and a pool with fountains spilling water quietly at either end. The air was warm, but comfortably so, and smelled of honeysuckle. I was alone, but unafraid.

As I was pushed by hose focused water to the group, I saw the creatures before me staring as if I were a buffet of sweet meats, licking their chops in anticipation. I was soon surrounded by large men of orc blood thrusting swelling phalluses at me, striking me about the face and head easily as they doubled my height. As a stroke of good luck, they began to fight over who would be the first to use me and I was able to duck through an opening and escape toward the back of the slave pen. The half dozen orcs and half orcs continued to fight, as if they hadn’t noticed I slipped away.

What was in that pouch, what were the keys for? what would be worth so much life?
I never found out, as I took to my feet staring down, a guardsman stepped up and grabbed me. Before I came to my senses, I was hauled away to a cell. I spent a couple of days in that pit and a guard came to tell me I had been trialed, and would be hung for my murderous ways. I never got to speak up, I was just going to be dead. I begged to be allowed to speak to someone.

Over the next couple of years, I found little shelter in the streets, but I survived. I stole what I needed, and rarely slept in the same place two nights in a row. If I couldn’t carry it with me, I didn’t keep it. Eventually, I made contact with the guild, and paid for the right to operate in their territory. It kept the cut throats from seeking me, but won me no respect, because I never did anything of note, nor did I bring much profit as I didn’t want to steal what I didn’t need. Living like that changes you though. I hardened, and stopped looking at people as people, but as marks.

About two years later, our luck changed, Billy and the others who now worked with him on his bimonthly burglaries were spotted scouting out a ‘protected’ shop. Protected by paying the thieves guild to not steal from them. We were not part of the guild so we did not know that particular danger. Our group got a lot smaller that day, only Billy and two others and me were left when the cut throats were done with their work. We were given an ultimatum, do a job for the guild, to prove ourselves and join them, or we would be found in the alley with our friends.

We had no choice.

I found work in a cheese shop. The human owner sold all things made from milk, and said he could use an energetic lass such as me to churn butter. So he asked me to return the next day. It was a local holiday, but as he said the work must be done daily. The churn room was small, and very warm, he said it needed to be to make the butter. What did I know, I hadn’t even eaten butter in years. He said I would need to keep the plunger moving for a few hours, and if I stopped the batch would be ruined and I wouldn’t get paid.

Childhood, how did I survive? My mother died when I was 8. My only immediate family left was a grandmother who lived in another place. As my mother was disowned by her family I never knew them, or my grandmother. My mother was often regarded as mentally ill, so she didn’t have many friends.

One of those friends was the shop owner who employed her. He was kind, and claimed me as his own child. I worked for him and he fed and clothed me. Oh how I worked, I suppose you could say I was a slave even then. He never loved me as a parent, just as an asset to his business.