Timestamp: 20th of Winter, 512 AV.
Haeli considered herself something of a scholar of people. There were a lot of opportunities around Kenash to study the creature she was curious about. Humans acted and thought in ways Haeli considered often counter productive or counter intuitive. So whenever she could, the witch lurked in city squares, observed outdoor concerts, and often went to slave auctions. She didn't go for the slaves, though that facet of Kenash society was indeed sad to her. Haeli went instead to study the people, how they interacted with each other in crowds, and how they interacted with people that were providing services.
She was often quiet, sitting in the back and simply finding a seat that gave her a great view of the stage and how people chose to bid. The auctioneer quietly came out on the stage, ran down a list of what was for sale that auction, and the crowd grew alive with a buzz as everyone spoke to each other at once. Haeli noted there were several strong men, pretty women, and more children than seemed decent on stage in chains that didn't seem to have any parents in sight.
The witch thought the practice cruel. Children should stay with their parents, and not be torn from them like these unfortunate kids were. Growing to adulthood without a parent - having lost her mother in a shipwreck during a storm - Haeli acutely felt for the children. They were sold first, obvoiusly warming up the crowd for some of the stronger more appealing slaves to be sold. Haeli paid very little attention, watching the crowd interact and how people treated the folks they purchased with interest. The crowd kept referring to the people for sale as stock or product, never once calling them people. Haeli wanted to ask someone why... why this distinction was made.
But everyone seemed distracted, and the opportunity didn't arise. Two women with tall hats in front of her were discussing a third absent women's affair. Haeli wasn't sure what an affair was, but she thought it meant situation and couldn't for the life of her decide what a torrid situation was. Two men next to her were discussing business. An older woman three seats down was busy coughing into a napkin in a way that didn't seem healthy. The longer she sat there, the more frustrated she grew trying to overhear and understand those around her.
It wasn't until the last person came up for bid that Haeli turned her attention tot he stage. The auctioneer was running down a list of attributes and trying not to laugh. The crowd was rumbling as well with a laugh. Haeli slipped her eyes over the person on the dais and frowned. What were they saying? She strained and finally caught someone saying two seats over that the kelvic was not going to sell. He was going to, instead, go to the culls.
Kelvic? Haeli's attention was captured and she strained to hear the auctioneer that blended all his words together. Kelvic what? Haeli coudln'd understand why everyone was laughing until finally the word they were pairing with kelvic became understandable. Skunk. Kelvic Skunk. Haeli felt angry then, angry that they were laughing at a creature they couldn't understand.
The auctioneer called one more time... no one moved to bid. Haeli felt, almost disjointedly, her hand lift and wave. The auctioneer pointed at her causing every head in the place to swivel.
"Sold! 200 gm!" The man claimed and a second person handed her a ticket. Haeli sat there stunned. Sold? Had she must bought another kelvic slave?
Haeli considered herself something of a scholar of people. There were a lot of opportunities around Kenash to study the creature she was curious about. Humans acted and thought in ways Haeli considered often counter productive or counter intuitive. So whenever she could, the witch lurked in city squares, observed outdoor concerts, and often went to slave auctions. She didn't go for the slaves, though that facet of Kenash society was indeed sad to her. Haeli went instead to study the people, how they interacted with each other in crowds, and how they interacted with people that were providing services.
She was often quiet, sitting in the back and simply finding a seat that gave her a great view of the stage and how people chose to bid. The auctioneer quietly came out on the stage, ran down a list of what was for sale that auction, and the crowd grew alive with a buzz as everyone spoke to each other at once. Haeli noted there were several strong men, pretty women, and more children than seemed decent on stage in chains that didn't seem to have any parents in sight.
The witch thought the practice cruel. Children should stay with their parents, and not be torn from them like these unfortunate kids were. Growing to adulthood without a parent - having lost her mother in a shipwreck during a storm - Haeli acutely felt for the children. They were sold first, obvoiusly warming up the crowd for some of the stronger more appealing slaves to be sold. Haeli paid very little attention, watching the crowd interact and how people treated the folks they purchased with interest. The crowd kept referring to the people for sale as stock or product, never once calling them people. Haeli wanted to ask someone why... why this distinction was made.
But everyone seemed distracted, and the opportunity didn't arise. Two women with tall hats in front of her were discussing a third absent women's affair. Haeli wasn't sure what an affair was, but she thought it meant situation and couldn't for the life of her decide what a torrid situation was. Two men next to her were discussing business. An older woman three seats down was busy coughing into a napkin in a way that didn't seem healthy. The longer she sat there, the more frustrated she grew trying to overhear and understand those around her.
It wasn't until the last person came up for bid that Haeli turned her attention tot he stage. The auctioneer was running down a list of attributes and trying not to laugh. The crowd was rumbling as well with a laugh. Haeli slipped her eyes over the person on the dais and frowned. What were they saying? She strained and finally caught someone saying two seats over that the kelvic was not going to sell. He was going to, instead, go to the culls.
Kelvic? Haeli's attention was captured and she strained to hear the auctioneer that blended all his words together. Kelvic what? Haeli coudln'd understand why everyone was laughing until finally the word they were pairing with kelvic became understandable. Skunk. Kelvic Skunk. Haeli felt angry then, angry that they were laughing at a creature they couldn't understand.
The auctioneer called one more time... no one moved to bid. Haeli felt, almost disjointedly, her hand lift and wave. The auctioneer pointed at her causing every head in the place to swivel.
"Sold! 200 gm!" The man claimed and a second person handed her a ticket. Haeli sat there stunned. Sold? Had she must bought another kelvic slave?
