Old Marta looked her over with approval.  "You'll do quite well."  She was satisfied with her own handiwork.  Coming over she tipped the girl's chin upwards.  "Play your cards right and you could land in a comfortable position.  Your comely enough."<br/><br/>Marta signalled the soldier outside the tent that her charge was ready and he entered to lead her away.  He glanced down at the lack of shackles and backed up for a moment.  "Put those shackles back on the bitch.  She's a viper."  Marta sighed and did as he asked.<br/><br/>-----------------------<br/><br/>TIberius waited in his tent for his new slave to be brought to him.  It was his right, as commander, to claim a slave or two as his own.  This one was not to promising and he did not look forward to the process of trying to break her.  Still, there seemed little other choice.<br/><br/>He sat on a folding cloth chair, at his desk, writing home to his children.  They were almost grown now, but he still wrote to them every week.  He had a grand child he had never even seen, from his oldest daughter.