Rabbit: A Talent Mark Novel

Chapter 1

She jumped as a large man with a bulbous nose pushed his face close to the bars of her cage. He smelled of onions, soured milk and horse sweat. She tried not to gag, tried not to make any sound at all.

"Watser name?" The man asked. She squinted in thought, trying to discern the words beyond his thick accent. When Mammon had taught her the outlanders tongue she had neglected to mention that there were different ways of speaking it.

'She might not have known, ' she thought. To her knowledge Mammon had never left the village.

"We've been calling her Rabbit, " a voice to her left said. He was much easier to understand. His words tended to be separate entities and not all blended together as many of the others. His clothing was different as well, and he smelled of the forest rather than the sea. His black hair was tied neatly in a tail at the nape of his neck. It swayed as they moved, keeping time with his horse's tail.

"Doncha know er name?" Big-nose asked.

"She hasn't spoken since we picked her up. I do not think she has a voice."

"Silent, huh." Big-nose looked thoughtful as he stared at her. She stared back. "Usure she's got da talent?" He asked ponytail man. Ponytail man nodded.

"She has the talent. See the mark on her wrist?" Big-nose dropped his gaze to her wrist.

"Don see nothin, " he said.

"It is on the other side, " ponytail man said. He stepped closer and Big-nose eased back. "Hold your hand out like this, " he told her. He spoke slowly to make sure she understood his words. He backed the words up with a gesture showing her how she was to hold her arm.

She extended her right hand and turned it palm side up. Ponytail man smiled at her and pointed to her wrist. "There, " he said. Big nose peered closely at the mark on her wrist. It was the mark of the Gahda and she had been born with it. The mark resembled a small bowl with a flame coming out of it. Big-nose nodded, satisfied.

"She understandcha? Summa don."

"She understands if you speak slowly and clearly, " Ponytail man said. Big-nose nodded.

"How much?" The two men began haggling over price and she realized ponytail man was selling her to Big-nose. She swallowed hard, unsure what this change would bring. She scratched her head hating the feel of her hair. She had been with ponytail man since the raiders sold her to him. Mentally, she counted fifteen nights with ponytail man. She was unsure how long she had been with the raiders. She just remembered many times having her jaws pried apart and a foul concoction poured down her throat. It made the world spin and her vision blur. Her thoughts became like rain sliding out of the clouds to the ground and she couldn't hold on to them. By the time she came close to grasping a solid thought, another dose was given to her.

Ponytail man had not given her the evil brew, but he kept her caged. He had let her out of the cage only to urinate three times a day, once upon waking, once when they stopped for lunch and once when they stopped for the night. A marked improvement, but he had not let her bathe and her hair and skin felt itchy and greasy. She shuddered slightly in revulsion.

The men concluded their discussion and money changed hands. Ponytail man came over to her cage and unlocked it. He told her to come out and, as he had each time she was taken from the cage, he bound her hands in front of her with stout rope. The rope was scratchy and chafed her wrists. The rope was not tied tight enough to break the skin but after so many days, bands of red, raw skin circled her wrists. She tried not to wince. He left a long tail hanging from her bound hands. The end of this tail he handed to Big-nose. The numbness that had set in after long days of travel started to break up into a queasy feeling as she stepped into the unknown.

"Please give my regards to your master." Ponytail man said. There was a mocking undertone but no offense was taken. Big-nose simply nodded and tugged on the rope binding her hands.

"Come, " he told her. He turned and began walking away from ponytail man. She had to trot to keep up with his long strides, her legs somewhat unsteady from the confinement. The cage had prevented her from seeing too much and she took the opportunity to look around as best as she could. The caravan Ponytail man belonged with had started to move in the opposite direction. In a few moments they would be around the bend and gone from sight. She dismissed them from her thoughts and cast her gaze to their destination.

The dusty road led to an open gate set into a wall of stone that stretched as far as she could see in either direction. The closer they got to the gate, the more people there seemed to be. Some of them paid no attention to her while others openly stared. She ducked her head and rounded her shoulders as if protecting her inner core from the weight of their eyes. As they approached the gate, men with long poles topped with metal spikes called out greetings to Big-nose. He answered but both sides of the conversation were fast and jumbled and she could make no sense of the words.

Once inside the gates, buildings crowded one another forming a maze of narrow streets. The buildings seemed to lean over the streets turning the world below into a shadow land. They towered over the people passing by and she felt nearly as caged as she had been in the caravan.

Big-nose shortened the length of rope separating them so she would not be pulled from him in the crowds. He increased his pace and took turns purposefully. She had to jog to match his pace and after very few turns knew she would have a hard time finding the gate again. She wondered if this was on purpose.

Gradually the crowds started to thin and they approached the biggest building she had ever seen. She could not help but goggle at the size and the pointy fingers of stone that stretched up to meet the sky. Big-nose chuckled at her reaction.

"They all astare first they see ta castle, " he told her in what sounded like a reassuring tone. He appeared to be trying to separate his words for her benefit and had an odd look of concentration as he focused on his own speech. She took his reassuring tone to mean it was all right for her to look.

Like the wall, the castle was made of stone. Unlike the wall, this stone was white, not gray and real glass windows winked in the sunlight like stars. It was even more dazzling after the walk in the shadow maze of streets. He slowed his pace to give her a little more time to take it in. Pride was written across his face and she assumed this was where his Lord lived. There was a wide road leading to a large entrance in the front, but Big-nose skirted around to a smaller side door.

The door was made of heavy banded wood, but opened easily to his touch. He led her inside and closed the door behind them. They were in a narrow corridor composed of the same dark stone as the wall. She shivered as they moved through the cool shadows. Light came from torches set at regular intervals against the wall. Big-nose's boots click- clacked on the bare stone floors as their hard soles made contact. Her soft leather boots made barely a whisper.

The small corridor merged with a larger one. Other people passed them, but were too hurried to pay them much attention. Some of them called a greeting to Big-nose but they didn't stop to chat. All of them ignored her. They took several turns and she tried to count them, but ended up just as confused as she had been on the streets. Finally, they stopped in front of a door. Big-nose took a deep breath and pulled his tunic straight. He straightened his spine as well and held his head high. He knocked on the door.

"Enter, " was called and Big-nose opened the door. He stepped inside, pulling her through and shutting the door behind as he had before.

"Ah, Grayson I had hoped it was you. Were you successful then?" She could not see who spoke as Big-nose, or rather Grayson blocked her view. The words were smooth, not choppy and she had no problems discerning their meaning.

"Yessir, " Grayson said. He walked towards the voice. Grayson's footsteps were quiet and when she looked down she could see thick carpet beneath her boots. She looked back up as Grayson stepped to the side so the speaker could see her. The man who spoke was seated in a plush velvet chair the color of ripe plums.

His boots were the same style as Grayson's, but instead of being worn and muddied they were shiny black and polished. His pants were black as well and tucked into the boots so that the transition between the two looked almost seamless. His shirt was snowy white rather than the brownish homespun Grayson wore. His hair was black but liberally dusted with gray. Lines fanned out from the corners of his eyes. They also bracketed his mouth. They did not look as though they had accumulated from a lifetime of smiles.

A book was open and lay across his knee as though he had only put it down when the knock sounded. "The History of the Baronies of Heldan, " she read silently scanning the title quickly and looking away.

She did not want to let them know she could read any more than she wanted them to know she could speak. Both were parts of Mammon's lessons should the raiders ever take her. She knew from those same lessons that Heldan was what the outlanders called their home, although she did not know what the baronies were. The man seated in the chair leaned forward and smiled at her. She kept her face blank. He leaned back and studied her for a moment.

"She is young, " he said.

"Eighteeen, meebee nineteen sir by ta mark." The seated man looked surprised.

"Really, she doesn't look nearly that."

"Meebee not sir, but ta marks don lie."

"That is true. Well now, what is your name?" The question was aimed at her but she didn't respond.

"She don speak sir. Ranger what brung her called her Rabbit."

"Rabbit? Not a very proper name but somehow it seems to suit. Very well, Rabbit it is. Thank you Grayson, excellent work as always. If you would please take her to Harmony to get her settled then.

"Yessir." Grayson, beaming with pride turned and escorted her back out of the room. Another short jaunt through the hallways led them to another door. This time she had managed to count the turns and was reasonably sure she could find her way back to the well dressed man Grayson seemed to respect. She had no idea of what use that would be, but as she had been told many times, no knowledge was useless. Grayson knocked but this time did not wait for a response before opening the door.

"Gocha nother Harmony, " Grayson said to a woman seated by the fire. She had graying brown hair, neatly tied in a knot at the nape of her neck. Her dress was of a dark blue and edged with snowy white lace. When she moved, the tips of her shoes, blue to match the dress, were barely visible. Her eyes were black and seemed to drink in every detail.

"I see, " Harmony said looking the girl over from top to toes. The words sounded neutral, neither hard nor soft. She had been working with some sort of shuttle attached to string when they arrived and Harmony placed the shuttle on a small table next to the chair.

"Caller Rabbit, " Grayson said. He turned to her and smiled. "Harmony ere'll care furya." He patted her somewhat awkwardly on the shoulder and then left the room, closing the door behind him. Harmony continued to look her over and she was aware of every speck of dirt and grime coating her. She tried not to fidget beneath the weight of the gaze. They stood in silence for a moment.

"You look to be about the same size as Badger was a few years ago, " Harmony said, breaking the silence. "I believe we have some of her clothing from that time that is still serviceable. That way after your bath you can have something clean to wear. Please follow me."

She blinked as Harmony turned towards one of the room's interior doors. They left the sitting room and passed through a room lined with shelves filled floor to ceiling with books. The only furniture was a small writing desk with a chair. A neat stack of blank paper was placed in its center and an inkwell and pen stood ready next to it.

"This is the library, " Harmony said. "The first room was the parlor." They moved quickly through the library and down a flight of stairs. The air became noticeably damp as they descended and she had the feeling of being underground. There was nothing to soften this passage, just dark gray stone lit by torches set in plain metal brackets that were little more than loops of iron embedded in the stone. Eventually the stairs ended in a plain room. She looked around. This room too was composed of dark stone.

"Long ago when the Baronies were often at war this keep was built. It was much later that the white stone was applied to the exterior and the more attractive elements added to the castle. The Baron who built this keep wanted a safe supply of water for his people in times of siege. And so he built the well room. Our quarters are in the oldest part of the keep. There are some drawbacks and some benefits."

Harmony gestured to the center of the room with a smile. There, rising from the floor as if it had grown, was a well. It was composed of the same stone as the walls and floor. Harmony walked over to a room divider. It was made of green cloth stretched over a wooden frame. It had three panels that folded or unfolded with need. It was a bright spot of color in the gray room. Harmony pushed the divider aside and revealed a gray stone box.

"Not as decorative as Lord Tessian's but we don't have to travel as far to fill it and it is much easier to empty." She reached over and untied the girl's wrists. "Come then." She walked over to the corner and picked up two buckets. Harmony then walked over to the well and attached one to the chain. She turned the well's arm and lowered the bucket, filled it and brought the bucket back up. She then unhooked it and handed it to the waiting girl.

"Empty it into the bath and return, " Harmony said. She took the bucket and walked over to the bath while Harmony attached, lowered and filled the second bucket. She poured the water into the bath and returned with the empty just as Harmony unhooked the second bucket from the line. They traded buckets, Harmony taking the empty to refill while she took the full one to add to the bath. They continued the process until the bathtub was full.

"That looks deep enough, " Harmony proclaimed with a satisfied smile. "You will find soap in the box next to the bath, feel free to use as much as you wish." Harmony pulled the screen open again, hiding the bath. It cut off the view from the stairs and afforded some sense of privacy.

"I'll return with some clean clothing in a moment. I'll also bring a basket for your current clothing so that it can be taken to be laundered. Do not leave the well room until I come to get you." Harmony stared at her until she nodded and then satisfied she would be obeyed, left.

For the first time since the raid, she was alone. She could feel her muscles lose a slight bit of their tension and she took a deep breath. She stepped behind the screen and with more speed than she had ever undressed before, she stripped letting her filthy clothes fall to a pile at her feet. She removed a small leather pouch she had kept hidden under her clothing but left the remainder where it was. The pouch she hid in the shadows in case Harmony came to this side of the screen before she could hide it under her new clothing. She touched the water with her hand and shivered.

The well water was icy cold. She frowned and looked at her wrist. They already knew she had the talent. It was why they had bought her. She shrugged and thrust both of her arms into the water up to her elbows and closed her eyes. The water stung the abraded skin on her wrists but she ignored the pain. Instead, she thought of heat; the heat of a warm loaf of bread or a hot mug of tea on a frosty night. She thought of the warmth of the sun as she helped gather kasha fruit in the orchards. She opened her eyes. Steam was lifting gently off the water and curling in the drafts of air. She pulled her hands away from the water and shivered in the cool air. Quickly she climbed into the tub and began to wash.