Chapter 5: New Names, New Blood 

    “Hold out your right hands,” Karis commanded, taking a knife from a sheath on her side.   

    It had a red blade and a dark green jewel in its pommel, the handle wrapped in gold wire. 

   The edge of the red blade flashed in the sun as with one smooth, deft motion she sliced both their palms. 

    Dipping the pad of her thumb in the girl’s blood, she drew a rune on the girl’s forehead.

    “For one so young, your heart grows hard from misuse. I see the subtle acts of defiance, even on the day I had you serve me only, and that is why I noticed you. It is from there, to suit your temper, that I name you Gale, from this day forward.”

    Gale gasped as the rune flashed hot and vanished into her. 

    Karis placed a steadying hand on her shoulder and waited until the sensation passed. 

    Leaving Gale to ponder what happened, she turned her attention to the boy, dipping her right thumb and drawing a different rune altogether.

    “Your spirit is the quieter for not taking proper revenge for your parents,” she told him, “but will, with the proper training, be that of a warrior. I was honest when I said you could be of service because of your size, but the training of a squire should fill you out nicely.

     “I name you Zephyr, from this day forward.” 

     Then she cut her own hand, and dripped her blood into each of theirs. 

     “From this day, you are the blood of my choosing, and no one else may cause you harm.”     

     From the shadows a Docile came with a tray of bindings and a dark vial with a cork in it. 

     “Join your hands, and keep them so until I tell you to let go.”

     “Mistress?” Gale said. 

     “Join them.”  

     Zephyr and Gale joined their bleeding hands, and after a few, Karis told them to let go.

     When they did, the Docile opened the vial and scooped their mingled blood inside across their wounds, which then shrank in size, but didn’t disappear.

     Another Docile wrapped their hands in the bandages, protecting whatever was left open from the knife.

      “Your wounds will be gone by morning. The Docile will take you to my private rooms while I tell the guards to prepare for Zephyr.”

    “Mistress…?” 

    “You may speak, Gale.”

    “I can deliver the message if you’d like.”

    Karis smiled. “You will find that over time, Gale, there are some things that are best handled directly.” 

    She gave a nod to the Docile, who beckoned them to follow, and they left the hall.

Chapter 6: A Bond of  Wills

 Karis had them eat dinner together, and a small table was brought out and set on the balcony.

From there they could see the gardens below, made more beautiful by the colors of sunset.

Zephyr broke the silence. 

“Do you remember me?”

“Yes. And I’m sorry I lunged at you. For scaring you.”

“Then why?”

“I don’t know…I thought I’d show them I wasn’t scared, and they were already laughing at you after what Karis called you, so…”

“You’re sorry.”

She nodded.

“We were captured by slavers, Gale. They punched you in the face. You weren’t scared?”

“Of course I was. I thought maybe if I showed them I wasn’t, I’d think I wasn’t too.”

She left the table, walked away, but stopped to admire the view.

 In the silence, she looked down at the garden, and it struck him in that moment, with the fading sun in her hair and on her cheeks, how pretty she looked.

She became aware of him staring and blushed, which made her prettier. 

He put his cup down, stood next to her, and in a moment that surprised them both he took her hand, giving it a light squeeze.

Not pulling away, she blushed, which made her prettier, but didn’t look at him.

“Gale?” 

She sighed and finally turned to face him, but didn’t say anything.

“It’s all right if you’re afraid.”

Her face softened as a small smile emerged. “I…I’m not as afraid as I was before.” 

“Me neither.” He gave her hand a small squeeze.

The Dociles came out to clean up, and Karis sent the two of them off to their rooms, reminding Zephyr he had an early day. 

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 Karis had been pleased to see them talking and getting along. She couldn’t hear their conversation, but she could see it ended in a moment of bonding.

Her initial thought to have them broken was fading. She had no eyes and ears in the place, and Slave Mistresses were more to be feared than loved.

The problem was that fear made enemies, and fear sometimes turned to anger. If the heat of that burned bright enough, it could lead to plans of action to take her life.

She decided to cultivate their budding friendship, and groom them to her use.