A Simple Shadow

"The girls are named Cheyenne, Shappa, Izusa, Kiona, and Peta. I have two others coming shortly. They are Tiponya and Tala. Cheyenne is a Meda. A prophet of her people...a priestess," a voice intoned dryly.

Then another took over. "The boys are named Bavol, Boyce, Chase, Coyone, Dominique, Durril, Elsu...and Durril is the Drakkar of his people...a fortuneteller."

At the end of these lists the men speaking were escorted out. Someone else began to speak softly but firmly. "I have been told Shappa, Izusa, Kiona, and Peta are sisters. Cheyenne and Elsu. Tiponya and Tala. Bavol and Durril, also. The four Frenchmen are all brothers, too, I believe. Your scouts found every one of them living upon the planet unaware of the special blood that runs through their veins, my lord. And the other one...He knows. All of them are special my lord. From the forbidden planet. You will keep that in mind, I hope," he said entreatingly.

"Yes, yes...I know," a tired voice broke into his careful speech. "I have handled many of their kind before. Are the two truly prophets?" There was no audible answer. "Kasey, pay the man and see that he leaves quietly." A soft sound suggested someone rising from the floor. Then, light footsteps preceded the third man's departure. "One little...two little...three little Indians. Four little...five little...six little Indians. Seven little Indian...boys." A gasp of startled surprise accompanied his last word. A shuffle of movement and a strangled cry.

"Elsu," a girl called out afraid.

"Quiet!," the man shouted. "I do not want to hear one word from any of you without permission. Is that clear?" Noone made a noise. "Especially the females," he warned darkly. "Are all of you quite aware that each one of you have just been sold into slavery...to a whoremaster," he added in glee.

"Mim'da," a gentle whisper interrupted.

"Ah, yes...Has my guest gone, Kasey?"

"Yes , mim'da...Now, what?" The light footsteps trailed back to his master's side where he supposedly must remain.

"Do you like anything you see, lover?," the man asked the boy. "I know you want Durril and Cheyenne. You wouldn't was fellow prophets injured without...insurance. Who else? Who would you save, Kasey?"

"Mim'da," the boy whispered with heavy emotions in his voice.

"Shh...touch them...look at them. I value your opinion."

"Mim'da...no, please," the boy begged. "Don't make me do this! Don't make me choose!" The man was moving the boy nearer to the line of females.

"Tell me about them, Kasey. That's my final order," the man warned gently. "I'll decide, but you will tell me about them!"

"Please...please, master!," the boy begged.

"What is so different? You have done this for me a million times. Talk to me, lover. Tell me what is bothering you..."

"These are my people!," the boy hissed fiercely. "Anton is my family! How can you ask me to hurt any one of them?," he asked frantically.

"You have never seen them before in your life."

"It doesn't matter! Anton is their Guardian, mim'da!," the boy whispered.

"And you are my lover, Kasey...my companion and my slave."

"Don't make me choose! I love you, Collin, but please..."

Collin soothed him. The sounds were more sexual than platonic. "Do this for me Kasey...and later, I'll let you plead with me for their lives. I'll let you do your damn best to convince me to let them all live. We will bargain for every little detail...Deal?," he teased. The boy moaned. "Answer me, Kasey." The kid moaned again...with even more force. "Answer!"

"Yes! Yes, mim'da...Please!," the kid screamed.

Anyone close by with a sensitive nose smelled sex the very next moment. They all heard the boy slide limply to the floor. Terror kept the new slaves perfectly frozen in place. The last people to hold them had been cruel taskmasters. Over a dozen others had been with them before. Most had been sent to abusive, crude men and told they would not last the week. Tiponya and Tala had been held back after a severe beating. The two sisters were outspoken. Obviously this slaver, Collin, had requested they be sent regardless of attitude or condition. Kasey crawled to the closest girl panting and smelling strongly of sweat. She made a tiny noise as he drew near sounding disgusted.

He touched Shappa's cheek. She jumped but then held still. She could feel him shaking. "Red Thunder," he whispered so softly his master couldn't have possibly have heard. "Strong fire potential...possible Elementist. Strong personality. Hot nature. Passionate. She should do you proud, Collin," he stated bitterly.

"Next." The man followed alongside him as he moved growing more graceful as time passed.

He touched Kiona's face. "Brown hills," he whispered. "Less abilities than her sister. Strong potential for Earth magic. She is the strong one on nurturing. The care giver. She is empathic. An ability useful to you, mim'da. She can tell you what your clients want...what they need."

"Next." The boy moved on.

Izusa was beneath his gentle fingers. "White stone." She moved to touch his hands against her face. She trailed them up his arms to feel the boy's own face. He allowed it. What she didn't expect was to feel tears on his face. "Strong patience, strong personality. Loyal without question. She is the rock that holds her sisters true. Ice magic...Snow maiden."

"Next." She felt her hands removed by strong, hot hands firmly.

Peta...Kasey flinched. "Golden eagle," he said shuddering. "She is mine, mim'da! I want her!" The boy stated it cold and clearly.

"Are you certain? What if you find another you like better? A man...Don't condemn the rest just yet. Wait..." Without comment, Kasey left her and moved on. He had to cross to the long line of gentlemen. Bavol flinched.

"Please, don't let him hurt us," the guy asked softly. Bavol lifted his hands to Kasey's. "You are like my brother. Please," the boy begged gently. "If you can do anything, please...Do it!" He felt Kasey nod as he laid his cheek against one set of hands. "Thank you," Bavol whispered turning to kiss his cheek.. Kasey stared at the boy in longing.

"Gypsy...like his name...He is as changeable as the Wind," he whispered fascinated. "Highly adaptable, highly accepting. Intelligence, cleverness, and imagination are his best traits. Win his loyalty, win his heart, and he will use these skills to get you whatever you ask." Hot hands extracted the boy once more, more gently this time around. Bavol tensed. Until he felt those hands along his own brow smoothing his wayward curls back from his nose and mouth. He sighed smiling.

"Elsu...Swooping, soaring falcon...Mim'da?"

"Yes, I see. How do you think we should send them back?" His words caused a stir among the prisoners. "Silence!," he hissed. "Chain them both and take them to a safe holding cell."

"Which two, my lord?," an older voice asked firmly.

"Cheyenne and Elsu. Make certain they are unharmed! They share the Sieve Gadoma's blood! Harm to them will see us all dead! Get them out of here," he snarled. All that was left was the Frenchmen.

"Boyce...his name means forest. He is an earth. He will persevere regardless of what you do. Weak magic, but he is one of us. He will not die easily."

"Chase...his name means hunter. He is a warrior. He will fight to the death unless you win his respect. Break his spirit and he will die. Fire. Weak potential for magic."

"Coyone...his name means modest. He is terrified. Like a frightened, trapped rabbit! One cornered by a wolf. Only a gentle hand and patience will not break him. He will smother here. He will die if you use him! Send him to Zekar."

"Dominique...Obviously, the eldest of the four brothers. He is the strongest, magical talent in the group. Water and Wind. He is a storm...Loura Clan. You do not want to abuse him. Jenna would never forgive you."

"She won't forgive me now. Have you decided? Peta," he asked with a trace of disapproval. "Or Bavol? You liked him. I saw it in your face. You want him."

"I do, master...but, I choose Peta!"

"Damn you!," he snarled overturning something with a loud crash. Several people could be heard moving in fear. "Why her?" The boy made a swift movement. It was uncertain what he had done. "Fine, then...But you shall have them both! You will regret her, I think." Another shuffle of sound and at least three people were led away. "Now....Take our four Frenchmen and these three, lovely ladies down to be cleaned and held for my final decision. If the two other females arrive, do the same with them. Once they are presentable, bring the two Gypsy boys back."

"Yes, my lord." Everyone was taken from the room.

"What about this filthy creature, my lord?," someone asked shoving roughly. The mangled fellow never made a sound or a move to stop himself from falling over weakly.

"I had forgotten about it...Bring it to my bathing room, stripped. Bring bandages! Kasey will see to it. I'm tired." He waved everyone away. Hands roughly drug him along the cold, slick floor to another room. It let out a slightly feline cry of pain and suffering. They dropped him. The creature stopped struggling. Soft footsteps found him before gentle hands caressed his fur. A damp cloth began to work at cleaning his fur and the multiple wounds weakening him. Reaching out instinctively, it tried to befriend the boy. Yet its magic was blocked by a strong barrier. Even touching didn't increase his ability enough to see what the boy was thinking. He moved annoyed.

"That is a waste of time," the boy mumbled. "I am not weak by any stretch of the imagination. If you wish to say something, say it. Otherwise, don't attempt to read me," Kasey warned. The animal lay still for a long time.

Then, he smelled soap and metal. A clanging noise accompanied the two boys' return. Durril screamed for him, but he didn't move. He didn't have the energy to do more than stare sightlessly ahead. "Shadow...Is that what they call you?," Kasey asked amused. Durril was being calmed by his brother, as the two were chained to the wall. He imagined it was in the old-fashioned style. Hands raised high overhead with a center loop holding the chains. Were they naked, he wondered, or been allowed a scrap of cloth to preserve the last of their dignity? Facing the room, or the cold, stone wall? He realized faintly that he was too tired to care. His breathing was beginning to sound labored even to his own ears. The chains made a sharp sound as someone shifted positions swiftly. Bavol made a few soft sounds. Half in protest, and half in pleasure.

"How can he look so innocent and so eager?," Collin sighed. "You've had male lovers in the past..." Bavol must have nodded. "You like men," Collin purred pleased with him.

"I like sex," Bavol offered softly.

"Lucky you...," his new owner said laughing. Shadow's world faded hearing sounds of Bavol and the man. He felt the boy's hands in his fur. Somewhere, the cloth had disappeared and he was just petting him. He sighed as he slept.

Shadow woke slowly. Everything was silence. He smelled sex where he smelled the boys. He couldn't tell if he had taken Durril, too. He smelled sex where the bed was located, but not the man. Slowly, he raised to his feet unsteadily. His eyes were still useless. A low growl of irritation sounded from his throat without being aware he was going to do it.

"Shadow," he heard Durril whisper calling him gently.

He stumbled dragging himself to the boy's feet. Bavol was unconscience. He licked the boy's ankle and felt Durril twitch in surprise. "Are you alright, Shadow? Gods, I thought you were dead! You slid away so slowly. You didn't see what he did to Bavol. What are we going to do?" The cat purred at his feet too tired to attempt a connection. His body was healing but the damage had been severe. "He chained the boy to the bed. There's no chain, but he wants to move and cannot. I don't know what is stopping him." The cat swivelled his head around toward the open door where the bedroom lay. He stilled to listen. The boy was moving, but not leaving the bed. "He wants something." The cat rolled painfully as he turned and stumbled to the edge of the doorway. He was in so much pain he didn't notice the wrenching against his aura as he fell into the room. He cried out as he hit the ground. Then, he lay there trying to catch his breath, shivering.

"Shadow," Durril called concerned.

The cat moved sluggishly. He made it to the edge of the bed and felt the boy's hands pulling at his fur. The second his feet cleared the floor, he let himself fade away. The boy finished pulling him up and snuggled down into his snow white fur. He knew the boy liked his tiny, little circles of black. He was a snow leopard. Children always begged to touch the snow leopard's fur.

He woke feeling gentle fingers in his fur. It took him a minute to realize what the two were discussing. "He's blind, mim'da. They hurt him really bad!"

"I've noticed, Kasey. He doesn't stay awake for long. He is still healing and weak. Give it time." From the voices, it sounded like Collin was curled into Kasey. Who in turn was curved around the cat enjoying the feel of his long, soft fur. "Durril must be a very, close friend. He cannot stand to think of his friend being in pain like this."

"Let us hope it is that alone, mim'da. Durril is a prophet!"

"Look...and tell me what you see, Kasey." The boy's hands tensed involuntarily. "It is perfectly simple to do. Just try it."

"I do not want to...," the kid whispered.

"Come on, Kasey. You have to try sometime," he urged.

"No," he whispered. They started kissing. Shadow moved. He did not want to be on the bed if they started making out. Kasey broke it when he slid out of the room. "Collin, you have to do something! Look at him!" The cat yelled when he glanced off of the doorjamb painfully.

"Stay here," Collin ordered.

Kasey made a small sound. "Where am I going to go?," he asked in derisive sarcasm. Collin responded by laughing softly.

"Sorry, I forgot." He moved doing something that he couldn't see. "There. Now, sit tight. I'll see what I can do." He heard Collin move towards him, so he stopped to wait. It was pointless to try to outrun him. Shadow tensed when Collin picked him up. He carried him easily.