Page 48 of Upon Buried Embers
I was told they rape anywhere, and kill someone if they looked at them wrong. That they think women are less than, but so far I haven’t seen anything like that during my time with them.
Yet.I think to myself. There’s still time, yet.
A man has some sort of furnace on a makeshift platform next to his home, hammering something. Another is sewing, and another is tanning animal hide. Further in, a group of people are cutting vegetables and placing them in wide bowls as they greet Rohan with a smile and a nod, relief on their faces that their Dragonbond is home.
How… strange.
My foot is screaming in pain with each grueling step as we continue up the hill to the very top, before we reach a cabin with the mountain’s base not far behind it. The steps up to the entrance are plentiful. It’s the highest point in the village, though a few tents scatter to the side and below.
He can see everything from up here, and as I turn to look, the view is breathtaking.
The fire in the center roars, a plethora of activity flows through the tents, smiles and happy tears, and in the distance, surrounding it all, is the snowy forest.
“Hurry, Elf.”
Rohan opens the door to the cabin and ushers us inside, and instantly I know it belongs to him.
Furs and rugs cover the floor, tables and an assortment of chests gather along the sides. A larger table sits in the middle, low to the floor with papers scattered on it.
Rohan doesn’t say a word as he pulls me further inside and through a curtain, where a door should be, and into what must be his bedroom.
A bed sits in the middle against the wall, also low to the floor and full of furs. A post stands at the bottom, holding the roof up. More chests line the opposite wall with a mirror and a glass bowl sat in front of it. A firepit lies to the right, and I look back to the top of the pole where there’s some sort of flap.
Rohan yanks me suddenly, and I whimper as I put my weight on my sore foot. Now I’m out of the cold, I’m thawing and I feeleverything.
He pauses at the noise, his eyes assessing me, but he quickly shakes his head and ties the rope around the post.
I still.
I’m tied to a pole like an animal, in his bedroom.
Rohan ignores me as he changes, and I turn my back to him, leaning my head on the pole and breathing through the pain.
It isn’t until he comes toward me and unties the rope that I blink out of my stupor. He throws a long shirt at me.
“Change.” He barks, crossing to the table and leans against it, arms folded.
With shaky fingers, I turn away from him.
I don’t know why fear runs through me, I’ve been naked plenty of times before him now, and not once has he even looked at me… but he’s looking now.
I feel the burn of his stare across my body.
What does he see when he looks at me?
Skin and bones, bruised and torn.
I don’t think he can see the scarring. Effy told me you had to really look to see them, that’s why Master liked me so much.
I squeeze my eyes shut and change quickly, his shirt coming to below my knees and I grip the pole for dear life.
I hear him move, and he grabs my uninjured ankle, tying the rope around it, then secures it to the pole.
I swallow, tears swimming in my eyes. He pauses suddenly, his fingers grazing over the bruising of my other foot and I jolt at the sensation. He frowns, head snapping up to me, then he stands and leaves, the curtain closing in his wake.
I breathe heavily, hands shaking and wrap my arms around my legs. Cold seeps in once again, and I look at the furs on his bed, but I don’t dare take one. Instead, I lay my head on my arms, looking down at the rope tied around my ankle and wait for whatever will come.
Fifteen
