Stolen

The chain pulled taught, dragging Alli forward, even if she didn't want to move. It left her so little choice, something she suddenly found herself longing for. A choice. Something that human slaves never got. It didn't matter that her legs hurt, her arms shook with her exhaustion, or that her throat was so dry she couldn't make a sound. The slavers, or thrall masters as they were sometimes called, preferred it that way. They often vocally hoped that humans couldn't speak. A sharp jerk at the chains connecting her to everyone else pulled Alli back into her current, daunting reality. "Faster Wench! Lord Orm wants to see you!" Her stomach hit her feet. Being called to visit the master wasn't an honor. More often than not, it turned out to be a death sentence. The tall, vicious Thrall Master in charge of her crew glared over at her. Like Alli, he was a human, but he had been willing to sell his soul to Lord Orm in a way Alli never would, no matter how many times the whip landed against her bare skin. "Get to the washroom! Now Slave!!" Alli bowed her head and turned, stepping out of line and drawing attention to herself just a little bit more. She hated attention. She got it everywhere she went because she wasn't like the others enough to blend in. Wherever she went, she stood out, thanks to her vibrant, natural, auburn curls and her brilliant green eyes. Her father had always said that she carried with her the 'luck of the Irish', but she was pretty sure she'd found all of the bad luck that 'the Irish' had always been able to avoid. Being called to attend a highborn Fae was supposed to be an honor, and Alli reasoned, it probably was in other courts where the Lord a thrall was called to attend wasn't a lecherous old goat. Lord Orm was no joy to attend, but she didn't want a second beating for being tardy showing up for him to tell her to pick something up off of the floor. She hurried towards the washroom, silently, because that was what all slaves, or thralls, were expected to do. Alli really didn't want to add another beating to the one she had endured first thing that morning. Showering was very different from the home Alli had grown up in. In her human home, she turned a knob, adjusted the temperature, and washed. In the Fae world, you had to ask a Watcher, a Fae in charge of thralls, to spell the water to fill up the wooden tub you stood in. There was no shower head, or shampoo, or conditioner. The Watcher produced each spell as it was needed, and kept an eye on the thrall that was in the washroom. Alli missed electricity and running water. When she was done, and dry according to Fae standards, Alli dressed in a pair of leather trousers and a white linen shirt. The Masters would've been happier if she had worn the one gown she owned, but since Lord Orm was just as likely to destroy it, Alli determined that that was not going to be an option. She brushed out her hair, and faced the Inspector. At their nod, chains were reattached to her collar and manacles and she was led out of the thrall quarters at the base of the Autumn Court. Lord Orm was waiting for her. Through the bustling city Alli was walked like she was some kind of pet. She couldn't say that she hated watching interactions in the Autumn Court, but she could point out that she hated being a focal point. All thralls were of interest to Fae. Every single Fae of the Autumn Court longed to own a few thralls, but they were not common place, having to either be stolen from the human world or wandering into the wrong place at the wrong time. Thralls were a sign of high status. Lord Orm proclaimed that he owned all thralls in the Autumn Court, but had no problem loaning them out to friends if they offered him the right price. Alli hoped that that wasn't the case with her. Alli followed her master higher and higher up into the Court, wishing she had the energy to drag her feet, or look her guard in the eye, an offense punishable by 20 lashes. Alli was sure that 20 lashes would carry her just beyond the realm of consciousness, and let her escape whatever it was that Lord Orm had in store for her. It was a fate that she was desperately working to escape, just like her fate as a slave. The main hall was cool and dark, a drastic difference from the warm autumn day that still shined brightly outside of Orm's palace walls. Thralls were lined up along both walls with their Masters just behind them, holding their chains like they were leashed, waiting for their master's command. Fae stood off to the sides, watching whatever was about to happen. It was something, no doubt, for Lord Orm's amusement, and not any of the humans would enjoy the proceedings. The Fae Lord sat on his throne, looking over his market. Alli, as one of the last to arrive, was dragged to her place, in the back corner. She hadn't been in the Fae world more than two years, but she knew well enough not to make a spectacle of herself, or to even draw any additional attention her way. So, she shrank back into the corner as much as she could, and watched. Lord Orm started inspecting the thralls, beginning with the ones closest to his throne. The Fae unfolded his large, lean frame from the guilded chair, lazily trailing his keen brown gaze over the various slaves he had gathered. It almost felt as if his eyes left a trail of ice in their wake when he looked Alli up and down. While Orm was a traditional Fae, tall, ageless, immortal, and gorgeous, he held no appeal for Alli because she knew his cruelty all too well. Slowly, as if he was stalking his prey, he made his way down to where Alli stood. She was trying desperately to blend in with the walls. She didn't want to be a part of his game, or even someone he caught sight of. It was too bad that Fate wasn't listening. "Our guests, I'm sure, want to know why we have invited them! So- Merium- why don't you tell them?" Orm swung his arm forward, tugging into view a pale, thin, petite human. Alli blanched. Merium was about to be the warning to all thralls. Merium shook her dark head frantically, pulling at her chains. Tears streamed down her gaunt cheeks. Orm did nothing but chuckle, the sound derisive and degrading. "Merium was given the unique task of keeping me amused, which she failed at spectacularly! How do we take failure, People of the Autumn Court?" Alli wanted to flinch, to close her eyes, to hide even, but there was no where she could go to hide. Fae of the Autumn Court killed thralls that failed. Merium's weeping turned to screams, agonized, tortured screams. For once, Alli was glad a High Fae stood near her, so she didn't have to look up to see Merium's fate. She heard the body land on the cold stone floor, and as always, it was followed by the cruel laughter that belonged solely to the Fae. Orm clapped his hands together, calling the Hall to order again. "Help me, Fae compatriots, to choose my new toy!" The Hall erupted in jeering cheers, and as one, all thralls were shoved into the center of the Hall, close enough for Orm to get up close looks. While no one ever expressly said that humans became Orm's concubines, everyone knew that's what he meant when he chose his 'toys'. Orm moved easily around the thralls, inspecting them completely. The women he had already inspected stood, unclothed, off to one side, dejected and embarrassed. His eyes landed on Alli. "Disrobe." Orm's sneer was filled with a dark malice, his black eyes glittering. Alli faultered. It wasn't new. Alli had been ordered to strip so many times she had lost count. No thrall had any free will when a Fae ordered them to do something, and every slave owner wanted to know what they were paying for. But this time, with Orm, it was different. This time, there was a layer of lust that soured her stomach. Her hesitation cost her. Orm's eyes lit up like she'd just given him the best Christmas present. "Master Thrall- your charge is struggling with the basic directives given to a slave," Orm called loudly, his eyes dancing with pleasure. The lash sang out, biting into Alli's back. Her shirt fell away easily, her torn skin giving the garment a slightly different color. "Now, disrobe," Orm ordered again, nearly growling. Alli's temper simmered as she undid the buttons of her leather trousers. She knew that her slow, deliberate movements were pushing her luck. She just couldn't bring herself to care. "Again Master Thrall!" The whip kissed her back again, forcing the blood to flow freely. Orm's malevolent smile grew more broad. "This one! I have found my new toy," he laughed, catching her elbow and dragging her body into his. The Court broke out into excited applause, because Orm's ire would be appeased. The beast had just been thrown a sacrifice. "Clean her! Dress her! And then deliver her to my quarters tonight!" "Get ready! Gather your things," the thrall master snarled, shoving Alli towards her cot, the only place she was allowed to have personal belongings. Alli knew the drill. Just like every 'toy' that came before her, they were all moved to the castle from the slave quarters. They were still slaves, just a different kind of slave. Alli glanced around, wishing there was time to plan, time to run, time to even just beg for help or asylum from what was to be her fate, but there was none. No one would bother to help her anyway, from what she knew of the Fae world. She had been told many times over that Fae hated humans, but couldn't reproduce without them. Alli wasn't sure if that was even true, especially since she had only been there three or four years. What she had seen was Fae hated humans and used them as play things. Alli's hands found the one prized possession that she had managed to keep from her time in her world. It was a tiny jade-handled dagger in a sheath that she concealed on her thigh. She didn't take it to the mine with her, ever, because that was how things got stolen, no matter where they were hidden. Alli hurriedly strapped it to her thigh, then shoved her two extra sets of clothes into the small leather duffel she had made. Finally, she shoved her staff making tools on the top. Maybe she could bargain with Orm with skill instead of her wit. She knew it was a long shot, but it was a shot she was going to take. Freedom was worth that, and so much more. Alli stood, turning to face the guard that had been waiting for her. "I'm-. Where did you go?" Alli's voice trailed off as she looked around the now empty bunk house. Where had everyone who had just been in there go? And how did they go so quietly? What was going on? Where had Orm's watchdog gone? "People don't just vanish," Alli reminded herself as she looked around the room, sure she was missing something. Until the small hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. "Oh Gods- what now? What did I miss?" A shadow fell across the room, drawing her attention to the doorway as a frigid breeze stole her breath away. There weren't many Fae that could drop the temperature like that, and the ones that could, Alli was pretty sure she didn't want to meet. Her breath hitched in her chest as the hooded, faceless figure appeared in the doorway, the chill only getting worse. "I've found what we are looking for! Ready the horses! We ride!" The voice attached to the hood was deep and smooth, with the underlying snarl of an alpha male. Without asking, and without warning, the tall Fae stranger tossed Alli and her bag over his shoulder and ran for the door like a common thief with his loot. "Who are you?! Damnit!! Stop! Put me down! Argh! Put! Me! Down!" Alli screamed at her latest captor, kicking and pounding his back. He quickly swatted her behind. "Be still! You're going to get us caught by the Autumn Court," he hissed, swatting her once more for good measure. "Who are you?!" She heard and felt the scoff from the body that carted her off. "That's not for you to worry about just now, is it, Thrall?" Alli took the statement as an invitation to resume her struggles. He certainly hadn't given her anything to feel comfortable with! "Stop it! We will both fall if you continue this way," he growled, readjusting her body weight as they hurried towards the outer walls. "Better I fall than be another play thing for an asinine Fae," she spat, hoping that if he did drop her she could land just right and never open her eyes again. " 'Asinine Fae play thing'? Let me guess- you've never left this court." "Oh yeah- because you're really going to make things better," she snapped back, already tired of the banter between them. "I'm trying but you will not hold still!" As if to echo his words, he wobbled precariously on the steps that led down to the bottom levels, where the stables were. The Fae used his superior flexibility and balance to catch them both, muttering a curse as he rounded the corner. Alli counted six. Six horses were ready and waiting for the Fae that had invaded the Autumn Court and started an all-out war with Lord Orm. Alli knew that he didn't take losing kindly, especially when he had just decided to make her his new toy. That spelled disaster for everyone involved in the mess. In the next second, Alli was unceremoniously thrown across the back of a horse, a huge black beast that had moonlight for a mane and tail. She hurried to right herself, since she didn't intend to ride to wherever he was taking her upside down. She sat ramrod straight, hoping against all hope that the beast that had caught her was not the one who would be riding with her. She was wrong again. He vaulted into the saddle behind her, clicking at the horse before he dug his heels in and the raiders fled the Autumn Court with their prize in tow. "If you would lean back, both of us would be more comfortable," he snapped from behind her after an undetermined amount of time. "If I lean back, then I'll be touching you and, quite honestly, I don't want to." His arms tightened around her, pushing her slight form back into his warm body. It was the only part of him that was warm. "It's safer for both Jarl and me if you would just listen to me." Alli snorted derisively, wishing she could rip the imprint of his touch from her skin. "Except, I don't know you or Jarl, and I have zero wishes to make your life easy when you keep making mine hard." He growled something low, under his breath, but pushed the horse harder. They were riding straight towards the Dead Forest, a place that no human of the Autumn Court dared to enter. Things happened in the Dead Forest. Things that the Autumn Court said that the powerful Winter Fae could control, and be safe from. It was them that had placed the curse on the forest, or so the rumors said. Alli wasn't sure if it was at all true, but she knew she wasn't exactly excited about starting her adventure by wading into a cursed wood. But, of course, that was where he was leading them, straight into the middle of the place. "Once we reach the forest, we will stop for the night!" A female Fae rode up beside them, on a bare-backed white stallion that pranced nervously beneath her. The white hair and dark gray eyes marked her as a Winter Fae. She tossed Alli a feral smile, before offering the male behind her a warm, simpering grin. "Do you want us to hunt, Aiden?" Alli filed the name away in the back of her mind for future use. The male behind her, on the dark horse, nodded his agreement, never making a sound. She had the eerie suspicion that his gaze was locked on her. She was not going to turn around to see. She wouldn't give him that satisfaction. He slid off the animal easily, probably gracefully, because all Fae were graceful. His hands sliding around her waist dragged her out of her disgruntled musings as he pulled her off of the horse, except, he never let go. In place of actually letting her go, he issued a dire warning. "Do not wander in the Dead Forest. It is not kind to humans, or anyone who is not Winter Fae." Alli shoved away from him, her humanity the damning factor in her life once again. "I'm not interested in your dumb dead forest, or your stupid Fae laws, or the way you treat thralls! All Fae are Hellborn and deserve whatever Fate awaits them," she snapped, stomping away from him, crossing her arms over her chest. She was alone, in the cursed woods, with a band of raiding Winter Fae. She wasn't exactly sure if things could get worse from there, but she wasn't going to say it out loud and dare the Universe to give it a try. Alli leaned her whole body into the tree, trying to hold herself together. The damage that had been done to her had never been a figment of her imagination, it had been real, and it had left scars. It was no one's fault but her own that the scars were still tender. She folded into herself, wishing the tree would grow into and over her, giving her a safe place to hide. She just wanted to be small and unnoticed. She put her head against the gnarled bark of the slumbering tree, and begged the Gods for peace, something she didn't ever recall having. Hours, or it could've been minutes, later, the thundering of hooves startled her out of the numbness her mind cocooned her in. She stumbled to her feet, not wanting to be caught unaware. Five horses pounded into the clearing, two carrying a cleaned deer for food. The horses and riders circled the camp twice in victory before the group dismounted, easily ignoring the human standing off to the side. There were two women in the group of marauders, besides Alli, and four men. Everyone but her was Fae, including the leader of the group, the one she knew was called Aiden. The Huntress that sat proud and straight on the bare back of the white stallion was called Artemis. Her friend, the one that had not cooed over Aiden, was called Elise. Both of the women were tall and willowy, with long white hair, lean muscles, and dark eyes. The males in the group shared similar physical features. Fae tended to look like the Seasonal Court they came from. Autumn was dark, Winter was white, Spring was soft green, and Summer was like spun gold. All of her captors were from the Court of the Winter Fae. Of the males in the group, Alli knew names, but couldn't put them with physical attributes. Aiden, she had that one down, but she wasn't sure who was Lohiri, Cristian, or Jonas. She couldn't even guess which horse each individual rode. What she was sure of was that someone was starting a fire, while someone else began preparing the meal, and the brute that had physically caught her had been the only Fae to put his hands on her since. "You! Get over here!" It was the oldest of the gnarled Fae, growling at her like she had messed up again. He snatched at her elbow, dragging her towards the small gurgling she had heard just beyond the trees. His touch felt wrong, like snakes sliding over her skin. Alli quickly pulled away, staying well out of his reach, even when he lunged for her again. "You don't need to touch me," she spat angrily. I'll do what you're asking without a fight." "Evidence suggests otherwise," he leered, his eyes giving her a nerve-shattering once over. She really disliked the entitled Fae. "Cristian! Get away fromthe human! Aiden said she was his!" "I'm just taking her to get cleaned up," Cristian said belligerently. Alli heard the lie in his words and wondered if anyone else had. Elise shrugged, throwing her hands up. "Fine! Deal with the human. Whatever you feel like doing, by all means!" Cristian didn't seem to need more of an invitation. Gleefully, he caught Alli's arm and dragged her back to the creek, the whole time ensuring that her voice was bound so she couldn't make a single sound. Alli, for her part, having been a human in a Fae world long enough, dropped to the ground and started fighting. He used his magic, the dark, slimy thing that it was, to silence her struggles and bind her so that he could simply drag her to the water source. It didn't take another Fae to see that he was determined to deal with the human 'his' way. As they go to the bank of the creek, Alli felt her panic begin to seep into her bones. He hadn't released her from his magic! He grabbed her hands and tossed her body into the creek, where the water was freezing and could easily cover her head. She struggled to float, to breathe in deep enough so that she could come to the surface for air, but she couldn't struggle, and she couldn't move! Her air supply dwindled as she went under, and pain ignited across her scalp. She felt his knuckles press against the skin of her scalp as he dragged her head above the water. "Still not clean, huh, little human?" He shoved her head back under, her air supply less than what it had been. This time, he held her under a little longer before he pulled her up. Three more times he dunked her, enjoying the torment and anguish he was putting her through, if his laugh was evidence enough. The last time he did it, something changed. Something happened. Alli could feel the bindings of his magic breaking away from her, and as soon as she was free, she started fighting. Alli grabbed hold of his hand, the one entangled in her hair, and braced her feet in the creek bed. She arched her back, arching up so that her head broke the water's surface. Gasping for air, she gathered enough into her lungs to scream. Aiden had already said that she was to be kept alive. She was banking on that to bring help running. He struggled, forcing her head back under to cut off the sound. Alli grabbed his wrist and forced her head back into his hand to make his hand open. She pushed off of the rocks again, managing to make it to her knees. He reached for her long hair again, and Alli caught his wrist, twisting it just enough to make the Fae compliant. "Are you done yet," she demanded as she panted, struggling to get air back into her lungs. With an animalistic snarl, he ripped out of her grasp and both of them stared at the other for a heartbeat. Then, Cristian lunged for her, his fist connecting with her cheek. He drew back again, but was suddenly ripped off of her. Alli's vision was growing fuzzier by the moment and the angry words that were hurled in the Old Language sounded dim. Parts of her body started going numb, while others burned in white-hot agony. She wanted to scream out her pain, but found that she couldn't move her vocal cords since they too had gone numb. Things began to move quickly then. A familiar scent tickled her nostrils. Evergreen trees and snow. Her foggy brain really hoped it was Aiden. She knew that Aiden was the only reason she could possibly be safe in the situation she found herself in. He mumbled something to her, and they were moving. Every step he took made her stiffen with pain she had never imagined to be possible, and it only continued to grow. The numbness would dissipate, but as soon as things were no longer numb, the fire scorched her. A scream broke free, the sound hoarse and broken. Something was pressed to her lips, but Alli pressed them shut. The Fae had done enough to her, she wasn't about to take something else from them. Someon pinched her nose shut, and Alli immediately bucked wildly, trying to throw off her newest tormentor. Hands caught her jaw, stilling her frantic motions. She had to open her mouth if she wanted to breathe. Slowly, warm liquid was trickled into her mouth and down her throat. As soon as she swallowed the concoction, the magic started to work. Her pain disappeared, sip after sip. Her body began to sag, and exhaustion carried her away to a place where her human body would start to heal as rapidly as the Fae whose company she was currently bound to. It felt like she fell, hitting the ground and knocking the wind out of her chest. Panicked, especially after her very last memory, she flailed wildly, gasping for air. "Stop! Thrall- control yourself," a deep, resonating voice commanded, the vibration coming from something just out of her reach. Alli struggled back out of Hades, to the realm that housed her reality, and wished they had of just let her go. Aiden was there, glaring viciously at her. "Control yourself." Shaking, Alli took stock of her surroundings. The cold, wet ground seeped into her back, while snowflakes kissed her face. The world seemed colorless and small, until the snowflakes turned into jewels that no one else seemed to see. Instead, the pushed and shoved, arguing about anything and everything. She locked eyes with Aiden and something exploded in her vision. "Damnit Little Thrall- you will not die! You do not have my permission to let go," Aiden commanded, shaking her hard. Exhaustion zapped her limbs of their strength in the blink of an eye and her body lost all tension. Warmth slid over her skin, heating and healing her all at once. She blinked up at him, dazed, even though her mind was finally starting to work. She didn't like what her mind started yelling at her. Her heart dropped as she met his icy blue gaze. He had just saved her life. The Old Laws, that were only ever spoken about in hushed whispers, said she owed him a life. Hers. "Why didn't you just let me die?" Her voice was nothing more than a croak, hiding her frustration. Alli was jerked to her feet, in time to watch Aiden's retreating back. He never offered her an answer. Elise prodded her into the makeshift tent. "Get some sleep." She shoved Alli towards the sleeping mat. Alli knew that she wouldn't get another opportunity to sleep, so she slipped under the warm blanket and tried to push the whole ordeal out of her head. She wasn't going to get answers, or reasons, but at least she could get some rest, and that made sense. In her dreams, she relived what had happened at the creek. What exactly had happened there? She remembered him holding her under the water. It was after that that she didn't understand. Something had snapped. She wished she could say she was happy to still be alive, but since she didn't want to be there, with them, that wasn't a true statement. After an undetermined amount of time the tent flap opened, startling her. "How did you get away?" Alli barely even looked up at Aiden. "I don't know." She heard him- sniffing? Alli shoved her hair out of her face, sitting up to look at him. I'm not lying. You tell me how you think a dumb, gross, nasty human got away from one of your hand-selected bad guys, if you're so smart, she charged irately. He shrugged her question off. "You're not really human." Alli frowned at him. "Ok, so if you know everything, then what am I?" "That's why I took you. You're something different, and I don't know what that is." "I'm not a pet, or a science project. I am a being with feelings, and a heart beat," she reminded him acidically, her whole body shaking with fatigue. "Doesn't siginfy. The Oracle said you were the key. That I needed you. So, here you are." "If I have the option of helping- you can trust that I will not. "So would you prefer to be Lord Orm's w***e?" "I would prefer to be left in m world, in my bed, in my previous human life, but not one of the Fae that stole me thought to ask if I liked living with my humanity, so here we are."