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xiii. Clarissa felt ill. How long had it she been here? Days? Weeks? She didn't know. She could not remember the early days well, but she vaguely remembered a disorientating overland trip and she had come to her new home. A prison it was and now it was her home. She knew it was a fishing village on the bay, but she did not know the name. She had lost weight, her clothing was gone and her hair untamed. She wore what she was given and she slept in the same room as men and women of all ages. There seemed to be no children here, and she didn't see any of the mercenary group that she was with before being captured. Sometimes she cried every hour, but she learned not to do it when any of the orc guards were watching, for she would take a beating. She didn't see any of the party, but she did recognise her captors. She had seen that halfling, and had learned his name, he was Kent. The elf was called Markessa, and Clarissa saw her from time to time as well. And then there was Kerin... had she not seen him in action, she would have thought him a fop, much like those fops from Veluna who swan around Greyhawk like they own the place. He even seemed to have his retinue of pretty women hanger on-ers. All of whom were caressing his chest and arms like he was some hero. Clarissa felt ill just thinking about it. He never came close, leaving her instead to the orc guards. Clarissa was put to all sorts of different tasks: manual labour (mainly rebuilding the village which had been ruined), washing clothes, cleaning of fish (like she hadn't tried to get away from all that by fleeing Greyhawk!) All while waiting to be "sent on holiday" as they put it. The tasks changed when she was told that they changed. She had nothing left to look forward to, nothing except the hope that she could kill both Kerin and Nev Ironbar, and in no particular order. At least she saw Kerin every now and then. Nev Ironbar was long gone, of course. So, he really was a Slavelord, and Gleeson was correct all along. How many Slavelords were there? Was Ironbar their leader? Did he have another name? Not including those fighters and the hierarchy he brought with him, she imagined that he had led more than nine fit and healthy adults into the clutches of the Slave Lords. If he wasn't the leader, he would have to be looking at a rapid promotion. Where were Gleeson and the others? She remembered Kerin calling for them to be subdued. That meant 'Not Kill', didn't it? Healthy slaves were better than wounded ones. She noted that anyone that was sick or injured had a habit of disappearing and not coming back. She struggled to cover up the cuts and bruises that she suffered while working. Clarissa was also afraid of what she was becoming. She no longer smiled, she no longer cared what she looked like... it just wasn't important. She came to hate herself and the position that she had gotten herself into, and for trusting that accursed wretch Ironbar. She thought of the chances she could have taken to escape from the mercenary party and just wanted to scratch herself just thinking about them. She found herself missing each and every one of the party (even Dennis, Cylene, and especially poor Tafcho.) Could she pay to have Tafcho brought back from the dead? If she ever escaped from here, she promised herself she would try to find out. She would get the money from somewhere. And so the days blurred. She got up, worked, went to bed, got up again. She didn't even bother trying to find pleasure in anything. She would have once probably thought the sun rising and setting over the bay would have been magnificent. Now it only marked the start and end of a days work, with only the next one to look forward to. This went on day after day... until one day, the monotony was broken. xiv. Clarissa looked up from the street sweeping. It was a difficult enough task without having to worry about the fools that you were chained to. Every day the chain gang was rotated, and SHE always seemed to be the one chained to the old person, the one who looked ready to fall over dead. It was unfortunate for you if that happened, because they wouldn't remove that person until the end of the day. Clarissa hated this duty most of all. Today she looked up and saw an armed patrol coming toward her. In the middle of the patrol was Kerin, Kent and Markessa. What was more, they were accompanied by that smooth talking blue giant that put her to sleep. She had not seen anything like this in the town. It must mean trouble. "FREE THAT SLAVE AT ONCE!" It was Kerin, and he was pointing to her! Clarissa was speechless. A frightened orc hurried over with a set of keys. It was so nervous that it was shaking and was having trouble getting the key into her lock. Kerin looked agitated, and produced a long knife from his sleeve. "Not quick enough, DAMN YOU!" He launched at the hapless orc and stabbed it repeatedly to death, ignoring the frantic squeals. At one point Clarissa would have been distraught by this sight, now she was simply disgusted, her hatred of Kerin festering and growing. She saw that Markessa and the blue giant looked pretty disgusted as well. Markessa wandered over and tried to calm him down. She looked about massage his shoulders and thought better of it when she saw the orc blood covering him. "Kerin, my love!" "WHAT? MUST I CUT YOU TOO?" Markessa slapped him in the face. Kerin looked shocked. "If you are in a rush to release a slave, and an orc guard is the only one with the key..." "YES? YES?" "...How are you going to get the slave out if you ARE KILLING THE ONE HOLDING THE KEY, YOU FOOL!" Kerin was silent. How Clarissa hated this man! She almost said aloud that it would be just as quick to cut her feet off at the ankles. It would break the tedium, allow her to feel something and presumably end the misery. Kent the halfling saved her the trouble, for he had already freed her. "Can we move on please..." "Yes of course," replied Markessa. With a hand on her hip, she held her other hand in the air and clicked her fingers. The blue giant came over. "Yes, milady?" "Take her... and be warned! Any damage to the product will be visited tenfold upon you! You wouldn't like to be in permanent servitude in my workshop, would you?" The giant paled, which to Clarissa was quite an impressive sight. What went on in the workshop, she found herself wondering. The Giant came over and spoke to her. Clarissa thought that, of all the slaves, lords and monsters in the town, this creature was the most pleasant of the lot. "Hello again child," it said, "I just wanted you to know that there are no hard feelings. You know... about the hand. I hope you harbour no thoughts of malice toward me. It was just business." Clarissa said nothing as the monster led her away. xv. Clarissa was in a room at a table. She had just enjoyed the best meal of her life. Better than the time that her father had taken her to the Gold Dragon Inn (and had got a table !) and she didn't have to wait for hours for it. Clarissa was suspicious. They wanted something from her and the only thing she wanted to give them was a heavy mound of Ixslav, or a slow death, whichever was the easiest to provide. The door opened and Kerin came in, alone. He sat down in a chair opposite and smiled at her, "did you enjoy the meal, child?" Clarissa was silent. She would not answer this monster. She looked at him and again thought that he was quite a looker, but she knew better. This was an evil and insane monster. Minutes passed. They stared at each other. Clarissa felt fidgety. She would stare this man down, she would win the battle. She would prove herself better than him. He had not long slain an orc in a frenzy. There was no way he could stay calm. "Tell me what you know about Nev Ironbar," said Kerin, and with perfect calm. Clarissa lost her control. "Don't speak that name..." Kerin reached across and slapped her wickedly in the face before sitting down again. He did this all before she had a chance to gasp in surprise. "I consider you quite intelligent for a slave. That is the only courtesy you can expect from me. You do not have to right to do anything other than to immediately address my questions and needs. Do you understand?" Clarissa was silent. Kerin beat her again as before, but still she remained silent. "You cannot maintain this silence forever now, my child." He looked bored. "I ask a simple question. The answer is very important... It could win you your freedom." Clarissa was silent. "You could also choose to free anyone of your choice." Clarissa remained silent. Kerin stared at her. "This offer is not open for you to take your time considering. Answer NOW!" Clarissa spoke. "What could I tell you about that turncoat that you could not already know? Why don't you just let him into the room now, so he can direct your actions with less inconvenience to himself?" Kerin's eyes were alive with madness. He raised his hand as if to strike her. Clarissa had no doubt he could kill her without effort. Instead, Kerin laughed softly and wagged his finger at her. "Very well, the door shall be opened." And indeed the door did open, but it wasn't Nev Ironbar who entered the room... xvi. A beaten young man was brought into the room and was sat in a chair leaning against the wall. His face was bruised and swollen, but Clarissa could still recognise it. It was Mahaern, and he was unconscious. He needed the help of two people to hold him upright. Kerin cleared his throat. He looked at Clarissa and the look on her face was obviously what he had hoped for, though she tried hard to hide it. "I believe that you have become quite fond of this young man. Indeed, he is very fond of you. You see this beating he has taken? He took it for you! He took it so that you wouldn't have to suffer." Kerin got up and put his hand on her shoulder. She couldn't see him but she knew he was circling her. "You know that that will not save you from an even worse fate. I know you know that." Clarissa was trembling... She was trying hard not to, but she was trembling. "You need not be afraid. I can have him brought back to full fitness, better than he was before even?" Clarissa didn't like the thought of that... at all. "I can release you and all of your colleagues... those who survived anyway." Clarissa felt her meal rising. Maybe if she aimed it right, he would choke on the vomit and die. It was madness, but she enjoyed the hope. "Just tell me, and tell me now. Who... is... Nev Ironbar?" Clarissa could see Kerin now. He was looking hopefully at her. If she didn't know him, she would have thought he was offering a look of complete sincerity and friendliness. His hands were open and wide. Clarissa thought. "Why am I being asked about Nev Ironbar? Why is it so important to them? Has he left the Slavers and sold them out?" She thought she would risk Kerin's wrath. "Please sir, may I ask a question?" "You may... this once and this once only." "If I answered your question, would you bring Tafcho back from the dead?" Kerin looked uncomfortable with this, very uncomfortable. Clarissa smiled inwardly. If this was the best she could do, this was a fine day indeed. "Yes, yes I could. Difficult, but yes, I could arrange it... after you answer my question." "Promise me that you will sir, and then I will answer your question." "Yes, very well my child, I promise I will have your Tafcho brought back from the dead... What a mean spirited creature you are! Over here you have a fine young man who was willing to die for you because he holds you in such high esteem, and you fancy the affections of another!" Clarissa regarded Mahaern with some kindness, and felt genuinely sorry for him. "Yes indeed. You are sure you will do this for me if I answer my question?" "I have already given you my word, and my word is sacred. Why is this so important to you? Answer my DAMN QUESTION!" "It is so important to me because I have just heard you speak the name of one of the noblest souls I have ever known. A person who you wouldn't even acknowledge as a human being. You called him Ixslav, HIS name was Tafcho!" Kerin was white (or whiter than before, anyway !) He stared at Clarissa, his jaw dropped. "A promise is a promise now. I will answer your question, and then you will bring my friend Tafcho back from the dead. Now, Nev Ironbar..." Clarissa wasn't given the chance to answer, Kerin had lashed out with frightening speed and Clarissa and the chair she was sitting in went flying backward. She was about to exclaim out loud when her head hit the wall and she fell unconscious. xvii. Clarissa awoke and noticed that it was getting dark. She was alone in the room and Kerin, Mahaern and the Slavelord agents holding him upright were gone. She was nauseous and she could hear loud noises at the window. There was no one around. She stood up and felt dizzy, but no one was there to challenge her. She looked out the window and saw people running everywhere below. She saw many men and women in uniform rounding up orcs and other humanoids. Most of the orcs were running rather than fighting. A rescue, she thought. Some rescue. Now that she was free, she could track down and kill Kerin, and maybe choke Nev Ironbar with that eyepatch of his... The door opened behind her... Clarissa turned and saw Nev Ironbar standing in the doorway... And he said "I think it is time we got you back home to Greyhawk... Clarissa!" To be continued: Revelations (and Clarissa goes back to Greyhawk! But the tale is not yet fully told...)