Little Elly came upon a small cottage. It was familiar to adult Elly, but foreign to the child. A rickety fence surrounded a small plot of land. The cottage was of different construction then all the others in Eversong, which could be why Elly stopped to look in the first place. The whole structure was made of wood, a dark color or maybe it was stained. There was an herb garden on the side of the house and a much older female working the garden. Elly, didn't notice at first but there was a young boy helping who was more then likely his mother. He had stark black hair and great big green eyes, much like herself. He was groomed much better of course which prompted Elly to smell her dirty tunic and shrug.
It was then that Pepper barked. While the woman didn't look up, the boy did and a smile lit his face at the site of curious Elly. He slipped quietly from his mothers side who seemed to be in her own world at that moment. He approached the fence and as he grew closer Elly could see he was perhaps a decade or two younger then herself. The raven haired boy gave Elly a shy wave and pointed at Pepper.
"That yer dog?" said the boy.
"He's my wolf!" she said growing protective suddenly and hugging Pepper to her.
"um Sorry." said the boy turning a brilliant shade of red that made Little Elly giggle.
"You talk funny." Elly said still giggling.
"Do not!" he drawled and set a tough look on his face. Elly hadn't meant to upset the boy.
"I like it." she said, stopping the giggling and looking down at a clump of grass shyly.
The little boy looked at her for a moment and made a disgusted face.
"Ma says girls are that darkness. 'Cept Mama o'course." the boy stated off plainly like he had heard a thousand time before but as he looked at the fiery girl with the handsome wolf he wasn't so sure.
"What's the darkness?" she asked him, not at all put off by being referred to as such a thing.
"Got me." said the boy after awhile."But, Ma says its bad."
"Can you come play?" Elly asked the smaller boy suddenly feeling a longing for some company other then Pepper.
"Ma needs ma help." but as he looked over at his mother, seeing her occupied, he too suddenly wanted to run off and play. But it would never happen. Pepper barked again and the elves ears turned finally and the look she gave Elly near startled her hair to white.
"Get out of here! Leave my boy alone you rascal! You beggar child! Rapscallion! Begone from here darkness!" and much to the horror of both the boy and Elly, the elder woman back handed Elly into the waking world.
She tried to flee the woman's wrath but failed miserably. The clink of heavy chains and a sudden weight around her neck reminded her that she was in fact not little Elly but Adult Elly, in a very real ship,in very real danger and now with a splitting headache.
"I said get UP!" the voice roared and another hand came down on Elly's cheek that sent her eyes fluttering open with a groan. "Bout damned time, lazy good fer nothing." the undead hissed at her and tromped back up to the deck to inform Augustus of Elly's condition.
As her world came into slight focus she glanced down at herself and sighed heavily. At least she was dressed and only her head hurt so at least she hadn't been raped while she was out. The chains were cutting into her wrists and ankles and just when she thought it was a bit overkill, the collar around her neck gave her a terrible shock that made her scream and flail, much to the amusement of the crew above. Three more times the collar made her writhe and foam, almost biting her tongue off one time.
"Please please...no more." she whimpered and thankfully the shocking stopped. As Elly lay recovering she watched as a familiar pair of brown boots and a purple robe came down into the bottom of the small vessel.
"I'm sorry did we wake you precious?" Augustus chuckled darkly into the small cabin and came to sit across from Elly.
"Glorious device this is, Ellithiria. I would think you would appreciate it's mechanical beauty since you made it for me after all.
"It wasn't meant for slaves you....AHHHHHH!!" she shrieked again, as Augustus smiled calmly watching her wrestle against the current and weight of the chains.
"No more insults or witty banter from you, Ellithiria. You lost. I suggest you get used to the feel of your new necklace because I will recommend to whoever buys you to keep it on permanently. You just can't be trusted to do what you are supposed to do." he cooed and leaned down and brush a stray red wisp of hair out of Elly's glassy eyes.
"I have money....I could pay you more...more then...then them." Elly bleated, a line of spittle falling from her lips as she talked.
Augustus roared back and laughed. A cruel boisterous laugh, and it was then Elly knew she was really screwed.
"You think this is about that bounty on your head? About gold?! Your little stunt in Uldum cost me more then GOLD! It cost me my flawless reputation!! Years I worked to become who I was all put to ruin by one little bitch of a rogue. No no...I will not be handing you over to your government. Sure they will have a chance to purchase you if they can make the sale on time but I much prefer the idea of you slaving away in some saronite mine or a whore house. The proud confident Ellithiria, shackled to some overweight goblin. The idea makes me quiver. I daresay if I was interested in women I would take your for myself but no. You are at least spared that fate."
Elly had tuned him out. She knew by now Jaen and the rest of the Vangaurd would be looking for her. She had closed her eyes to the sounds around her and focused on breathing. Augustus, seeing he would get no more reaction from her, left her to her thoughts and pain.
"They will find me..."she whispered softly into the wood. "They will find me..." it was this phrase she kept repeating until she could hear them prepare to dock with land.
