Timestamp: 1st of Fall, 512
The Konti shifted her weight on the bucksin mare, aligning her spine more comfortably along the mare's withers, riding a strider named Kamsin rather than one of her warhorses or big stallions. She was followed by a second palomino strider mare called Spitfire who's yvas was loaded with medical supplies. Kavala was taking no chances visiting Rattling Chains, always bringing Striders with her in case she needed a rapid departure. They could outrun anything the men there rode if, that was, they could get out of their reach initially. She rode carefully, traversing the pits and valleys, jumping the mares across the small ravines rather than trusting the wooden walk bridges the Rattling Chains Camp was littered with. They looked sturdy enough for a man, but not for a mare carrying a rider and one laden with medical supplies. Kavala squeezed her thighs, closing and opening her knees to guide the mares around the obstacles until she came to her desired destination.
Kavala volunteered once every ten days to go check out the kelvics at Rattling Chains. She didn't particularly like the task, but it was something that had to be done because of the conditions in the slaver's camp and the fact that they often let male Kelvics die rather than feed them in the overland trek to Ravok. They were in the business to sell female kelvics to Riverfall as part of a pet trade from Ravok and they kept them fed and well cared for in most instances. They also brought human females and the occasional male, but those were harder to deal with and thus not something they kept as good of care of.
Kavala halted Kamsin at the edge of the camp near the big double doors to the abandoned mine entrance, nodded to the guards who were familiar with her, and slipped off the mare. She moved to Spitfire and retrieved her medical kit and smock and walked the rest of the length to the pens. The pens were actually tunnels left over from the days when the camp had been the Forivec Mine, so she walked downwards into the main well lit shaft, and paused there to speak to the guards.
"So is there anyone in particular Haev wants me to look at first, Javik?" Kavala asked the guard, familiar with his name. The guard looked thoughtful, gestured to a side chamber, and nodded. "In there. Once you treat them, there's others in the big pen, and some males in need of attention we got from the Zith in the west chamber." He then took a key off a thong from around his neck and offered it to the Konti Kavala nodded and started down the side chamber.
Trusted with a key. Is this what her life had come to? Once she'd been one in cages, and though she hated the men holding the women and children prisoners here, she could do nothing for them. Buying the prisoners would just support the slavery and pay for wine and arrows and more supplies to go out and raid for slaves once more. All she could do was care for the wounded.
Kavala unlocked the kelvic door, locked it behind her, and slipped in opening her awareness to feel for pain. There was plenty of pain, and she set her bag down and began treating the creatures within immediately. Most were suffering from travel ailments needing medication for the diarrhea that sometimes came from changes in water and food. There was brusing and cuts, scrapes, and some larger wounds from scuttles the kelvics had gotten into themselves. She treated one for a disease caused by not getting enough light, and recommended to the guards that particular kelvic be put up topside or sold immediately to a home that would keep her outdoors. There was one broken arm, two broken toes, and a bad tooth. While Kavala was no dentist, she did what she could for the infected tooth and removed it rather than let the young kelvic squirrel suffer.
When she was done treating the kelvics, she moved on to the humans and treated the females first. These women were in sorry shape, for the guards did not usually touch the kelvics, but they had fun with the humans. She treated quite a few for damage caused by abuse from the guards, and one had a lump under her arm that Kavala removed in a minor surgery. She was tired by the time she was done, but the guards had one more prisoner for her to look at.
She walked to the cage, automatically unlocked it, and stepped in. The guard, hovering somewhat concerned, said... "Careful, he's caused problems." Kavala nodded, stepped forward, and studied the prisoner. His blonde hair hung long, unkept, and he was filthy and malnourished. There was no konti gift to tell her what was wrong with him, but the rage and almost inhuman aggression that surrounded him where he was chained to an iron ring in the wall by the neck was something she understood. Kavala stared a while, numb, not certain she was seeing what she was actually seeing.
"Miss Denusk? Are you alright?" The guard asked, looking concerned. Kavala turned to him, shook her head, and said... "Please, get Haev for me. This man... he is my brother." Kavala said softly, walking to Vanator and kneeling beside him. She reached out cautiously and brushed dirty blond hair out of his eyes. "Van? Can you hear me?" She asked softly, speaking almost under her breath. Her pavi washed over him and she gestured with her hands, making all the motions he would be familir with... love, concern, question.
The Konti shifted her weight on the bucksin mare, aligning her spine more comfortably along the mare's withers, riding a strider named Kamsin rather than one of her warhorses or big stallions. She was followed by a second palomino strider mare called Spitfire who's yvas was loaded with medical supplies. Kavala was taking no chances visiting Rattling Chains, always bringing Striders with her in case she needed a rapid departure. They could outrun anything the men there rode if, that was, they could get out of their reach initially. She rode carefully, traversing the pits and valleys, jumping the mares across the small ravines rather than trusting the wooden walk bridges the Rattling Chains Camp was littered with. They looked sturdy enough for a man, but not for a mare carrying a rider and one laden with medical supplies. Kavala squeezed her thighs, closing and opening her knees to guide the mares around the obstacles until she came to her desired destination.
Kavala volunteered once every ten days to go check out the kelvics at Rattling Chains. She didn't particularly like the task, but it was something that had to be done because of the conditions in the slaver's camp and the fact that they often let male Kelvics die rather than feed them in the overland trek to Ravok. They were in the business to sell female kelvics to Riverfall as part of a pet trade from Ravok and they kept them fed and well cared for in most instances. They also brought human females and the occasional male, but those were harder to deal with and thus not something they kept as good of care of.
Kavala halted Kamsin at the edge of the camp near the big double doors to the abandoned mine entrance, nodded to the guards who were familiar with her, and slipped off the mare. She moved to Spitfire and retrieved her medical kit and smock and walked the rest of the length to the pens. The pens were actually tunnels left over from the days when the camp had been the Forivec Mine, so she walked downwards into the main well lit shaft, and paused there to speak to the guards.
"So is there anyone in particular Haev wants me to look at first, Javik?" Kavala asked the guard, familiar with his name. The guard looked thoughtful, gestured to a side chamber, and nodded. "In there. Once you treat them, there's others in the big pen, and some males in need of attention we got from the Zith in the west chamber." He then took a key off a thong from around his neck and offered it to the Konti Kavala nodded and started down the side chamber.
Trusted with a key. Is this what her life had come to? Once she'd been one in cages, and though she hated the men holding the women and children prisoners here, she could do nothing for them. Buying the prisoners would just support the slavery and pay for wine and arrows and more supplies to go out and raid for slaves once more. All she could do was care for the wounded.
Kavala unlocked the kelvic door, locked it behind her, and slipped in opening her awareness to feel for pain. There was plenty of pain, and she set her bag down and began treating the creatures within immediately. Most were suffering from travel ailments needing medication for the diarrhea that sometimes came from changes in water and food. There was brusing and cuts, scrapes, and some larger wounds from scuttles the kelvics had gotten into themselves. She treated one for a disease caused by not getting enough light, and recommended to the guards that particular kelvic be put up topside or sold immediately to a home that would keep her outdoors. There was one broken arm, two broken toes, and a bad tooth. While Kavala was no dentist, she did what she could for the infected tooth and removed it rather than let the young kelvic squirrel suffer.
When she was done treating the kelvics, she moved on to the humans and treated the females first. These women were in sorry shape, for the guards did not usually touch the kelvics, but they had fun with the humans. She treated quite a few for damage caused by abuse from the guards, and one had a lump under her arm that Kavala removed in a minor surgery. She was tired by the time she was done, but the guards had one more prisoner for her to look at.
She walked to the cage, automatically unlocked it, and stepped in. The guard, hovering somewhat concerned, said... "Careful, he's caused problems." Kavala nodded, stepped forward, and studied the prisoner. His blonde hair hung long, unkept, and he was filthy and malnourished. There was no konti gift to tell her what was wrong with him, but the rage and almost inhuman aggression that surrounded him where he was chained to an iron ring in the wall by the neck was something she understood. Kavala stared a while, numb, not certain she was seeing what she was actually seeing.
"Miss Denusk? Are you alright?" The guard asked, looking concerned. Kavala turned to him, shook her head, and said... "Please, get Haev for me. This man... he is my brother." Kavala said softly, walking to Vanator and kneeling beside him. She reached out cautiously and brushed dirty blond hair out of his eyes. "Van? Can you hear me?" She asked softly, speaking almost under her breath. Her pavi washed over him and she gestured with her hands, making all the motions he would be familir with... love, concern, question.