Caspier Redain peered down at the cage containing her newest slave, watching her slowly come back to consciousness. Around them, slavers bartered with one another whilst caged slaves huddled into themselves, trying not to think about what horrific fate awaited them. The high walls of the Ost Forod arena rose around them, making the slaves feel even more small and insignificant but Caspier was unaware of her surroundings as was her blindfolded slave who was already yelling fiery abuse at Caspier and rattling the bars of her cage with violence. Worried that her new stock would injure herself and lower her value, Caspier hurriedly used her ring again, stabbing the poison back into the girl's system and forcing her to be knocked out again...
When she next awoke she was somewhat taken aback by Caspier's seeming kindness as she was unbound, fed, watered and generally taken care of, not with luxuries of course but enough to keep her in a fit shape for market. A conversation ensued between slaver and slave and both found themselves respecting each other despite the harsh circumstances they had found themselves in. It turned out that the girl's name was Carlotta and she was feisty hearted, wild and clever with an increasing respect for Caspier as she gleaned out a few of the reasons for her career choice. They talked and learnt of each other, not becoming friends as such but certainly respecting one another. Indeed, Caspier promised her slave that she wouldn't sell her to anyone who didn't deserve her and even bowed low in honour of Carlotta.
The sun rose the next day, sending elegant, golden rays down on the early morning risers in the arena. Caspier stood and surveyed the other slavers, watching them as they prepared their wares and themselves for a hard day's work. In her cage, Carlotta roused herself and the two exchanged a few menial words. Time passed and all remained quiet, as though a weight of expectation lay over the complex...the calm before the storm!
Suddenly two horses clattered into the complex, the first baring a man of reasonable height, dark hair and imposing clothes and stature, looking to be in his thirties. The second carried a woman of similar age to Caspier but differing somewhat in appearance; wearing a pleasant if slightly tattered dress on her small, slender figure and sporting long, thick, brown hair. They dismounted in front of Caspier who slowly made her way towards them, smirking slightly as she exchanged mildly insulting greetings with the man, Dinan who soon got distracted by the pretty woman in the cage giving Caspier and the other woman chance to run over and embrace. In their embrace was a shared pain, it was the embrace of two people who had lost too much and who's only solace was each other's company; for this girl was the woman named Fellicity and Caspier had sacrificed everything for her...
By the cage a heated argument had ensued leading to Dinan threatening to beat the slave up! Caspier hurried over to the commotion, keeping herself between Fellicity and Dinan as she tried to calm the angry slave master. In himself, Dinan was an odd man who enjoyed cruelty, women and power - a combination which had lead him to be one of the best slave masters in Eriador with an empire of slaves, slavers and mercenaries under his command including Caspier herself. Currently, Dinan was being betrayed! He spun threats towards the caged prisoner only, to his utter disgust and contempt, to have Caspier start defending her! Of all the nerve! He had spent hours of time developing the potential of Caspier, training her to be a master in the field of work that he had forced her into only for this? Still, there was a mild satisfaction to the fact that after all that Caspier was perfectly willing to change her allegiance at her own whims...she was more powerful than he could have credited and she was still so easy to control. All you had to do was threaten Fellicity a few times and Caspier was as good as yours...
Caspier cried out as Dinan came raging towards her, sending her flying towards the arena wall with a single punch. Dazed, she hurridly put herself between Dinan and Fellicity and Carlotta again, desperately trying to protect her friend and slave. Dinan scoffed at her efforts, shoved her back against the cage and grabbed the unprotected Fellicity, pressing his blade against her bare throat, "One move from either of you and I'll slit her throat!" were the only words he needed to cause Caspier to lose any trace of violence and to instead look worried. The slave girl however was a different matter altogether, she took this as a challenge and certainly challenged the authority behind it, determining to take Fellicity's place much to the amusement of Dinan...how familiar this sounded! It was too tempting an offer to resist and he knocked Fellicity out, casting her to the ground out the way before going to get his spear...
Dinan strode to the cage purposefully before bringing the butt end of his spear crashing down towards Carlotta but to his surprise she grabbed hold of the blunt end, sending him stumbling forwards on top of the cage. Angered more than ever now, he lunged forwards, wrapping his hands around Carlotta’s neck and squeezing for all he’s worth. Panicked, Caspier hurried over, unlocked the cage and grabbed his legs, trying to pull him off but Carlotta. There was however, no need for Caspier’s intervention as Carlotta who had managed to grab a knife previously, lunged forwards and stabbed it into the cruel man’s heart! Dinan died knowing that he had been killed by a slave…and a woman slave at that and this stung him more than the fatal blow itself. Still, at least he didn’t have long to contemplate the irony of his fate for darkness overtook him and his eyes shut for the last time as justice finally overcame his wicked ways. Thus ended Dinan, slaver of slavers…
Carlotta sat there for a moment, starring at the corpse, mildly stunned at what she’d done. Caspier hurriedly gathered her things together, quickly picking up Fellicity and draping her over her horse’s back as behind her, one of the other slavers from around the arena lunged forwards at Carlotta who hurriedly put him out of action with a blow to the head. Caspier drew her sword as an angry mob of slavers began closing in on them. Grabbing the reigns of her horse Caspier legged it towards the entrance with Carlotta, both running for their lives. Safety seemed imminent when suddenly an arrow streaked down, seemingly from nowhere, and struck Caspier in the leg. Pain slammed into her like a tidal wave, everything became blurred and unfocused, and nothing seemed to matter as dizziness overtook her. The last thing she remembered was slapping her horse’s backside so it bolted Fellicity to safety before she collapsed on the floor, passed out from the sickening pain which overwhelmed her…
