Ashley looking around the room found a big knife hanging on the wall. It attracted her stare, being partially drawn out to display the curves of the slender, wickedly-gleaming blade.<br/><br/>Clearly the owner wasn't afraid to display the wickedly inwards-curved blade, despite it being actually made from good-quality steel. Steel was even on the handle, where a steel cap adorned the pommel, itself of the same horn that was used for the handle!<br/>But clearly he wasn't worried it could be stolen. He didn't even hesitate to leave it in reach of a slave!<br/><br/>And why would he? He was, after all, a wealthy and respected man. Clearly he assumed a slave would prefer being owned by him - it is well-known that the slaves of the wealthy might be sad, but have bread every day. The same cannot always be said for free people.<br/>What is equally well-known is that penalty for attempting to attack an owner would be at least the cutting off of a hand. That is, if the owner doesn't kill the slave in self-defense. Most owners would fight to kill in such occasions, too: revolting slaves are treated like rabid dogs.<br/>"Once proven dangerous, a slave is only good for wolf bait", as a proverb said. Unconditional surrender and obedience were expected!<br/><br/>And even if she killed him, she knew she was going to be chased. The killing of owners threatens the basis of society and natural order, and as such is a crime before the local gods.<br/>So impalement was much more likely... and not the potentially-fun kind.<br/>That was if she got captured alive. Which it was likely she wouldn't be. There wouldn't be anything in it for the hunters.<br/>As a hunter, she knew it, because she'd been offered such a bounty as well. The local judge mentioned the proverb, too.<br/>And his attitude reminded her of the judge who had just sentenced her today. Once proven dangerous, she'd also be "only good for wolf bait".<br/>If any hunter managed to get her back, that would be only to enjoy her punishment.<br/>Looking at the scabbard, which was wide due to hosting a curved implement, she realized that it was still thinner than the stakes used in such cases. Except those were round.<br/>Nobody wanted those sentenced to impalement to have it easy. The point might be lost if they did.<br/><br/>The blade glistened again...tempting her, willing to shade blood for anyone? Or warning her that killing its owner would be her downfall?<br/>It was up to her to decide. If she wanted it, she had to but find something to step on. Which wouldn't be exactly hard, either.<br/>But if she did, there was no way back.