Early Morning

[Leah Ziplah]

The sound of the bells echooed down the slave chambers and suddenly the silent hallways came to life. The wooden posts of beds and tables could be heard grinding across the dirtied floor as people rose from their slumber and dragged themselves out of bed. A light, dazed murmuring picked up in the hallways as the slaves of the golden Palace began to shake the sleep from their eyes and ready themselves for the day.

Leah groaned as she rose from her stiff bed. The slave quarters of the Golden Palace were better than most slave quarters but the stiff beds, windowless rooms and stuffy atmosphere did nothing to make slaves feel any better. She dragged herself over to the far wall where clothes for the female slaves hung. They hung sullenly on the wall, an endless mass of light tan cloth. When Leah first became a slave, she likened the women's cloths to sacks or bags. They were formless and itchy and they trapped in the heat so that she felt like she was boiling every day. Now she merely shrugged it off. They were her cloths and after four years of wearing them, she came to accept it and to move on.

Leah grabbed a dress cloth and fluidly slipped it on over her underwear and moved down the wall to where a series of ropes hung. Near the end of the line of ropes, Leah found a small collection of golden ones. Se grabbed the rope which was made of fine fabric braided together and tied it around her waist. The golden rope symbolized that Leah was a higher ranked slave. She worked in the palace, performing tasks from healing to scripture. She couldn't help but feel a little pride for herself despite the fact that she had fallen so low in society. It had taken her two and a half years of brutal labor and tedious work to get to where she was. She had proven her intelligence and she was quiet and respectful which made her rise unbelievably fast through the slave ranks. He speedy rise through the ranks made he no-so-liked among her peers. Though she had a few friends in the slave quarters, other slaves hated her. Most slaves worked for many years and few ever rose to do "gentle work" in such a short span of time. In fact, few slaves at all even made it through the harsh years of labor to become a "gentle slave". Leah was greatful that she had been so fortunate.

After changing, Leah made to exit the slave chambers. The Chambers were directly under the main hall. She walked down a narrow tunnel to where a series of teps led up to an archway that let in the dim dark morning light. It was probably around four in the morning. The work days of slaves were long and sometimes never ended. Leah's began at four every morning and ended at ten every night. She was one of the last to make it back to the slave chambers.

Leah made her way down the main hallway. She was already set on her everyday tasks. First it was to go to the washing room to fold the clothes of the royals, Ramose and his son and the people in the warlords high circle. Then she would go to the kitchen to set the main table. After that, she had about an hour break before she would head to each of the noble's rooms and place their folded clothes on their beds while they were still sleeping. Ramose and Saer were the last people that Leah would visit to drop off their newly cleaned clothes and they were the first to wake. She had learned through experience to knock on their doors before entering because often times they would already be awake and waiting.

After that, Leah's chores varied. She drifted to where she was needed in the palace or did what she was ordered to do by the palace nobility. She had learned that doing nothing would draw attention and punishment so she kept herself busy, or seeming busy throughout the day. She did not want to go back to being a laborer. This attitude made her productive and noticed in a good way. Leah's hard work effort had made her noticed by Ramose in the recent months. If she continued to get on his good side, she might even rise higher in her ranks and no longer have to sleep in the slave quarters.

After about an hour of folding, Leah set out all the clothes into separate piles that she learned and memorized. Then she left the washing room and began heading down the main hallway. It was probably five in the morning.

[MASTER]

As Leah walked down the hallway, a flustered cook's assistant came bolting towards her. He was a boy of about ten or so, with sandy blond hair and a scrawny frame. He was not a slave, but being assistant to the cook was barely a step up from slavery.

He saw Leah, and stopped short looking up at her with tears in his eyes.

"Leah!" He said, fighting to keep his voice from breaking into sobs. "It's me mum, she's sick and I need to run to the healers guild to find her some medicine!" He paused and wiped his running nose with a dirty sleeve. "Cook told me to go to the market and get some eggs... but I don't have time to do both! I only got an hour's leave," He looked stood in front of her, looking as pitiful as possible, pleading her to help him out.

"If you aren't too busy, can you go to the market for me? I'll do anything you ask after this! I promise!"

[Leah Ziplah]

Leah looked down at the boy. She recognized him but could not remember his name. She felt slightly embarrassed that he knew hers but she could not remember his.

"It is still really early. How can the cook tell you to get eggs if the market isn't open? Markets don't open this early do they?"

Leah blinked. She could hardly remember what it was like going to the market. As a priestess, she hardly went to the market to buy food, and as a slave she had only been to the market twice during the bustling afternoon hours.

[MASTER]

The boy fidgeted with his hands, lancing and unlacing his fingers together. The large windows placed along the main hallway showed a view of the courtyard, where the early morning sun was just beginning to illuminate the carefully tended garden.

Of in the distance, the belltower that stood in the center of the town chimed five o'clock.

"See Leah! It's five, that's when the first stalls open! Usually the food stalls are open now, silly!" He said, clearly pleased with himself that he knew something the older girl did not.

"Please Leah! I really need to go to the Healers!" The boy was practically bouncing up and down in anxiety.

The he seemed struck by a brilliant thought, and put a finger to his chin.

"Or, if you want, I can go get the eggs, and you can go get the medicine! You probably know your way around the healers guild better that the market, you being a gentle slave an all..." He said.

[Leah Ziplah]

Leah crossed her arms indignantly.
Being a slave has nothing to do with it! She thought to herself. She was once a priestess. Healing was a vigorous and irreplaceable part of her own training and studies. No slave could do what she could because they were a gentle slave. It was these skills, and literacy and a kind demeanor that got her out of working labor. A kind demeanor... .

Leah uncrossed her arms slowly. The boy did not know anything about her past or what it was like being a slave. "Alright. Alright. Let me get the medicine. What exactly does your mother have? Do you know the symptoms? "

"And I am going to need some finn... I uhh... don't have money."

[MASTER]

The boy pulled a small pouch from beneath his tunic, and it jingled slightly as he handed it to Leah. It contained only a few fiin, but it would be enough to buy a small dose.

"She has a fever and is shaking all over and sweating. And she is coughing a lot" He said, eyes downcast. "Ill be in the kitchen all day so when you get it bring it to me there."

Without waiting for her reply, he dashed off again, towards the general direction of the market. He stopped, and realizing he forgot to say thank you, shouted a hurried one over his shoulder as he dissapeared around a corner.

[Leah Ziplah]

Leah took the change from the boy and tucked it between her belt and her dress. The pouch was extremely small and easy to conceal. She nodded to the boy and before she could get another word in, he was dashing out of the palace into the main market place.

Leah judged the time by the shadows in the hall. In about twenty minutes, she would have to take the folded clothes to the nobles. She sighed and turned away from the entrance into the palace and headed back towards the washing room on the left. Inside the washing room she saw Baliah, a middle aged, rounded woman, bending over the grate. Baliah was the head washer in the palace, and one of the most established slaves. She was more of a servant than a slave in the palace. She got better meals and her own sleeping quarters, but she never got paid. Leah respected Baliah. She was a sweet woman, though not all so bright.

"Hey Baliah. I am going down to the Apothacary today to get some medacine. Do you need anything in the market place?"

Baliah looked up from her work and gave Leah a toothy grin, " I can't afford nothin, darling and ze masters don't need nothin either. Is one of ze masters ill? oh you sure done good. Now workin for ze masters personally!"

Leah blushed and shook her head, "No, no! The masters aren't ill! Its that little kitchen boy. His mother is sick but the cook won't give him time to retrieve it. "

"Ahh zat Master Cook. He makes good food, but he ain't good at understandin' nothin. You take care Leah... and 'member to get an escert n tell dem masters where you be of to. You don't want no trouble now."

Leah nodded to Baliah. She had completely forgotten about getting permission to go outside the palace but she figured it wasn't that hard to do. She would just tell Cook and then grab a guard and go. Baliah grunted and returned to her work. "Thank you Baliah." Leah stacked the clothes in her arms and ducked out of the washroom. She made her way down the hall and started with the master cook's room. He was one of Ramose's few privileged servants besides the royal doctor. The rest of the Golden Palace was operated by slaves.

His room was past the entrance stairs and off a concealed hallway to the right. It was ajoined to the kitchen. Leah pushed the wooden door open and sighed after she realized that the cook was already up and making meals. His bed was a mess, and Leah wondered what clothes he was wearing. She set down her pile on a small, chipped table and quickly made the Cook's bed. Then she timidly opened up the ajoining door.

The cook had his back facing her. He was a rather thin, tall man. Sweat glistened on the back of his neck as he worked. "Is that you boy?" he called over the whistling of a tea kettle.

"Um no.. its Leah.. I came to-"

"Who is Leah, I don't know a Leah." The man tossed a look over his shoulder and saw the girl peering around the door. "Ahhh, you. Number one!"

"Um yes-"

"Where were those clothes this morning? I am a busy man... you don't want to become number two." He chuckled slightly to himself though Leah was left very confused.

"I'm sorry , they are -"

"Good, Good! No worries, girl. Old clothes don't bother me! Now I am a busy man! Goodbye!"

"But-" The cook came over to the door and pulled it closed before Leah could ask him for permission to leave the palace. Leah sighed, grabbed the clothes from the chipped table and continued to lay out the clothes.

When Leah finally reached Saer's room, she gave a knock but no one answered. She creaked open the door and peeked inside. Saer was not there. His room was clean. She pushed the door open with her left hand and went over to the large lavish bed. At it's foot, she placed Saer's clothes for the next few days.

She couldn't help but take a moment to look at his room. It was large, with four decorated archways opposite his bed that lead to a balcony. The floor was made of a fine desert marble and was polished spotlessly. A large statue of a giant cat stood in right corner of his room. Leah was in absolute awe. She had never had the time to inspect Saer's room before. It was more decorated than the temple that worshiped the gods. She drew in a deep breath and marveled, but approaching footsteps made her suddenly retract. She hurried to grab Saer's clothes and headed for the door. Just as she was about to step out, she collided with collided with a tall powerful figure. The clothes fell from her hands onto the floor in a wrinkled mess.

[Ramose Sa'id Aldebaran]

The sun beat down on The Golden City, sending waves of heat that twisted the towering spired roofs of the Golden Palace. From his vantage point on the balcony of the main hall, Ramose Aldebaran could see his entire city. Even in the heat, the city was bustling with activity. Along the swept alleyways, the market prospered.The voices of men women and children rose like a lazy hum in the air. He could not help but smile. In the last four years of his rule, Ramose had successfully built a powerful city with a prosperous economy far greater than any city that Zaherran had ever seen. He had proven to himself that his own strategies were correct, that he could make a city more successful than it was under the old ruling bureaucracy. In the midst of his admiring, Ramose's mind traveled to greater things. If he could successfully transform and rule a city, he was sure he could successfully rule and transform a country. He had already established himself in nearby provinces to Alcos where already, in only two years, the small towns have transformed into formidable cities.

Ramose had great plans for his future and with the new wealth being drawn in to Zaherran, he knew he would have no problem executing them. With one last look on the town, Ramose stretched his arms and turned away from the balcony and back into his room. He went to a small lavish chair that faced the open archways and sat next to a table and he looked into the sun. He was dressed very comfortably right now. A light weight, white tunic, some comfortable breeches made from the finest cow hide and a dark leather belt. They were fresh and clean, but they were not the clothes that were laid out for him daily. Those clothes had not come yet. He was only in his "lounge clothes". They were not clothes to be seen being worn by a noble in public.

Ramose was rather exited for today. He had put aside all of his business (and a lot came with ruling) so that he could go riding with his son today. He had told the cook to have breakfast ready for him and his son an hour earlier than normal so that they could get an early start and he had his horses already saddled and ready for the day's excursion.

As the time passed, Ramose thought about visiting his son and asking him if they should bring the ribbon hounds and perhaps go hunting near Alcos. The idea sounded good o him so he rose and left his room. Sear's room was the first room on the right down the hall. Ramose was able to reach it i a little less than five strides. When he saw the dorr slighly ajar, he figured his son was not looking for privacy and didn't mind if he dropped in. Ramose swung to door wide and stepped into the threshold just as a small young girl carrying clothes was passing through. She ran right into him and gasped as the neatly folded clothes in her hands fell into a rinkled mess on the floor.

Ramose frowned slightly. And peered down at the girl who stared back at him with frightful eyes. They were wide and green, framed by dark lashes. She had fine brown hair and lips that curved slightly upward.. just like his Rachel... Suddenly, Ramose was taken aback. How could he compare this scrawny slave to his noble wife? Ramose shook his head to clear his thoughts and still the girl looked the nearly the same as Rachel. The only difference was that Rachel's eyes were hazel.... Ramose became lost for a second in the features of the girl's face. Even her expression was identical. He stepped away and looked at the rumpled mess on the ground. "Are those my clothes?"

[Leah Ziplah]

Leah squeaked out a sorry when she realized that the man she ran inot was Lorn Aldeberon, but she didn't think her heard. He just kept staring at her, and feeling awkward and embarrassed Leah looked away and then proceeded to pick up the clothes on the floor. She felt awful. She had completely messed up on the Ruler of Zaherran and the ultimate decider of her fate. she was on her knees within seconds.

"Oh my, Lord Aldebaran! I am so sorry! I didn't know you were coming to the door! It is all my fault. I will get you new cloths immediately. Please forgive me!" She hurriedly bunched up the clothes in her arms and turned to flee to the washroom and receive new clothes from the washroom.

[Ramose Sa'id Aldebaran]

Ramose broke his trance when the girl dropped to the ground and began picking up his clothes. Though she had not answered his question, he knew that they were his by the size and material used in them. He watched quietly as the gilr bundled them around her arm, rose, apologized profusely and mentioned getting him a new set of clothes.

He looked at her oddly. What did she think he was? A sissy-priss? He caught her by her left elbow and pulled her back in front of him. Clothes were clothes. they were clean and they got dirtier rolling a saddle than falling on the floor for a few seconds.

He held out his hand for his clothes. "Lets not be counter productive..."

The girl gave him a confused calculating look, but swiftly handed them over.

"Good girl. Now what is your name?"

[Leah Ziplah]

Leah didn't fight when he pulled her back over in front of him and she obediently gave Ramose his cloths. She was confused. All the stories she heard of Ramose illustrated him as a temperamental, unforgiving man with a hand ready to punish, but as he took his cloths from her, she saw neither of those sides of him.

"My name is Leah, sir. I am a maid in the palace. And I also help write and copy scripture in the scribes office." Normally she would have smiled but Lord Aldebaran was an intimidating man and Leah couldn't get the nerve to do it.

She turned her head slightly away and the decided to head back down stairs to... wait... she could ask Lord Aldebaran for permission to go to the Apothecary. He was understanding enough with the cloths. Why wouldn't he be just as understanding with this? Leah turned around halfway down the hall and took two timid steps towards Aldebaran.

He shot her an expectant look and Leah opened her mouth to speak but no words came out. She was too frightened. She didn't want to push Aldebaran too far over his patience. He had a breaking point in his tolerance. Leah knew that. She blushed spun back around and doubled her pace down the hall.

[Ramose Sa'id Aldebaran]

Ramose let the girl go. She got halfway down the hallway and then turned back around as if to say something to him. The girl opened her mouth and Ramose looked at her expectantly but no words came out. She gave him a flustered look and then retreated back down the hallway.

Not looking much into it, Ramose returned back into his room to change his clothes. He was given black breeches with a white undershirt and a black vest adorned with silver buttons. After dressing himself, Ramose decided to go down the kitchen to eat. Perhaps his son was down there. When he got to the kitchen, Saer was not in sight so Ramose decided to occupy himself while waiting. He began asking the servants about Leah. From what he gathered, she was an intelligent girl and well liked among the house slaves. She was especially liked by the Cook as well and other servants told him of her adept knowledge with plants and healing as will as her proficient reading a writing skills. This got Ramose's thoughts spinning.

He spent about thirty minutes thinking about all that he heard before he decided he would like her to become a personal slave. He wanted to find her so that he could test herpenmanship and make sure she was really as good as the others told him she was. He started looking around for her, but Leah was no where to be found. After an hour searching, Ramose's patience began to ebb and he decided to pull out one of his hounds. This hound was his favorite and most proficient of his hounds. It was all black, which made it easy to spot by prey while hunting, but it's incredable tracking made up for it. In a minute, the Hound had already picked up Leah's scent. The hound dashed outside and to the large adorned gates ofthe palace where it whined expressively. A guard was standing there idly. Ramose cursed under his breath.

Without further though, He unleashed another one of his hounds and went around to the stables to get his horse. He yelled into the elaborate stable room and as startled stable boy ran out to meet him.

"Get me my horse." He growled. The boy didn't ask any further questions. Three minutes later, he returned with Aldebaran's favorite horse. The stallion was the fastest horse in Zaherran. Its coat was nearly black in color but in the sunlight, one could see the spotted pattern that adorned his coat. Ramose swung his leg over the sattle and dashed back around to the entrance. Within then minutes, He was already outside the gates and following Leah's Trail.