Dealings in the night (Part 2)

[Shayna]

Shayna wanted to be done with this job, anything that had to do with the Radacke's she wanted to be finished with. They were not a family that were pleasant to deal with if you were a slave, and this entire job seemed to smack of poking at the family's business. Yet her master was not satisfied yet, she had suspected he wouldn't be but had wanted to try and sway him. "Yes M'Lord, he calls her Teena but the cleaning slave said that the girl had a hard time remembering that. Said the girl forgets and goes by Selena at times." Her words were spoken slowly, not quite reluctantly.

As he commanded she turned to follow him in, now not only her eyes cast downward but her head as well. Though she follows along obediently, her steps never faltering or slowing, it is obvious that she is of two minds. The first and obviously the one she follows was to follow her master's orders to the letter or beyond. The second was that this was not safe, that something was going on more then a mere girl sold into slavery. Normally she had no problems with slaves that were 'new' slaves. They were disobedient, not well trained, and she tended to shine above them all. But she had never came across someone hiding a new slave as if it were something unusual. That tripped so many alarms in her mind that it was hard for her not to be leery of the situation.

It was easy to follow his next orders, when his arm slipped around her and her head rested ever so briefly on his side. She rarely ever made eye contact with anyone not a slave, and her focus on their feet helped to keep her gaze from wandering. She did something she normally never does and allowed her hair to fall forward to curtain her face. This decreased what she could see around, which was why she rarely allowed her hair to fall so far forward, but it also decreased what people saw of her too.

It was not until he speaks again that she lifts her head, and tucks her hair back once more. "Yes M'Lord." She replied when he asked if she saw the key, she had never held a key before. Keys were the epitome of freedom and escape, they opened doors that are not readily opened. There were many keys in Kenash, and very few are held within the hands of a slave. However this key was nothing so grand as that, so Shayna moved quickly forward. Her short legs making quick work of the distance between her master and the cleaning cart, her green eyes darted around quickly before she reached out to snatch the key in her palm hoping that whoever was so imprudent as to leave a key unguarded. It was a security risk for all of the Traveler's Inn guests. She had only a moments worry over the trouble the cleaning slave will get into for this.

[Kalesserimamoru]

Mamoru looked around while Shayna went to work just to be sure that no one saw her. It wouldn't do for her to be seen by a member of the Dynasty or the owners of the Inn. A slave or two wouldn't matter, and adding another person or so to the illusion wouldn't be too costly to his magic either. Once she returned with the key, he hurried her off out of the area close to the cart just be be sure they weren't spotted there.

"Follow me, The merchant told me of a room here..the room that the mystery monster lives in. Room 4B." Mamoru didn't know if she could read or not, it had never been discussed openly, but his eyes were good enough and hers could be used to look out for others coming around. Mamoru headed up the stairs to the second floor to search for the room. There were a few rooms on the bottom floor, but none of them were of the letter B.

They reached the landing, and his gaze first led to the rest of the A's and after following the doors they reached the area where the B's were located. It didn't take long from here to find the right room given it was within the first four numbers below five. "Ah, here we are room 4B." There was a bit of excitement filling his soul and the trickster was very interested to see what lied behind that door. It could be the information that Berk was looking for, or it could be something else entirely. "Keep your eyes opened, we can't have anyone sneaking up on us. " He took the key from her and quickly glanced around, before he slipped the key into the lock and slowly turned it.

There was no way for him to know what or who awaited him on the inside, and he knew he needed to be careful. Once the lock clicked he slowly turned the knob and eased the door open slightly so that he could see inside. There was a wall positioned right in front of the door that hide the inside of the room from view as a person came in. He listened for voices or any signs that someone was inside, but heard nothing. A hand reached back for Shayna, and he pulled the girl inside behind him. Placing a finger to her lips to silence her, Mamoru moved his pet against the wall so that he could close the door behind them .
and turned back to her.

"Take careful steps, we don't know if someone is home." If he had been in his Dhani form he could sense the heat temperature inside the room, but as a human that sense was faded beyond use. He leaned down, bending his knees to make himself smaller and slowly peeked from the behind the wall. The room on the other side was the bedroom. He couldn't see much as first, but from what he could see, the place had been rented a while. Boxes, tiny carts, clothing and other items were on the floor and small table beside the bed. The room also had a more human scent that one would expect of a place that was cleared a lot.

Slowly he moved out from behind the wall to finally take in the full room, and he was very surprised at what he saw. A young woman was resting on the bed, long dark hair, pale skin, and eyes that were as blue as the sea itself. She hadn't noticed them yet and was looking down at her swollen belly and gently petting it. The young woman didn't look afraid, or upset..she seemed at peace. That was, until she realized that she had company. "By the gods! Who are you? What do you want?"

There was something odd about the scene, but the trickster couldn't put his finger on it. He offered his pet a glance, wondering what she was making of all this. Suddenly he felt a coolness at his back and a light shining from behind him. Mamoru tried to turn when heavy arms wrapped around his neck and tried to wrestle him to the ground. On instinct, going by what he had learned in the nest, the Dhani pushed his weight down to keep himself from falling, then with all he had, he pushed them both backwards where the attacker was slammed into the wall with Mamoru against him.

The arms around him loosened, and the trickster tossed his head back to smash into the man's face, before turning his body and unleashing an elbow into the side of the man's head. He didn't get a good look at the man in the fading light and quick moments, but Mamoru attacked again. He wrapped his arms around the man, turned his hips and slammed the man on the floor in the middle of the room. The woman gave a cry causing him to look up quickly, and that allowed the man to scurry across the floor. He leaped on the bed, and placed himself between the pregnant woman and their attacker, shielding her with his body.

"No, please..take whatever you want. You can have it all, just leave me and my wife alone!" Yellow-green eyes widen at the words, and he stood there confused with it all. They were married, the sick, twisted man had forced the woman to marry him? "you disgust me." Mamoru growled and reached out and slapped the man across his face. He was sure of it now, this was the girl that he had been searching for..this was Selena. "Is your name Selena?" He asked catching her gaze. "Don't worry, we will have you back with your father in no time."

"M-My father sent you?" she asked with a hint of dread in her voice. "Please I don't want to go back. We are happy here. Just leave us alone."

[Shayna]

Shayna allowed him to lead her away from the cart, with nary as much as a stiffened muscle. Her body fluid and pliable that comes with ages of training to accept another's touch or demand. When he tells her what room she is to look for she eyed the doors quietly, her brow furrowing as she looked at the funny squiggles and loops that made no sense to her. "I can't read M'Lord.. nor do I know how to write numbers.." She had been taught to count, only because it seemed like something a gardening slave would need to know how to do. She didn't need to know how to read or even something so simple as to hold a pencil.

Yet it didn't stop her from watching closely the halls as they moved, occasionally she would see movement but nothing overt. Enough for her to reach out to brush her master's arm but nothing that would need to call attention to it more then a warning. The moment his key went into the door Shayna bit her lip and tried to keep the nerves at bay. When he drew her in, she was surprised, she assumed she would be left out here to guard the door, to sound the alarm in case the renter of the property came back. Wide green eyes met his yellow-green ones, but she didn't make a sound, even as his finger laid against her lips. If she wasn't so nervous she might have given the finger a little kiss, but as it was all she could think about was what could possibly be on the other side of the wall.

She flattened herself as much as possible to the wall, inching over as Mamoru moved. When he cleared the wall she took his place at the corner. As a result she saw the man moments before he attacked her Master. She cried out a "M'Lord! Behi-" But it was too late and the man was on Mamoru. She wanted to jump in but knew enough to stay out of it. Her master had already proven himself capable in a fight. Her eyes went to the girl, and to her swollen belly, then back up to her face. Perhaps it was Shayna's presence that kept the pregnant girl on the bed, or perhaps it was simply the belly made it too cumbersome to run.

Shayna flinched when she heard her master's elbow crunch home, and for a moment she was transported back to the night he had her break a Rujaro's finger, which caused her to shiver. "M'Lord," Shayna said softly, sliding up beside her master once the man had retreated to the bed, her eyes moving from him to Mamoru. "That is no brand..." The dark haired slave pointed to the mark on the neck of the dark haired woman, right below the ear. If they looked closely at the male they would find an identical mark. Shayna didn't know what they were called, but she did know that they occurred when someone made a commitment to another. "I don't know what it is called but it is not one that means she is a slave.. they are.. joined."

The man had moved to his wife, placing a protective hand around her shoulders. He still did not lose the aggressive stance, but to Shayna it looked more instinctive then any real moment of aggression. She coughed a little, wondering at the love that the woman on the bed looked at the man with. It was not something she really and truly understood.

[Kalesserimamoru]

Mamoru eyed the couple warily, they were married and she didn't want to go home. The story didn't seen to fit with Berk's, a man who had made a mistake, was wronged, now trying to get his family back. Shayna's words echoed in his mind and his eyes took in the marks even closer. She was right, the marks didn't look like any brands that he had seen anywhere inside the city. So whatever this was, it was genuine. Which made even less sense. The trickster narrowed his eyes and stepped closer, something about this whole thing had tugged at his strings since the beginning and now it was doing so even more.

"You're father has gone through a lot to get you back, and this is how you repay him? What an ungrateful girl you are." Mamoru folded his arms over his chest and glared at the man on the bed. He felt like smacking him again just because. "So, you're not a slave and you're married and with child? That's a story that begs to be told, wouldn't you agree Shayna dear?" He glanced at his pet with a smug look upon his face.

"Listen, I don't know what that man told you. But they are lies, all lies!" The man shouted from the bed. Looking at him more, the trickster could see that he wasn't in any shape to be fighting. He was chubby, but he didn't have a muscle on him and he looked like he had been behind a stall for most of his life. "It's ok dear, calm down." Selena said as she hugged him closely. "My father got in over his head and owed the Radackes a lot of money. When he couldn't pay, he made a deal with them to let him leave so that he could get the money from a family member and I was to stay here until he returned. But he never came back. For a while I was afraid I would be made into a slave.

Then I met Berk, told him my story and he paid off my father's debt. I was so happy, and owed him so much I decided to stay with him and work off what I owed him. Then later..we fell in love." It was such a touching story that Mamoru was also in tears, all the Dhani needed was a flaming box of tissues and he would have thrown it at them. " This is all a wonderful story, and I can see why you don't want to return to your father. Why hide? Why not leave the city to get away from him?"

This time the man spoke up, with a renewed vigor in his voice and a shaking fist. "That man doesn't deserve to see her again. Any man that would leave his child to slavers doesn't deserve to have a family. When I found out that he had come back, I was ready to face him and give him a peace of my mind. But Selena didn't want me too." Mamoru listened, his lips curving upward at the corners with every word that was spoken. Selena looked to both Mamoru and Shayna with pleading eyes, her hands rubbing her husbands arm. "My father isn't a good man, he is dangerous. We would have left the city by now, but I can't travel like this. So..I've been hiding out, staying away so that he couldn't find me. Please, don't make me go back.."

Mamoru stared at them both more a moment, then turned his gaze down to Shayna. He could imagine that his little pet would have an opinion about the situation. The details of the job had been clear, but the story behind it wasn't. It seemed that Berk wasn't as much of an victim as he claimed. However that didn't change much, as least in Mamoru's eyes. He was only to find where the girl was and tell Berk for the coin that he was promised. "Settle down Selena. I have no intention of making you go anywhere. Your father hired me to find you, and so I have."

He gave another look to the man on the bed, and he still felt like slapping him again just because. But he didn't and instead offered the man a smirk before he turned to leave the room. "Shayna let us be off, dear we have an appointment to make."

[Shayna]

Shayna stepped back once it was clear that her master had seen the mark that she had. The rest of the decisions would lay at her master's feet, and she had give him all the insights that she was able. She was curious at the two people in front of her though, both freeborn, both apparently with the ability to leave though she didn't think the Radackes would be happy to have their collateral gone but perhaps they know where she is. Either way they had choices, and their choice was to stay here where the danger was. Why? For someone like Shayna who had nothing even remotely close to familial ties, she didn't even have a mother or a father. Instead she had a dame and a sire that she had never met, with untold number of half siblings or perhaps full siblings she didn't know and likely never would. The idea of love was something she knew of, but had never experienced.

So she didn't get a tug or even a niggle when they spoke of their story, all she got was that this was far less dangerous then she had thought. Her master could tell Berk what he knew and let it go at that. That was, of course, until her Master promised them that he had no intentions of turning them over to her father. That was interesting turn of events, though he could just be telling them that because he wasn't physically going to turn them over and just tell Berk where they are hiding.

When he bid her to leave she gave the couple another searching glance before she left, letting them close the door behind her if they felt the need to. She walked in silence with him until they were clear of possible eavesdroppers before she spoke. "I imagine if what they say is true, then the Radackes either know where she is and are keeping tabs on her, or they are searching for her and might have a reward out M'Lord."

[Kalesserimamoru]

Mamoru made a quick exit, not only from the room, but from the building and surrounding area all together. There had been a scream, and probably a few items had been broken during the fight. It was best to get away as soon as possible before the tenants decided to maybe do something about him before he could tell where they were. He moved quickly, making sure that his pet was following along without hesitation. "If he paid off the debt, I don't think there is a need to keep a watch on her. But with the Radackes and the rumors about them..it's hard to say. If they plan on squeezing more coin out of Berk that may be just what they have been doing."

He moved on from there and made his way towards Reed park. It was interesting to see just how fast the bells had gone that day and it was already evening now. They would still be early, but soon enough the sun would start to set, which was the exact time they were supposed to meet again. Mamoru took his time getting there, having no reason to rush any longer now that they were away from the Inn. They made it to the park and he moved across the boardwalk taking in the sights. It was a good view point over the many tall reeds growing and all the insects seeping about. It was also a very good place to be when the sun was about to set because it provided a great view.

Mamoru moved further across the boardwalk to the wider decks where benches were positioned and took a seat on one. He allowed Shayna to sit or stand where she wanted as it didn't matter at the moment. They were no longer on the look out and were simply waiting for Berk to show to collect the information. The park was a public place and he wasn't sure how people were looked at for showing their slaves affection there, and so he just sat and relaxed on the bench. The sky was still bright, but a tent of red was slowly starting to show through. The day was passing on and soon enough it would be time and Berk would appear and the story would come to an end.

[Shayna]

Shayna followed close behind him, though when he hurried her steps were quickened even more so due to their height differences. She didn't complain or miss a step, she didn't really note the bells, only that the day had began to wane and she couldn't remember either she nor her master eating more then the crunchy potatoes this morning. She wasn't really all that hungry, but she did worry after her master. His appetite had proven to be healthy and hale, and if she was a little honest with herself she might have noted that there was a mild worry that if he got hungry enough he might gobble her down.

When they entered Reed Park she slowed only enough to be following him clearly, not looking as if she were walking with him. It was a subtle change but one she adopted out of deference to the fact that Dynasties were known to visit this park on occasion. She was not so much a slave that she couldn't enjoy the view, or enjoy the ability to be able to stop and take it in. Before Mamoru she would still be finishing up her work in the gardens, working until there was little light left before walking to the river to take her back to blacksugar.

When he sat on the bench she moved to stand behind him, looking the picture perfection of a dutiful slave. Her hands folded in front of her, near his left shoulder, where she could reach out to brush him if she saw something of note. Though she found herself having to oddly quell the desire to touch him for no other reason just to do so. "That man could have gotten into a lot of trouble over that girl M'Lord." Shayna comments, keeping her eyes forward, sweeping over the park. "Still could. I wonder why he bothered. Even I could see it was nothing but a mess waiting to happen, even before the pregnancy."

Shayna's world was very simple, there was orders and commands, with very little room for anything else. It astounded her to think of what it would be like to not have those set structures to live within, it terrified her.

Along the paths coming from deep within the park, a man moved in their general direction, not really trying to look like he was hiding but not doing anything to really call attention to himself. Shayna only noted him because she was watching for a lone man. She had never seen this Berk fellow, so she couldn't know if it was him or not. Her hand reaches out as if brushing something that had fallen on her master's shoulder. "M'Lord." She said simply to alert him.

[Kalesserimamoru]

Mamoru sat on the bench taking in the scene, and all the sounds that came with it. He could see insects buzzing around just above the murky waters and even hear a frog or two. It was normal for swamp lands, but for any part of the world surrounded by wilderness there were the tale tale signs of nature all around them. Yellow-green eyes lifted to stare into the wondrous sky above where an orange glow was slowly turning red and streaking across the sky mixing with the blue that, in some places, created a hue of purple. He hadn't gotten to see much of the sky in the jungle where the trees were so tall and large that they blotted out the sky.

Shayna had decided to stand instead of sitting and moved to his side. He crossed one leg half way over the other, and leaned back against the bench, one arm extended across the left railing and his right arm on the other side. She spoke to him, her voice always edging on uncertainty of what she was allowed to say, and how far she had to go before he laid her on top of his table and made a meal out of her. He mused over the way she phrased her question and wasn't all that sure which man she was talking about. "I'd say they were playing a dangerous game..both of them. Berk doesn't seem like the type to back down from a fight. But you know what they say about fools in love."

The trickster cackled at his own joke and fully enjoyed it before he settled down again. "I wonder if they will stick around? They know that he will come for them once he gets the information. Perhaps they will find another place to hide until after she gives birth." He didn't say much more about it, he simply didn't care. He had done his job and that was all he cared for. Shayna tapped his shoulder then, and he turned slightly to see what she was referring too. Berk was still a mystery and he didn't know if he should pretend not to know him or not. People in Kenash were so odd.

He settled back against the bench and waited for the man to come closer. Mamoru's instincts had been right. Berk walked right passed them and settled against the railing a foot or so from the bench that he sat on. Mamoru gave Shayna a glance and waved her to come closer. If she stood right beside him, it would hide his face from anyone coming up the boardwalk. Berk looked out into the opening, sliding a cigar into his mouth, but waiting to light it. "You got something for me?" he asked plainly.

"First off.." the trickster said without looking towards the man. "I'll need to see the coin. This has been a very interesting day, and I've heard a true tale from you...and her. It seems that you were holding out on me Berk. I had no idea the nature of your relationship was so..fragile." Now he turned to look at the man, a grin spread across his lips. Berk sighed and frowned, knowing that he had been outed. "I don't recall you asking friend. I have a job and you wanted the coin. Plan as that." Reaching into his pocket Berk pulled out a pouch containing 20 gold coins and placed it on the bench. "There I added a little extra for the fast work, don't disappoint me huh?"

Mamoru causally moved his arms down and took the pouch into his hands to feel it's weight. When he was sure that he hadn't been had, he started to speak. "You can find Selena at the Traveler's Inn in room 4B. She no longer belongs to those you owed money to, she was sold to another..you will find him at the same room as well."

[Shayna]

Shayna frowned a little when her master made the joke about fools in love, not because she found it in poor taste she just didn't understand it. She didn't know what anyone said about fools in love. She accepted his comments as truth though, having no other experience or recourse to judge by. As Berk passed Shayna let her green eyes settle on him for a tick or two before sliding away as he settled against the railing. At her master's beckon she moved to stand closer to him, her hands moving behind her, one hand latching around her wrist comfortably.

She listened to the back and forth, and when her master claimed that the girl was sold to someone else she raised a brow but did not otherwise express any surprise at the tiny misdirection. She was too interested in seeing how this Berk fellow would react.

Berk's teeth sunk a little deeper into his cigar before he raised a hand and plucked it from his mouth. "Sold to another? So they petches did put her into slavery." Though he had cursed, and his jaw ticked he did not become enraged as one might expect a loving father might. There was a darkness that covered his features but Shayna was wondering if this was what a father who loved his daughter and was not simply a sire would feel about his daughter. If it was, it didn't seem as if she was missing anything. Then again, Shayna was not always that good at reading people.

"I gave you the money, would you be willing to .. retrieve the girl.. if I offered a little more?" Of course he didn't say exactly how much more he was offering, or what would happen to the man who the girl had been 'sold' to.

[Kalesserimamoru]

Mamoru smiled at the man's words and moved his hand closer to Shayna, fingers trialing up her breechers to gently massage the backside of her thigh. He hadn't forgotten her, and although his mind was completely on Berk at the moment, he wouldn't forget her. She had been such a good girl that day and he would be sure to reward her the moment they returned to the cottage. "You misunderstand...Your daughter was not a slave. No...never. But you owed the Radackes a great deal of coin, and when you didn't pay someone else did for you."

The trickster smiled, fingers still stroking and moving towards the inside of Shayna's thigh. "In a way I suppose they did you a favor. You no longer owe the Radackes anything, and it was only at the cost of your daughter. Nothing too serious am I right?" He almost laughed then, but instead gave Shayna's let a light squeeze. Berk was seething by this point and almost tossed his box of matches over the waters. He had learned something very interesting and eye opening. Not only had someone else taken his daughter, but the Radackes were still trying to get coin from him, even though they knew that they had gotten rid of Selena.

When Berk asked Mamoru to take on an extra job, the Dhani smiled and chuckled under his breath. He lowered his head and shook it just a bit, but still he afforded Shayna a bit of attention. "I'm afraid that wouldn't work. My face has been seen around the Inn too much. If they saw me coming you can be sure they would run for it, and I'm no bounty hunter Berk. Besides..didn't you tell me that you were going to handle this?" Mamoru could also sense Shayna's tension, and he was sure that she wanted to be done with this as soon as possible.

This time, she would get her way and he slipped his hand upward giving her a gentle pat and squeeze to her rear just to calm her nerves and let her know that they were in fact done. Berk on the other hand wasn't in as much of a cheery mood. Again he cursed under his breath and stood up, both hands on his hips as he looked around. "Alright, so I will take care of it. Fair is fair, you did your job. Now I'm going to take it from here. I'll get my girl back and then...then I'll go and have a talk with the Radackes...They've got a lot of explaining to do."