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Becca pounded her fists against the heavy wood door. The sun would set soon. Time was growing ever shorter. Again, she pounded on the door like a thing possessed.

"What do you want?" Varna pulled the door open and shouted. "Curfew is coming. You best get that tender behind of yours back to the village or the soldiers will make you good and sorry. Now, leave me alone."

"Wait," Becca blocked the closing door with her leg. "Dayne's in trouble. They've arrested her. Senecos must come to the village at once. She needs his help."

"Dayne?" A sleep husky voice called from the fireplace.

"My husband is too old and frail to be traveling around in the dark on a fool's mission. He only goes to the village in the daylight hours. That useless girl will have to keep 'til morning." Varna gave her most pleasant smile, "Don't worry, Dayne will probably enjoy being around her own kind. Both the two legged and four legged variety of vermin living in the local jail should suit her fine."

"Dayne, is that you?" The husky voice called out again, a bit louder than the time before.

"Senecos," Becca pushed her way passed Varna and into the little cottage, "I'm sorry to barge in but Dayne's been arrested. The Magistrate ordered her held in the cells below the Elders' Chambers. He said, he wouldn't even hear the charges until after sunrise tomorrow. He sent for an Elosian soldier to guard her."

"Look girl, I told you it has to wait until daylight." Varna made her way to the fireplace, keeping Becca under a frosty glare, "And besides, what does any of this have to do with you? Senecos' half blood bastard child should be no concern of yours."

"Dayne's my friend. She's always been there to help me. But, today I did nothing to stop the village bullies when they hauled her away," Becca hung her head in shame.

"Not true," Senecos rose from his chair and took a gentle hold of Becca's bruised face. "You came all the way out here to get me and, from the color of your cheek, you suffered at least one blow."

"She tried to stop my father from hitting me. Milos' gang saw what was happening and tackled her. Instead of pulling my father off me, they began beating her…," Becca broke down crying in Senecos' arms.

"Shh, girl. How was Dayne when you last so her?" Senecos used his most soothing tone as he cradled Becca.

"She was half awake and moaning in pain. There was blood on her face. A few bruises were already showing through the rips in her clothes." Becca tried to shake off the terrible images, "They wouldn't even let her stand and walk on her own. They dragged her around the village square like she was some kind of wild animal."

"So, the local rabble isn't as ignorant as I thought," Varna was smug as she sat in Senecos' chair. "Apparently, they can see that worthless half blood for the trouble she really is."

Becca was stunned by the woman's coldness. Varna seemed almost happy to hear of Dayne's abuse and confinement.

"How? How can you be so unfeeling? I just told you a gang of men beat you daughter…"

"DON'T you ever call her that!" Varna was livid as she leapt to her feet. "That hideous beast is a curse from Waur. I might have to suffer her presence in my home daily but I will not endure the likes of you blaming me for her existence!"

"Varna, enough," Senecos' voice rumbled deep in his chest. "Go to bed, woman. I'll deal with this."

Varna snorted at the girl but retreated to her bed in the far corner of the room. She was mumbling as she went. Neither Senecos nor Becca paid her heed.

"You'll stay in Dayne's loft tonight," Senecos gestured to the ladder leading up above the kitchen area. "She built it herself. It's quite warm and comfortable."

"No, we have to go back. There's still time." Becca was desperate, "There has to be time still to rescue her."

"If we start back now then the two of us will end up in the cells next to Dayne, if we're lucky, or in the bellies of a wolf pack, if we're not so lucky," Senecos chuckled.

"How can you laugh?" Becca's shoulders slumped in defeat, "I thought you, at least, would be worried about her."

Senecos' eyes grew moist, "I'm heart sick about my Dayne. But, getting us arrested and shipped off to Elos as slaves isn't going to help my little girl out of her dilemma. You must keep your head in difficult situations, girl," Senecos tapped his index finger against Becca's temple. "The Magistrate is a good friend of mine. I'm positive he put Dayne in the cells and posted an Elosian soldier to keep Milos' boys away from her. He's protecting her as much as detaining her. She's as safe as she's going to be tonight. I'm sorry but all you and I can do is get some sleep and start off at daybreak."

Becca could only nod her head in agreement.

Dayne's whole body shook with her efforts to open her swollen eyes. She wished she hadn't bothered at all when she saw how far she was from her goal. The dirty blanket and moldy straw which served as a bed was still more than an arm's length away. She had been trying to reach the little bit of comfort the cell provided since Milos' gang had dumped her, half naked and barely conscious, on the cold, damp floor. Dayne couldn't suppress her groan of bitter disappointment.

"D'ju say somp'tin?" The voice of her tormentor echoed against the stone walls. "I aks you, you answa!"

Dayne heard the keys jangling in the lock. Again. She tried to steady her breathing to prepare for the bashing Anso was going to give her. Again. Anso was assigned to watch her until an Elosian soldier could be summonsed to guard her. Anso, the dull, younger brother of the Magistrate, took his assignment to include beating Dayne anytime she made a sound or sudden movement or if the mood struck him.

"Half blooded scum," Anso swung his belt and it caught Dayne across the shoulders. "Filty beastie, hurtin' good girls likin' Bec's."

"Didn't," Dayne murmured as the belt put two or three more stripes across her already sore back.

"Liar," Anso spit at her before grinding his boot heel into her right hand. "Confess! Say ya hurt'd Bec's!"

"No, never," Dayne gasped as another finger broke under Anso's weight, "never hurt Becca." Dayne knew enough to keep the rest of her thoughts silent, "I love Becca."

"What goes here!" A voice marked with a thick Elosian accent ended Dayne's punishment for the moment.

Anso turned to the intruder, "Who ya?"

"First lineman, Reuben, of the Elosian Infantry at your service, good sir," there was a hint of humor in the youthful voice. "Would this be my very dangerous prisoner?"

"Yep," Anso stepped out of the cell and handed the keys and his belt to the soldier. "She real baddie. Put a painin' to a good village girl for no reason 'tat 'tall. Look at 'er. She's layin' tere snivlin' like a bitch in heat."

Reuben nodded agreement as he accepted the belt and keys. He noted the woman in the cell was silent in spite of her obvious injuries. He also saw the blood splattered on Anso's shirt.

Reuben nudged Anso with his elbow, "Not to worry. You get along home. I'll see to it the prisoner gets everything she deserves," a small wink followed, "and then some."

Anso laughed until he gagged on a mouthful of phlegm. He spit the wad on the floor before he bounded up the stairs to the Elders' Chambers and his spars room behind the Magistrates podium.

Dayne heard pieces of the conversation and shades of the tones the voices carried. However, the throbbing pain her body was enduring kept her from fully processing exactly what was happening outside the bars of her cell. She knew a soldier had arrived and Anso was very happy to see him. Dayne assumed the soldier was an executioner. Why else would a villager like Anso laugh so hard at a joke told by an Elosian soldier?

Heavy boots stopped inches from her nose. Dayne could smell the leathered skins and wax polish favored by Elosian soldiers. She opened her eyes in time to see the Elosian squat in front of her. He wasn't much older than herself. His dark hair was shaved off on the sides but long on top; the mandatory cut for a line soldier. If he ever got his own command then he would shave his entire body and keep it free of hair.

"Funny," his voice was pleasant as his hand smoothed her blood matted, black hair from her face, "you don't look like a dangerous prisoner. You remind more of my memories of home." He gave a small, sad smile, "I have a sister who could be your twin."

"No, not Elosian," Dayne struggled for air, "half blood."

"Is that a brag or complaint?" The soldier grinned.

"Neither, only truth."

Ah, yes, the truth," he eased Dayne onto her back before lifting her like a child. "I'm sorry to be the one to tell you but 'the truth' depends entirely on who is telling the story."

Dayne remained silent while Reuben carried her to the straw in the corner of the cell. The soldier carefully laid her down and used the grimy, thread bare blanket to cover her.

"If I had brought my pack with me, I'd have given you my own blanket for the night. Unfortunately, I left in such a hurry, I only managed to grab some rations and my sword."

"Your sword. That's all you need," Dayne drew in a painful breath, "for an execution, right?"

"And who's getting executed?" Reuben laughed when Dayne frowned at him. "Trust me, I've come to protect you from the vigilantes. From the damage they've done so far, you could use more than a little protection. I'm sorry I didn't get here sooner."

Dayne worried she was hallucinating. She had been battered and caged by neighbors and old friends. But, the man before her, a dreaded enemy of village, had come to watch over her. It made no sense in her rattled brain. Tears began to make their way down her cheeks.

"Are you in pain?" Reuben sounded sincere.

Dayne nodded. It was easier to agree than to try to explain her confusion.

"Get some sleep. It will help you heal and lessen your aches. I'm going to lock the cell door in case we have uninvited guests. But, don't worry I won't let them hurt you anymore," Reuben gave a reassuring grin before moving to stand up.

"Why?" It was all Dayne could manage.

"It is every Elosian's duty to establish civil societies and maintain order," Reuben explained proudly. "Civilization is the obligation bestowed on us from Waur. It is our birthright."

Dayne studied him as he walked out of the cell. His sleeveless, leather skirted uniform revealed more of his body than it hid. Not one ounce of fat showed anywhere. His rock hard muscles gleamed tight with the slightest movement. But, he was graceful in all of his actions.

Reuben's height and coloring was strikingly similar to Dayne's tall and dark features. While not as muscle bound as the soldier, Dayne was physically strong. She wondered what it was that made them so different. What was it that gave him the birthright to rule the world and condemned her to be ruled by the world?

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