Kagan forced his eyes closed. They had to push it tomorrow to make it to the borderlands. It had been an exhausting, long, strange day, filled with many surprises. Kagan had an inkling that this was just one of many to come.
Giselle
Kagan deposited Giselle into the back of a cargo transport after a swift and quiet breakfast. Sabin was laid beside her still fast asleep. She looked at the sleeping child and relished the days when she was so small and innocent.
Giselle was doing her best to be thankful for being warm the entire night and having a full belly. Yet try as she might Giselle was somehow more frustrated.
While she had been with Vigdis Giselle had feared for her life and that had kept her mind occupied. Now she was concentrating on the lack of equity in her current situation and truly mourning the loss of her old life and freedom.
It hurt deeply to be told that you are a thing. That you along with your feelings, wants and dreams don't matter. That you don't have a say in your own fate.
Giselle watched the sun rise on the horizon trying desperately to gain perspective. She had yet to formulate a solid plan when Sabin's eyes fluttered open. The boy sat up quickly and looked around.
"Good you are awake." The warrior called Dagaa greeted the boy. Though he briefly smiled in Giselle's direction Dagaa barely acknowledged her.
Giselle bit her lip to keep from saying good morning. God forbid Kagan should have to spank her so early in the morning. Despite her sarcastic thought Giselle nearly blushed at how way the last spanking turned out. That hadn't been that bad.
Dagaa handed Sabin some food and instructed him on how to clean the blades. Giselle noticed the numerous weapons in the transport and realized the Cadi really didn't view her or Sabin as a threat if the warriors left them with all these knives. If Giselle had still been with Vigdis, she might have been tempted to take one, however now that she knew the score where would she go armed or not?
"Good morning." Giselle said quietly to Sabin out of hearing range of the other warriors that flanked the transport wagon.
Sabin gave her a disapproving look much like the adults would. If it hadn't been so sad Giselle might have laughed.
"Fine I guess you're not talking to me, and I thought we were friends." Giselle sighed as the boy ate quietly.
Sabin finished his meal then dutifully picked up one of the knives and started cleaning it. Giselle had payed attention and couldn't just sit doing nothing all day. The last few days had nearly driven her nuts with boredom. So Giselle picked up a scrap of leather and one of the blades to clean it.
"You cannot touch a warrior's weapon." Sabin said with wide eyes. He was loud enough one of the warriors looked their way.
Giselle stared pointedly at the warrior with a look that said "What?" She was so frustrated with the double standard bull shit she was ready to scream.
"So is it because I'm a pet or a girl?" Giselle asked.
Giselle looked at a pair of thin stiletto blades. She twisted her long hair up into a knot then shoved the two sheathed blades into her hair, the hilts sticking up to secure the bun. It was nice to get her wild mop out of her face. Giselle then proceeded to clean another knife and examine it.
"Well both." Sabin said as if it should have been obvious as he cleaned then oiled his blade.
"Hmmm, well I don't see any difference between the ones you cleaned and the ones I did."
"You're just not supposed to." Sabin said as he too compared the job both of them had done.
"She can clean my blade." Giselle heard one of the warriors make the obviously lewd comment to his companion.
Giselle turned to the male pointing her weapon at his crotch.
"If you treasure your BLADE, you'll keep your comments to yourself." She said with an arcing flick of her wrist making a cutting motion.
The man's eyes widened in shock and Giselle half smiled half smirked back. The man quickly got on his handheld communicator.
"Great he's telling on me." Giselle muttered.
Kagan was going to tan her backside for sure.
"Whatever!" Giselle decided. She was done with worrying about it. She was going to behave how she felt was right. Granted she could've resisted responding to the warrior's crude comment, but she didn't. She was naked and subjugated. No woman no matter how brave could feel safe like that.
"Excuse me for my outburst." Giselle mocked, hearing Kagan's reprimand in her head.
Kagan was probably going to be pissed but he could just deal. If he couldn't bring himself to understand things from her perspective well too bad. Giselle couldn't force herself to not react when she felt slighted, nervous or afraid. Giselle straightened her shoulders and continued helping Sabin with his task.
It was amusing how once Giselle coaxed Sabin into talking he yammered on as children tend to do. Only occasionally did Sabin seem to realize he was talking to a naked female pet with a pause and a smirk before shrugging it off and continuing. Sabin commented on this or that about the weapons as Giselle smiled and cleaned.