The stranger was a sturdily-built man, with short black hair and pale skin. A long thin nose was ended by an area of recently shaved black stubble that circled his lips and coated his chin. His dark eyes were narrow and tilted slightly upwards, giving him a slight Oriental appearance. He was dressed in finely woven gray robes of different shades so the only bit of colour seemed to come from his ashen lips.
As he examined Taith?s slaves closely, many of the women flirted silently with him, hoping to win him over with seduction. He was quite a handsome man and did not seem to handle his own slaves too harshly. In the eyes of the slaves, he was a more favorable master than Taith so they made every effort to make themselves look buyable. Even the men kneeled willingly before him in submission.
The dark stranger made his way down to Laevir, who was standing apart from the rest. He stopped and gazed at her. She did not cower or fawn like the others. Instead she glared venomously back at him as she stood tall.
\"That one is more trouble than she?s worth, Sir Caven,\" Taith hissed from behind the stranger. \"She will not be bedded, nor does she fear punishment. All she\'s good for is whipping and beating.\"
Caven turned about sharply and narrowed his eyes on Taith, who instantly shrunk in fear. \"I think I can decided that for myself, Taith,\" his deep voice stated menacingly.
He then turned back to Laevir and began to assess her. He ran his fingers through her tangled brown hair. He gently touched the massive purple bruise underneath her left eye (that had been given to her yesterday for not getting out of Taith\'s rampaging path), causing her to flinch slightly. He fingered her misshaped nose that did not healed properly the last time it had been broken. He took her hands in his and felt the rough calluses on them from having to do work usually reserved for male slaves (until recently, Taith had had no male slaves so he thought it a proper punishment for Laevir to do their jobs). He pulled back her sleeves and saw the whip scars on her partially tanned arms.
\"What is your name?\" Caven questioned softly.
\"Laevir,\" she answered without emotion.
\"And what can you do?\"
\"Sew,\" the Troublemaker responded shortly.
The stranger raised his eyebrows at her. \"Is that all?\"
When Laevir did not answer, Caven asked Taith without taking his eyes of the female slave, \"What else can she do?\"
\"Well, she also cooks, bakes, cleans, tends gardens, works in the fields, carries heavy loads?she\'s worked with blacksmiths, carpenters, and masons?\"
\"So she\'s done the jobs of men?\"
\"Yes, but?,\"
\"If I want your opinion, Taith, I\'ll ask for it,\" Caven barked sharply. With that, the smaller man promptly shut his mouth.
The other slaves were beginning to worry about Caven\'s intense interest in Laevir and some of them shifted nervously.
\"Leave us be,\" Caven said quietly but firmly.
Caven\'s slaves, who had been lounging near the doorway, disappered in an instant. Taith and the other slaves blinked back their surprise and a few exchanged glances. Noticing their hesitation, the higher master fixed his gaze on them unpleasantly. The room emptied promptly.
\"Do you know who I am, Laevir?\" Caven questioned.
The female slave only glared at him. Caven raised a curious eyebrow at her.
\"Now I am thinking that a better question would be, \'Can you speak for yourself, or does Taith have you wrapped so tightly around his finger that you cannot speak without his presence?\'\"
It was a challenge. Laevir studied Caven for a moment, sizing him up. If he got her to speak beyond monosyllables, would he test her further, see what else he could get out of her? Would he pretend to befriend her and then force her to bow before him? Instead of using force against her, he had started a battle of wits and determination. Despite having every reason not to answer, this stranger invoked curiosity in her, tempted her to respond. Sometimes, to win the war, you must forfeit a battle.
\"No man holds my tongue,\" she hissed in reply. She returned his challenge with one of her own, daring him to try and be master over her.
Both eyebrows met to form a high arc on Caven\'s forehead. \"So you are as strong-willed as Taith says,\" he stated in an even voice. In long, purposeful strides, he began walking around Laevir, looking her up and down as he stepped. \"There are a few masters who would lavish to break such a spirit.\"
The Troublemaker hunched her shoulders like a threatened feline. She didn\'t like where this was going.
\"Do you think that I\'m that kind of man?\" He fixed himself back in front of her and stared into her eyes, coaxing an answer from her.
Laevir searched his gaze, trying to decipher his true character. But it was lost in the lightless depths of his eyes. Damn it! Why can?t you be easy to read like Taith? And why do you have to be so sharp-witted and mysterious?
\"Aren\'t all men like that?\" she answered blandly.
Caven chuckled softly. \"I see that your master has not improved your view of the opposite sex. I guess that I should not be surprised.\" He leaned in closer, as if to obtain some privacy amongst a large crowd. \"But tell me Laevir, have you always been so cold?\"
\"Since the winters have brought snow.\" She had lied. Somewhere in distant memory was a little girl who used to value life, who did not wake in the morn\' merely to survive another day.
He called her bluff. \"I do not believe that,\" he whispered.
\"Then you are a fool,\" she scowled. With that, she turned on her heel and walked out the door. To her surprise, he made no objections to her leaving.
