<span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span class="fixed-color" style="color:#bfbfbf">Typhen watched as she presented herself. 'Pleasure' was a novel concept in the wastes, and the idea of a woman bred only to please others was as foreign to him, as she was to this region. <br/>
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<b>"You don't kn-!?" </b>Typhen began, shocked that anyone could be so ignorant of the geography of their origin. Though it made sense, if she was a simple slave, to be owned and used for the purpose stated, knowledge would only damage her value. It was a fact that stunned him a little, but as she collapsed, there was no time to digest it. She was his to care for now, and the past didn't matter at the moment. "Of course, what possible use could educating you have." He sad slighly exasperated. He had enough troubling keeping himself living. But a pleasure slave, one bred for bedding and not for much else? He might as well have inherited a patch of sand in the waste. At least the sand could be kept without food and water.  </span><br/>
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'<i>What will the others of the camp say</i>, <i>Perhaps I should take her to her own people'</i>. No, he swore a vow, and he'd be cursed a hundred times by the god's and Escolan already had his number. He took a satchel of water from the covered wagon, keeping the contents hidden still from her eyes. He returned and handed her the bottle noticing she was growing paler. <br/>
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<b>"Serenity, listen, where we are going will not be easy for you. If you show weakness, it will eat you alive, and spit out your bones. I will keep you, and do what I can, but you must obey me from hereon, is that-?"</b> He turned to see her passed out. The altitude, it was rough on lowlanders, the thin air here made those unfamiliar with it weaker then normal.</span></span><br/><br/><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><b><span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(191, 191, 191)">"Curses."</span></b><span class="fixed-color" style="color:#bfbfbf"> He said as he came to her side, and came near, making sure she had not expired. As he felt the warm breath still be expelled from her lungs, he brought his face close to hers. She had a peasants' features, wide innocent eyes, and lips that were crimson and inviting. Yes, she was not without beauty, plain as she was, he could see the physical features that her former master had valued. Something within him stirred for her, something he could not deny. She was desirable, even in her unconscious state.<br/>
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True there was no fierceness in her form like the women he had known, she was not strong and lithe. But her supple body was not unpleasant either. He brought his hand to her chest, to feel the gentle pounding of her heart, along with the smoothness of her gentle curves. It beat steadily, informing him that her consciousness has had only momentarily entered another state... one his people called the <b>"Unwaking World."</b><br/>
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The dress was a problem, it would draw attention, mark her as different even to spying eyes from  a great distance. If she was to be safe, it would need to go. But one thing at a time.<br/>
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<b>"Sleep girl, we have a long journey ahead."</b><br/>
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The altitude revealed itself, as several flakes of snow began to fall, the alpine nature of the land made snow all to common. Higher up, snow collected on the mountains, and melted year round. Typhen gathered firewood, and returned to the wagon, which he'd hidden under a partially fallen mountain oak tree. The massive tree's limbs framed the light of two moons that shed light upon the small camp. <br/>
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He'd placed the woman in the wagon, and next to her, a ragged set of scant clothing, fur wraps and leathers, which when worn would give her new identity.  He waited, eating a small piece of dried fish, leaned back in his bare chest to the cool mountain air to relax. In these wilds, there were dangers, creatures that stocked man and beast. The fire would keep them at bay. He sat admiring the sword her master had left. </span></span>