The Ascension

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Six women looked at her expectantly, and fearfully. Nuri and Nadya no longer wore the collar, while the other four were still bound by it. Aila looked at the first older woman.

"What is your name?" Aila asked. She didn't want to torture the woman. She wanted to see if she would obey in spite of the pain, without her giving her an order.

"We were not allowed names, master." The older woman said, her thick brown hair was matted, and dirty. Her eyes were no longer lifeless, but they still held fear, and some hopelessness.

"Before you were deprived of your name, did your parents give you a name?" She asked, but again, she didn't make it an order. The woman looked to her left, and she slowly spoke, but grimaced as well.

"Shaala." She stopped and held her neck. Aila looked to her sister.

"And you?"

"K-K-Kaala." She winced. Aila looked at the young woman, but she shrank back fearfully. Nuri spoke up.

"Master, those two girls were favorites of Liam. He was especially brutal, and more recently than the rest of us. I have heard that he made the compulsion stronger for them, to break them." Nuri said. Aila looked at the girls.

"Is this true?" Both nodded slowly, but whimpered in pain. Aila moved forward and turned their collars to dust. She turned to Shaala, and Kaala. "I am sorry that I had to ask like that. I wanted you two to remember your names, and hold on to them. Names are precious." She touched their collars, and turned them to dust as well.

"Ellie!" Aila turned as the first girl closed her eyes and waited. She slowly opened her eyes, and felt her neck. "I'm Ellie! I'm Ellie!" She grew louder. "Ellie!" It wasn't Ellie shouting at Aila, but at Liam.

"Elena." Her sister said quietly. She lightly grasped her sister's hands. "I hate him, Master. He hurt us. Badly." Aila knelt down in front of her.

"Elena. You are one of my people. Mine, not his. You will never return to that place, nor back to his hands." Elena started to cry, was lifted gently, and placed on Nadya's lap. Ellie was placed on Nuri's lap, and both ample women now realized just how accurate their new master's words were.

The girls sobbed helplessly in their arms. The only thing they could do was hug them gently, and let them cry.

* * *

"Kaala, you were the one who said she could cook?" Aila asked. Kaala nodded.

"I often had to cook for the servants, even while they let us slaves go hungry." She said bitterly.

"Here, there are no slaves. Just servants. Do you feel strong enough to cook?" Aila asked her. Kaala frowned.

"Master, just order me to cook, and I will." Kaala said.

"Didn't I just tell you that you were not a slave?" Aila smiled a little. "Are you strong enough to cook for all of us?" She asked again.

"I must admit, Master, that I do still feel weak." She said reluctantly. Aila nodded.

"I expect that you would. Shaala, do you know how to assist your sister so her burden isn't heavy? Like peel carrots, potatoes, and turnip?" Aila looked at the other woman and smiled.

"I was usually tasked with clothing, Master. I do know how as we had to forage for wild vegetables in order to survive when we had to cut firewood." Shaala said and watched Aila's eyes.

"Firewood!" Aila rolled her eyes. "I forgot to bring in more firewood for cooking! Shaala, there is a pan on the counter. There are root crops in the sacks. There is a knife on the counter. Help your sister to prepare a stew. Make it hearty, and peel lots of carrots, potatoes, and turnips. Well, maybe one turnip. Those things are huge!" She said and smiled. "I'll go get some firewood, while you two prepare supper." Aila walked away, and came back with a flame wolf.

"This is the meat for tonight. Fry the liver in a pan. There is some boar fat in a bowl, and you can use that to fry it. Cook the heart and kidneys, and whatever you need to feed seven hungry people. Okay, Kaala?" Aila looked into Kaala's eyes, and watched her bow.

"Kaala, remember, you are not making food for slaves. You are making food for seven people. Understand?" Kaala nodded earnestly, and looked a bit more relaxed. Aila kept her sigh silent, and went outside with her ax.

While Shaala and Kaala worked on the vegetables, and the meat was prepared by Kaala, Nuri and Nadya noticed the conversation. They looked at each other, and smiled.

The reason why they smiled is they think Aila said it because neither Kaala nor Shaala believed her when she said that they were not slaves any longer.

They probably wouldn't even believe that the food was for them until their Master told them to eat it. If she didn't say it was for seven people, they might make it according to the restrictions back in the clan.

Both of them were proud they had such a benevolent Master.

* * *

Within the span of twenty minutes, Aila returned three times with a cartload of wood, and stacked it outside the manor. She also made a wheelbarrow based on a decoration that was once outside in the garden at her parent's home.

It was a simple wooden wheel, with an axle, that two handles sat on. There was a simple three sided box, one side towards the wheel, and two outside pieces, that held the goods. She filled this with wood and wheeled it through the door.

"Master, what is that?" Ellie asked, as she had calmed down considerably in Nuri's arms. She seemed intrigued by the simple device.

"This is called a wheelbarrow. It's basically a box, with handles, and a front wheel. It makes it convenient to move items from outside and into the house. There is a lot of wood outside the front door, so when we get low inside, someone can use this." Aila smiled. "It's not for people to sit in though. That might feel like a bit of fun, but it can tip easily, so don't try to play on it." Ellie nodded, but once Aila emptied the wheelbarrow, she lifted the young woman and put her into it.

"See?" Aila tilted it, but held it firmly so she wouldn't fall out.

"Eeee!" Ellie screeched a little, but Aila righted it and pushed her around the room.

"It can be fun, but it's too easy to tip. I'll make a wagon for you girls to play with later." Aila said, and watched them blush.

"Master, we're not children anymore." Ellie said with red cheeks.

"True, but even I want to be pulled around in a wagon like a kid again." She smiled a bit nostalgically. "I was really sick when I was young. I spent so much time in bed, with healers around, taking my parents' coins, I couldn't enjoy the little things of life." She smiled at Ellie. "I'm sure you couldn't either." Ellie slowly nodded.

"We were sold when we were able to start working. I think five is the youngest allowed in the kingdom." Ellie said.

"Then there will be things you really want to try that you saw others doing. Like the children of your masters." Aila put the handles of the wheelbarrow down, lifted Ellie up, and put her on Nuri's lap again. "If there is anything you want, something you want to try, you just have to tell me." Ellie looked up at her, and her eyes misted up.

"A doll." Ellie said softly. Aila smiled gently.

"All young girls need a doll."