On My Own

[Narayan Elor]

Had Rayan not been so single-minded about his attacking the men in the inn, he probably would have noticed the Warlord of Zaheran coming towards him. He felt himself being pulled back by Ramose's strong hand, and though Rayan was slightly taller, the King had such an air of authority about him that the others stopped fighting instantly.

"Sire, this man attacked us in at the bar. He accused us of murdering his crew, and of being pirates. None of us have any idea what he is talking about." One of them said.

Rayan stiffened, and struggled out of the kings grip. He pointed his sword menacingly at the men.

"They lie! It was them I swear it by my crew's watery grave! They were murdered by these PIRATES!" He shouted, voice dripping with hatred.

"Also, Sire, he's drunk"

The men Rayan was fighting were clearly not pirates. One of them even had a scholars' sash wrapped around his waist. In his drunken rage, Rayan had mearly found the nearest men to him and projected all his anger and pain onto them. Had he been sober, he would have been apalled at the mere suggestion that he would fight these men out of anger.

With a holler, Rayan lifted his sword and lunged clumsily once again at the men.

[Ekiette Kalorey]

Kia watched in fascination as the man stumbled out of the inn. It was perfect. Just the distraction she needed. This was the oppurtune time to slip away. She could vanish into the gathering crowd and be on back on the road by this afternoon. She looked at Leah, who seemed terrified out of her wits.

I can't just leave her... Kia thought. She'll be torn to bits by Aldebaran!

While the King was distracted by the drunken man, Kia turned to Leah.

"You should come with me," she whispered. "I can get you out of the city, and once we are out there, they will have no chance of finding you. You can change your look and start a new life- as a free citizen"

[Leah Ziplah]

Leah looked at Kia regretfully and shook her head. If she went now, Aldebaran would set the hounds on her as soon as he turned from the fight. There were too many people around as well. They would know when she disappeared, in what general direction she went an who she slipped off with. If Kia was caught helping her, she would become a fugitive and then be forced to work in the criminal camps established in the fire forest. Leah knew the odds were slim and she wouldn't put another person's freedom in danger for her own. She drew in a deep breath.

"Just go. I can handle Aldebaran. I will tell him the truth after this and if he is still mad at me, at least it won't be for the wrong reasons! But you need to go! Thank you for your help." Leah gave Kia a pathetic smile.

She would have loved to run away, to be free again, but freedom only went so far when you were a fugitive.

[Ramose Sa'id Aldebaran]

Aldebaran did not need an explanation to know that the man before him was drunk and that he was in the wrong in this case. He sighed inwardly. He hated having to handle drunks and violent drunks at that. He listened to the man's defense,though it didn't matter much, and when his hand was shrugged off, it went automatically to the hilt of his Sashmir.

Because the man was drunk, he was unpredictable. Ramose sized him up, anticipating a fight. He definitely did not like that the man was taller than him and just as large. He could tell the drunken stranger was a foreigner and guessed he was Corran based on his size. He was trim and Ramose was sure that he was an experienced fighter.

He did not need this right now.

Suddenly, Ramose saw the subtle shift in the man's body. It was all he needed to know that the man was going to strike the citizens and in a split second, he had his blade drawn. The loud, sharp clang of metal upon metal sounded along the street as Aldebaran lunged between the men in the door way an the drunken Corran. He pushed out with his blade at a flat angle and appled his weight forward so that he had created space behind him. It was enough space to keep the unarmed men on the other side out of range.

Everything began to move in slow motion. Aldebaran brough his left leg up and pushed outward, hoping to kick the man far enough away that he would release Albebaran's own sword from the perry and the Lord himself could strike back.

[Ekiette Kalorey]

Kia nodded. She understood Leah's reasons, and as much as it pained her to leave Leah to the mercy to Aldebaran, she knew she herself couldn't stay. She saw no reason to put herself in danger if doing so would not benefit Leah either. Besides, Leah would probably be okay. She probably had a good reason for being out at the apothecary. If Kia had kept her mouth shut she may have even been better off.

Oh well, she though, nothing to be done about it now.

"Well Leah, I'll see ya around. Hopefully next time the circumstances will be better. Good luck." She said.

And with that she slipped off, her back disappearing into the crowd.

[Narayan Elor]

The wind rushed out of Rayan's lungs as the boot hit him solidly in the chest, leaving him gasping like a drowning man. He stumbled backwards, but managed to keep his sword up in an offensive position. Aldebaran struck out with his curved blade and the metalic clang of sword on sword rang throughout the crisp morning air. He fended of the Lord's attack, and for a moment, an onlooker might have thought he was sober. But just for a moment.

He lurched backwards as a wave of beer-induced dizziness swept over him. He sheathed his sword.

"I do no' have a quarrel with you... it's those dogs I want." But he spoke half-heartedly. The fight seemed to suddenly go out of him and weariness was creeping in. Somewhere, in the back of his mind, he knew he had to stop. He was Captain Narayan Elor of the Noble Corran Navy. He had dedicated years of his life to protecting his country, and had serve with honor and pride. This was no way for him to act. When he sobered up, he knew there would be unbearable shame for his actions this morning.

He stood there, standing tall and proud, but weary, and tottering. He was silent.

[Ramose Sa'id Aldebaran]

Ramose expected the Corran to fall pretty far back because he was drunk, but still the man had uncanny balance and reflexes even while intoxicated. He blocked Aldebaran's attack and Ramose could feel his strength, which seemed unaffected by his intoxication. Of course Ramose wasn't trying to cut him or kill him. That would be a bad mark on his reputation, and public image was important. He was just trying to scare him or tire him or do something to make him simply give up. Thankfully, Ramose didn't have to think too hard as the Corran gave up almost instantaneously. He sheathed his sword but Ramose kept his drawn, but pointed down to the ground in his hand.

"You have managed to hurt a man while in the bar and then threaten lives with a killing weapon while under intoxication. I hereby place you under arrest for disturbance of peace and violent tendencies. You will be taken to the palace cells to withstand your due time of punishment." Ramose unwrapped a coiled rope he carried around his belt and held it out to bind the man's hands. He waited to see if the man would willing accept his punishment. If not, four burly men from the bar had already stepped up and were ready to pounce on the man if he chose not to cooperate.

[Narayan Elor]

Rayan held out his arms and allowed Aldebaran to bind his wrists. He was angry, but somehow just couldn't summon the will to fight anymore. What was it all for? His men were dead, and he had failed. There was nothing more that could be done. As he watched the ropes tighten with blurred vision, he looked up and noticed a girl, standing frightened behind the Zaheran steed. She wore the cloth of a slave, and there was a cloth satchel on the ground leaking something. He thought he could smell lavender.

I wonder what happened there, he thought. But he didn't dwell on it. He looked back at the Lord, and met him strait in the eyes. He didn't say anything, but everything about the way he stood, and the way he had accepted his bindings seemed to convey gratitude. He was grateful that Lord Aldebaron had come. He was drunk, and knew he wouldn't have been able to stop his mad attack by his own will. Someone had to stop him. And for that, he was grateful to Ramose.

[Ramose Sa'id Aldebaran]

Ramose was surprised by the man's sudden loss of will and easy surrender.Around him, the watching people began to disperse and the men retreated back into the bar. There was nothing left to see. Ramose tied the ropes expertly and then walked the Corran man over to the post where Leah and his horse were tied. His two ribbon hounds lept up and began circling his feet giddily. Ramose ignored them and then quickly untied Leah from the post and then retied her and the Corran to the back of his saddle. He turned to his hounds and commanded "Heel". He pointed to the two prisoners. The dogs, through their training knew that they were to follow the prisoners and sound the alarm if they escaped.

Before he mounted, Ramose disarmed the Corran. He slung the weapons on his saddle. With in minutes, Ramose was walking slowly through town, towing his two prisoners behind.

***

It took Ramose nearly fifteen minutes to make it back to the Palace. He had to move at a considerably slow pace with two prisoners tied to the back of his horse. When he got through the gates and into the palace yard, he dismounted his horse and handed its reigns off to a nearby stable boy. He gave his dogs to a grounds keeper.

Aldebaran personally led the Corran to the Cells. He gated the man up in a cell and then assigned a guard to the general area.

"The normal punishment is a to week stay in the cell for the crimes you have caused." he said. " But your co-operation may have saved you from enduring such a lengthy stay. You are a good fighter. If you wouldn't mind, I would like to see you fight when you are sober. I will come by in the morning." Aldebaran gave to Corran a respectful nod.

[Narayan Elor]

Rayan didn't think much on the way back. He just walked silently behind the horse. The girl next to him didn't speak either, and the two hardly even glanced at each other. At this point, Rayan didn't trust himself enough to have a conversation with anyone. He knew he was a mean drunk, and prior to his last tour at sea, he rarely drank. The girl had already looked frightened enough before, and he did not want to scare her any further.

He mostly watched his feet on the way back. It was a weird habit, he knew, but he liked to count his strides. It soothed him.

***

The musty air of the prison cells weighed down on Rayan like a blanket, but there was a single barred window near the top of the cell that promised a bit of cool circulation. It was actually fairly well-lit for a prison, and although still a bit dark, he could see the details of the room easily. Two wooden bunks jutted out from opposite walls, and each had a rough-hewn wool blanket folded at its foot. There was a bucket between the two beds, as well as a small table and two three-legged stools. As prison cells go, this was luxury.

"It would be my honor, Lord," He replied to Aldebaran, bowing slightly at the waist.

[Ramose Sa'id Aldebaran]

Aldebaran gave a quick nod to the Corran. He then turned to Leah. His anger had ebbed considerably since his encounter with her earlier and he had more of a mind to ask questions than assume and take actions. She looked incredibly frightened and she stared up with him with large eyes.

"I heard you were a very intelligent and respectful girl. I learned of your flawless record here as a slave and I was going to promote you from your quarters, but then you go and run off and now what am I supposed to do with you?"

"Do you know what your punishment would be? To run the round, and you would no longer be a house slave. You would do labor for me again."

He spoke like an educator to her, but Ramose already knew he was preaching to the choir. He knew she knew what the punishment was and the obviously feared it a great deal. Doing the round was brutal. It was a brutal punishment where the prisoner would be hooked to the horse wheel backwards and have to run at the pace of the horse in order to avoid being trampled or stepped on and the punishment lasted the whole day and well into nightfall.

[Narayan Elor]

Narayan sat on the plank bed, hands resting on his knees. He stared at Ramose intently as the Lord threatened the slave girl with whom he was now cellmates with. Corra did not use torture to discipline her citizens, but rumors of the various devices used in Zaheran had reached all corners of the known lands. Rayan had to supress a shiver at just the thought of this girl- or anyone for that matter- having to outrun a horse backwards. He didn't think that was even humanly possible. She would be trampled for sure.

He wondered how she would react.

[MASTER]

The heavy footfalls of a prison guard echoed along the stone corridor as his long strides struck the path. He passed the cells of the wealthy, who were closest to the entrance, and whose cells were spacious, and had large windows and good ventilation as well as any comforts the prisoners had bought. He then moved on to the commoners section, those whose crimes included small time thefts, public disturbances, and a myriad of other realitivly harmless acts.

The guard stopped when he reached the cell containing the newly detained drunken Corran, and a slave girl. He stood respectfully to the left and slightly behind Lord Aldebaran, awaiting to be addressed.

His head was bent downwards, and a quick, flighting glance was directed to the darkened portion of the hallway, deeper underground. That was were those who had commited heavier crimes were held. The occasional howl crept out from the shadows, an eerie sound of anger or dispair from some soul awaiting execution. The guard hardly went over there. Once a day, a higher ranking officer traversed the dark, armed with a lantern, sword, and tray of gruel to feed the condemned.

The guard suppressed a shudder. There was some dangerous men housed there. He dreaded the day when he might have to venture in there.

[Narayan Elor]

Rayan picked his head up as he heard the guard walk towards them. The guard had stopped and stood respectfully beside the Lord, awaiting his acknowledgment. Rayan stared at him intently, and saw the man's eyes flicker nervously towards the far end of the hallway. The light was dimmer and it was hard to see there, but Rayan could guess the criminals that were held there were dangerous men.

He himself had taken his fair share of prisoners when he was touring the sea under the Corran banner, and he knew that men would do anything to free themselves, especially if they knew death was awaiting them. He was curious to know the securities in place at Aldebaran's prison.

[Ramose Sa'id Aldebaran]

Ramose's interest in why Leah had left in the first place was fading. He didn't care so much as long as he had her back. He realized that Leah had no intention of running away but still the simple incident of her being able to leave her station without a challenge could put thoughts in other slaves heads and a thinking slave was a dangerous slave. Ramose would have to make an example for he knew that many of the palace slaves knew she had left, but he would have to think more on the matter. He certainly wasn't going to give her an extreeme punishment. She was repentent and that saved her. Perhaps she would remain in the cells for a while. She was lucky that she was not b herself. She had a drunken Corran to share with. Ramose further thought about it and realized that to make a more just punishment, he should put her in her own cell where there was no light, or perhaps the box, but the sound of approaching footsteps otherwise attracted his attention. Behind him, a guard stood at attention silently. Ramose, tired of having to think about such a tiny incident, and frankly not much interested in it as much now, easily shifted his attentions to the guard.
"Yes?" he prompted.