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[Shayna]

The change in him startled Shayna, even going so far as to almost apologize which she just viewed suspiciously. She had expected him to walk off grumbling under his breath after delivering the punishment, or worse case scenario sticking around to give a bill to her Mistress. Very slowly does the tension leave her body, and while she doesn't return the step that she had taken back before. She wasn't quite sure how to take his words, no Dynasty had ever in her hearing admitted to even a little wrong doing toward a slave and she was not sure what the proper thing to respond to would be.

She raised her face a little when he asked her a question, still not meeting his eyes but returning to her usual pose when speaking to a Dynasty. Respectful, but a little confident, "Pretend M'Lord? Of course it is practiced, just like one practices walking and eating, one isn't born with such knowledge. It is what slave trainers teach.." She answered slowly, not quite sure what he was really asking. Surely he had an ulterior motive for this sudden turn around in his demeanor. Was he trying to catch her off guard...her eyes widen just a little perhaps he was simply trying to get her to sound like she was admitting that she wanted to escape! Without even thinking, her hand raises to cover the twin thick scars that emerged from beneath her sleeveless blouse.

"M'Lord I assure you, I am content as a slave. A bird does not get a choice to be born a bird, nor does a cat or snake..neither does a slave. I was born a slave, and a slave I shall be. I am sorry that I was careless but I assure you that I am a slave with no other aspirations." Though her voice was edged with just a bit of panic, there was no bitterness to it. There was no wistfulness of what might have beens, she never wasted time thinking of what it would have been like if she was born to a mother and father rather then a dame and sire.

[Whist Askara]

He watched her lift her chin slightly but her posture was different now somehow; maybe more guarded perhaps? Her huge eyes seemed to grow even wider and the slave's voice was definitely higher. Like a bird, the higher the pitch, the higher the emotional state. She must be frightened, he guessed. Somehow, her assurances didn't seem believable in the least and the tall Askara had yet another revelation.

"We are not so different you and I. Even our manner of speech and posture are both as practiced, are they not? Of course you aspire to nothing but what you were born to--as do I. I was born Whist Askara the III and that will not change either."

Whist's intense scrutiny watched her little hands clutch the ugly scars and he could only guess what his hated cousin had done to her. He spoke again, strangely enough. This was probably the longest conversation he'd ever had with a slave in his entire life!

"I believe my.." he hesitated, reluctant to admit relation to Banjemen. "cousin might have had something to do with those markings while I was away from Sweet Home."

Reluctantly, his sad blue eyes had moved to the broken perch shattered on the ground like so much unwanted garbage. But he listened to Shayna; to more than just her words.

Artistry by Haeli-

[Shayna]

Shayna eyed him from the corner of her eye, trying not to seem as if she were staring at him openly. There were quite a few questions in her mind now, not in the least was the question of where he was going with this conversation? She could not find a positive for herself in this conversation, and could not quite understand that he was having a epitome of his own. Then he announced his name, Askara, and her suspicions seemed to be confirmed in her mind. He must be trying to entice more information from her, especially with what happened to the slave from the Lorak plantation. She shivered slightly, and her face shuttered close, letting a blankness fall over her features.

Her blood ran cold, and her eyes closed at his words on his cousin. Of course he was related to Mistress Cecily. They were both Askara, she didn't think he had been present during the questioning but of course sometime during the middle of it most of her memory was fogged and hazy from the pain. The Askara head of house had smoothed it over with her Mistress, perhaps mizas had changed hands for the marking of her slave. It was over and done with but perhaps this one wanted to find out a little more.

"My. My Mistress will be here at any moment, M'Lord." Shayna said quietly, looking down the river once more, now actively willing the figure of her mistress to appear. Fear that at any moment slaves would arrive to 'escort' her back to Sweet Home bubbled in her throat and she found it difficult to maintain the blank mask. "I am a loyal slave, I don't know anything else.."

[Whist Askara]

Clearly this little slave was terrified and Whist assumed it had to do with the House goings on while he was away. He was trained to speak well and diplomatically, which never worked well with slaves. They were either too stupid or ignorant to understand any higher form of speech than simple commands. He almost felt a tick of pity. Almost.

"That's good that your Mistress will be here soon because that was an expensive piece you broke. I don't see how you could possibly pay for it unless I found ways for you to work it off. Unless you have money stashed away. Do you have the Mizas for what you broke?"

The slave didn't seem to know anything but fear, mistrust, orders and direct questions. Any subtlety was completely lost on the silly chit.

"Stand still and answer clearly. How old are you? Are you nervous over the possible wrath of your Mistress or is it something else entirely? If you lie to me, the consequences will be far more dire than a little cuff to the head."

He wouldn't normally give a second thought to ordering a slave but now he realized it was the only thing her kind could possibly comprehend. Whist sighed at realizing another failure of bureaucracy and distinct class differences.



Artistry by Haeli-

[Shayna]

Shayna flinched at his words, she hated that he thought her slow or a dullard, but it was better for them to see her as such. All except her owner, of course. Smart slaves were dangerous slaves. However this was not really an act this time, she truly did not understand what he was getting at. A Dynasty claiming to be the same as a slave? She shook her head, "I have nothing M'Lord.. I told you I would do whatever you wanted me to to pay for the .. the.. the thing." She still wasn't quite sure what it was that she broke. "As long as it does not contradict my Mistress' orders.. " She added at the end, her teeth chewing nervously on her lower lip.

His next orders had her stiffening, trying to not fidget under his stare. "I am seventeen M'Lord.. Soon to be eighteen.." She answered his first question promptly, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. Shame at her fears but also shame at her disappointment to her Mistress for crossing the Askara's. "I am, yes, fearful of my Mistress' wrath.... but more I am fearful that you are going to take me back to Sweet Home M'Lord." The last is whispered, and she had to force herself not to look back to see if her savior was coming in the form of her Mistress.

[Whist Askara]

Whist nodded to her reply. "Perch. It was a custom made perch. Indeed you will work at my Aviary at the time of my choosing. Not right now because I wouldn't trust you with the chicks. I'll get you at a later date to work off your debt."

He watched the fair freckled skin flush crimson and wondered what she was embarrassed about. The man couldn't possibly fathom why Shayna was blushing so he dismissed it from his mind. Young. Such a young girl.

"Wait what? Take you back? I never brought you there in the first place! Nor would I. Why would you assume that I would? You are of little to no use to me little slave."

Abruptly, he stopped, realizing that this unlearning, impudent, careless slave couldn't care less what he had to say. Shayna's shoulders had tightened looking like she'd wanted to search for help. She kept driving him to temper and he didn't appreciate it one little bit!

"Face me when I address you, do NOT presume what I will choose to do and pay attention to a Dynasty Born when you are being spoken to! You must be one of the most ill trained, badly mannered slave brats I've ever had the misfortune to encounter! You're young and hopefully you'll grow out of it! Paying attention when one is speaking is not a test of wills--are we clear?!"

Biting his own lip to keep from continuing his rant, he gazed down at her in stone faced anger. The slaves in his house were yes, all gay and very sexual natured, but at least by Syna, they were obedient! Nor were they so inattentive when a superior spoke to them. Was it just that he'd had another long overnight stay with a fledgling's broken wing? Maybe too tired and hungry to have patience? Why did her behavior get under his skin so deeply like a thorn? Had she been his slave, ninety percent of her behavior would be sharpened up considerably.


Artistry by Haeli-

[Shayna]

His mood swings were getting hard for her to comprehend, perhaps it was his Askara oddness showing through. Even the slaves knew there was something ... odd about the Askara's. This one seemed on the outside to be normal, but the more he talked at her the more Shayna was more convinced there was something not quite right in the head. One moment he seemed stern but kind, the next moment he was scolding and threatening her. If she was not under orders to stay here and wait for Katherine she would have long since ran off as fast as her short legs could carry her.

"M'Lord. I was taken to Sweet Home before.. You mentioned it so I assumed you knew." She said as gently as she could, trying very hard not to put in any annoyance or impatience in her tones. "I was referring being taken back in that context... " She didn't raise her head, but she had snapped her head back front now refusing to look for her Mistress.

"Forgive me M'Lord I was simply looking for my Mistress, I really was paying attention to you." That much was the truth, she wasn't going to let him slip under her awareness, not when he was so volatile and took such mood swings. The idea that he would call her to work for a day at his Aviary caused her to shudder but she nodded her head. "Of course M'Lord, but you will need to speak with my Mistress about that..for that will take me away from my duties to her."