Waking up, I instantly felt every bruise and cut on my body. My legs were the only part of me that seemed to feel normal. I laid on the ground shivering. It wasn't the coldness of night that made me shiver, it wasn't the pain, it was the anger and frustration. I was weak, I was hurt, and the bruises uglied my face and body. This was a feeling I was used to, but one that I had hoped I would never feel again.
With magic I will become strong, I will heal, and these ugly bruises will fade; I thought to myself. I won't stay disfigured in this life; though it seems my looks have already gotten me in trouble. I cringed at the thought of the memories from my past life: of what happened to pretty girls who were weak. I will never be them. I inwardly told myself.
I did my best and stood up. I could feel just how bruised my face was, as one of my eyes had swollen shut. My arms had bruises all over them, from me trying and failing to protect my body. I could tell I had a few broken ribs. I knew I looked a wreck, and if the pain wasn't an indicator; the sharp metallic taste in my mouth was. My lip had split, and was dripping the crimson liquid into my mouth and on my face.
I limped over to the wooden table I called my bed, wincing with every uneven step. How was I going to deal with this pain. Even on the streets I could find water to wash any blood off myself, and would be able to rest somewhere. That's how I managed to survive with my burns, my rest wasn't comfortable, but it was still rest. I knew that I wouldn't get anything close to recovery time. I would be expected to work in the morning, as if I hadn't just been beaten within an inch of my life.
I looked down and sighed. I would need to work all day, with no food, no water, and no recovery time. Just thinking about it made me thirsty. If only I was was as lucky as the animals were, to have a magical water dish, I thought to myself, wallowing only for a moment until... That's it! I couldnt go out and drink, not if there was a chance someone could see me; but what if I made water in my shed...by myself? I could trace a symbol somewhere and get water. I knew the symbol for water, as long as there wasn't some kind of special chant or something; I could do it. I scanned the dark room with my eyes, my only light being the moon shining through the gaps in the roof. Then I saw it. Near the wall I could see the outline of a bent nail. I stood up again to fetch it, my whole body told me to give up, but I knew I needed this. This small hope that I wasn't powerless, and that I could help myself. My body screamed as I bent down to pick up the small rusted piece of metal. I felt a few stray tears run down my cheeks. Each tear falling entirely because of the pain; I wouldn't allow myself to cry out of self pity, never again. Now was the time to prove I had power.
I took the nail and quickly etched the familiar Water symbol into the dirt floor. I then traced it with my finger, I held my breath in anticipation. Then it started. Water started to bubble up from the ground where I had etched and traced the symbol. The tears down my cheeks continued, but there was joy in them now.
However in minutes my joy went to panic. The water wasn't stopping...why wasn't it stopping? I watched as the water quickly began spreading across the floor, soon my bed had a steady flow underneath. I don't know what would happen to me if the master or madam found out I had made my own water. Hell, I am supposed to be illiterate, what if they got suspicious of me? I had no idea what to do, the only thing that came to mind was erase the evidence maybe if I destroyed the symbol, everyone would think it was just some freak flood. Afterall I didn't know when the water would stop, or if it stopped at all. Quickly with my finger nails I scratched the newly drawn symbol out of existence, and immediately the flow of water stopped. I let out a breath I didn't know I had been holding.
The water stayed, but it was no longer bubbling up where the symbol had been. Why did it go nuts? It didn't ever overflow past the fill line in the water barrels. It always stopped as soon as it hit the line... THE LINE! This didn't have a line to tell it when to stop. Would a regular line stop it. Before I tested my line theory I had to dry up all of this water, I was sure some of it had seeped outside my shed, and I needed to get rid of the evidence. I etched another familiar symbol into the dirt Clear Water. Soon, starting from my symbol every ounce of standing water was gone, along with all of the excess water that made the ground muddy. I scratched the symbol away, as I had done the last, and my drying soil seemed to still, you could feel it settle, as there was no more water being taken from it. I could only hope that it was the same outside of the shed.
I picked up my bent nail, and tried Water once again, this time etching a circle around it. The fill line on the barrel looked like any normal fill line, so I was hoping that this plain circle would work. If it failed, I now knew how to quickly stop the water, so what harm could it do?
I traced Water with my finger, and to my surprise, my circle worked. The newly summoned water stopped at my border.
"Yes!" I shouted, momentarily forgetting I needed to be quiet. I covered up my mouth, then winced, as I had forgotten about my split lip, and bruised arms. I once again erased the symbol, but instead of making a symbol to dry it; I took off my dress and wetted it.
With the rough damp fabric I gently dabbed the blood off of my face. The water was dirty, but dirty water felt better on my face than dried blood. With the remaining water I soaked my entire dress, a wet dress was going to be the closest thing to an ice pack that I could put on my bruises. I put on the soggy garment, and instantly felt relief. However slight the relief was, it was better than nothing. I got up on my feet again. My body once again reminding me that I should be resting, and not playing in the dirt like some toddler. This time I listened to my body. I hobbled over to my bed and quickly, despite the pain, fell asleep.
"Hey Asha wake up." I could hear Penny's voice whispering through my door.
I sat up, my face contorted into one of pain, but I had to endure. I gently walked to the door, and joined Penny outside.
Penny's eyes went wide when she noticed my: split lip, bruised arms, and my eye that now looked worse than it had after the cow kick.
"Asha I am so so sor.." Penny started, but I didn't let her finish.
"I brought this upon myself Penny, don't apologize." I told her. Honestly I wanted to blame everyone and everything: the world, the people, my weak body; but I knew that I couldn't retaliate on the people who were actually guilty. They were in charge, and owned my life.
"Besides, I will feel a little better everytime I see young master's black eye. The first and only thing I have ever given him." I smirked, if only with my eyes, saying this.
"Well actually you have given him a lot... but let's keep those memories forgotten. He is dead to us now. Well like a ghost I guess, because we can't actually hurt him, or talk to him." She responded. I didn't know whether she was trying to console me or taunt me, but I decided to believe the latter.
"Let's get going." I told her, then began my sad limp towards the barn. My legs weren't injured, but moving them the wrong way jostled all of the injuries on my abdomen.
Penny looked at me, her eyes full of guilt. I had told her that this wasn't her fault, but I could tell she still blamed herself.
We finally got to the barn, the walk took about twice as long as normal, but Penny didn't fault me for it. We got to the chickens and I began doing my thing. I was sore from the beating, tired from going to sleep so late, and hungry from my lack of breakfast or dinner. It was a miserable start to a day. Penny was doing her best to be supportive, but the animals didn't seem to care, and poor Penny had to talk to them, despite me being in earshot. I didn't mind, I had spent most of my life hearing those whispers. There was a big difference now though. I knew this time around, I wouldn't look like this forever.
"No, she is just hurt." I heard Penny whispering to one chicken. "No the master is not going to cook her." She paused and listened to more clucking, "because humans don't eat other humans...Yes even when they're hurt... Because we still do work when we are hurt, you guys stop laying eggs. Yes that's why Helen dissapeared after that fox chewed her up."
I smiled a bit at the absurdity of her conversation. I suppose in the eyes of a prey animal that makes sense. Only the strong survive. I might be weak right now, but I refuse to stay that way. I traced Chicken Feed, and that quickly stopped all of the clucking that was taking up Penny's time. She started gathering the eggs, but I decided it was best not to wait up for her.
My whole day was going to take longer with my current state, I couldn't waste any time.
Despite knowing that milking the cows should have come next; I went to Duchess's stall. I didn't want to be late to tend to her three days in a row, that didn't seem fair. Especially knowing that all of these animals were sentient. I did my job with her, cleaning the stall and feeding her, then I left for the cows.
By the time I managed to get to the cows, Penny was there, and bauling her eyes out.
"Penny what's wrong?!" I yelled from where I was.
"You're here!" She yelled as she ran to me. She opened her arms for a hug, but backed away after remembering I was hurt. "I thought you ran off because of me." Both snot and tears ran down her face as she spoke.
"Why would I do that?" I asked genuinly curious.
"Because you got in trouble because of me, then the chickens had me talk about you, a-a-a-and you left before I finished the eggs th-then you weren't here. You ne-never do that!" Penny managed to get out between sobs, stuttering some of her words.
"Listen, I already told you I don't blame you." I said, grabbing her shoulders. "I just went to deal with Duchess first because I know the cows will take me longer today, and I didn't want to be late to her three days in a row. That's all."
"See I told ya she wouldn't run off." I heard Hilda say as she approached. "Doesn't look like she could run even if she wanted to." She looked me up and down. She had obviously seen my limp.
"She's not wrong. And where would I go anyways?" I said with a slight smirk, still trying to cheer up Penny.
"Alright trouble, just do as many cows as ya can today. Last thing I need is to carry your crippled purple butt back to your shed at the end of my day." Hilda told me, she sounded like she was trying to be rude, but her face and words gave off an almost motherly vibe.
I smiled, causing my scabbed over lip to split again. I planned on nodding and agreeing, but Hilda stopped me.
"Uhhh, just trace the damn squiggles on the cows leave the milking to me. I won't be the one explaining to master why the milk is all bloody." Hilda said, curtly, not looking into my eyes.
I nodded, without the smile this time, and followed Hilda to our first cow. Penny trailed me, like I was doing with Hilda, only talking to the cows that I was tracing.
"Yes I am sure the grass is very yummy." Penny said, her expression already bored. This must be why she dreads talking to the cows. Not a single complex thought in their heads. I would have guessed they had more intelligence than the chickens, but it seems I was wrong, or maybe cows are just poor conversationalists. I had time to think today, as I could only move on to trace a new cow when Hilda finished one.
I got to thinking about what other things I could etch my symbols into, or what should I do next. I could probably carve Apple onto my bedframe. That way I could eat without getting bread from the madam. I knew how to do Water now, I just needed a bowl or cup. Having water come from dirt was by no means sanitary. Could I do more? What about the pond, how could I make that better?
This was the only thing going through my head as we went from cow to cow. Hilda milked, I traced Still, and Penny talked. Though Penny eventually decided to leave my side, and finish her chores at her normal, much faster, pace.
As the sun was beginning to dip Hilda and I got to our last cow. Penny had long moved on to talk to Duchess, leaving the two of us alone.
"Asha..." Hilda started speaking, not taking her eyes off of the cow's bag. "Make sure you behave from now on. Getting hurt like this, its horrible, but it must do things to your mind and heart too." She softly said before clearing her throat and returning to her normal tone. "I mean honestly you are making working twice as hard." She stood up, and walked away quickly. She poured the bucket of milk into the large metal canister. Then turned back to me.
"Hurry up brat, ya stink, get to the pond!" She yelled, then made her way to the pond.
I hobbled behind; making my way slowly but surely to the pond. Hilda really tried to act tough, but I could see that she was concerned. Whether her concern was for me or her own workload I wasn't sure. After all people even treat tools well, as long as it makes their life easier.
By the time I made it to the pond Penny was already in it, doing her best to scrub her dress clean. Hilda was snapping leaves off of some cattails.
"What are you doing Hilda?" I asked as I was taking off my dress.
Penny and Hilda both paused with their mouths agape as they saw my stomach.
"What?" I asked not realizing why they were staring.
"How did that happen?" Penny asked first.
"Huh? You know I got a beating yesterday, why do you look so surprised?" I answered. They had to have known that that's what happened; why were they asking?
"No they never punish like that. Your face and arms make sense. We thought you were walking around like that because she whipped your back. Just what happened?" Hilda both asked and explained. This time I could tell that her concern was in fact for me.
"I didn't get whipped. Well I did get one good belt hit to my face. The rest was madam kicking me see." I put my arms over my stomach and you could see where the bruises on my arms lined up to the ones on my stomach. "Defensive wounds." I explained casually. Yes everything hurt, but that was what you were to expect from a beating, or at least I assumed. I had seen plenty of people beaten for one reason or another in my last life. It was almost always about drugs or money, but it usually looked about like this.
"No child, I think that woman wanted you dead." Hilda said, with a worried look on her face.
"Penny said I was too expensive to be killed." I responded, now picking up on their concern. "What is a normal beating for you?"
"Some whips on your back at worst. Maybe some on your arms or the backs of your legs." Penny said, ber eyes still wide looking at my stomach.
"I thought the swolen eye was just extra. Ya know because ya hit the young master on his face." Hilda explained.
"What about food? Madam said I couldn't eat or drink for two days." I asked.
"She wants you to work how we work, with no water, and a busted up body?" Hilda said, sounding shocked and a little angry.
Penny was sobbing again at this point.
"Du-Duchess said you were too bad to work. I-I thought she was just exaggerating like always."
"Hey I managed didn't I?" I said, once again trying to calm Penny down. I walked into the cold water. Relief covering my body as the coldness covered all of my bruises.
"Bu-but you're going to starve to death." Penny wailed. If I hadn't been the one with all of the pain; I would have thought she had been the one who had been punished.
"Penny, Honey, listen. I don't plan on listening to her. I can etch some symbols in my room. I am going to try apple tonight. I can do that at night without the madam knowing." I explained to Penny in my most comforting voice.
Both of the women went from looking at me with utter sadness, back to complete shock.
"You can do that?!" Hilda yelled, then quickly covered her mouth with her hand. Our masters were far away inside, but even she stayed weery of being overheard.
"Yeah. I told Penny I can read. I can do math too. I even know my times tables, and some fractions too." I said sounding proud. Never had I been able to brag about my third grade education. Apparently here though, a slave didn't even get that. For the first time since I was eight years old, I felt smart.
Hilda stared at me with suspicion, but Penny's face went from a blubbering mess, to one of awe.
"Can you show us!" Penny asked excitedly.
I nodded, this time remembering not to smile, lest I split my lip again.
"No, the girl is going to run out of energy. I don't want to carry her back in the state she's in; might make things worse." Hilda piped in.
Penny looked a bit disappointed, but agreed with Hilda.
I didn't want to disappoint Penny, and I honestly really wanted to show off, but I also didn't want to ignore Hilda. She may have sounded rough, but I could tell it was coming from a good place, even if it was just out of pity from the looks of my broken body.
"I can show you guys tomorrow." I told Penny. She immediately gained back the excitment she had shown moments ago.
"Hurry up we need to wash up before it gets too dark." Hilda scolded. She handed me a few of the cat tail leaves she had been pulling.
"What do I do with these?" I asked, genuinely confused.
"What do ya mean 'what do ya do'? You didn't think we cleaned with just this murky pond water did you? Scrub yourself with it." Hilda said sternly as she turned around to gather more for herself.
I turned my back to the two girls and tried my best to do as instructed, but I couldn't reach most parts of my body, the pain was too much. Just as I had begun to give up I heard
"Penny! Get that cripple friend of yours a scrub. She washes about as well as a newborn walks." Hilda spoke in a rough commanding tone. Though Penny didn't seem to care, she waded over to me and gently rubbed the base of the leaves all down my back and legs. Only the spots where my arms couldn't reach. She pulled out my braid and ran her fingers through my hair.
"My hair didn't get dirty." I said, trying to lessen Penny's work.
"You obviously havent looked at it. It has blood in it and the back of your head is covered in dirt. She said, while still untangling my hair.
My mind went back to me waking up on the dirt floor with a bloody lip, and I remembered where the dirt had come from.
"Your hair looks horrid even if it is just a bit dirty. That's what you get for having that pretty white hair." I heard Hilda say, the last words she spoke had some bite to them. I don't know why Hilda had such short hair, but it didn't seem like she liked the color, at least compared to mine. Though she walked over and began braiding that hair that she seemed to envy. I could never quite get a grasp on her. I think she is inherently caring; but has an aversion to me personally. I tried to take everything greatfully though.
She finished my hair, left the pond, and began her walk to her shed.
Penny stayed with me. We walked out of the water, and wrung out our wet clothes as best we could, then hung them on a branch.
"So how did we all end up at this farm?" I asked Penny, trying to fill in the silence.
"Well Hilda has been here since the master was still a young master. She was the only slave they could afford at the time. They make her cut her hair though, because the color reminds the madam of the master's ex girlfriend." Penny explained
Suddenly Hilda's comment on my hair made sense.
"She is the reason that they could even afford us. With her screams every day, no monster will come anywhere near the farm. Because of her none of the animals are attacked. Not many people have use for people like her, since mercenaries and soldiers keep monsters away from most places, but the previous master saw her potential. I heard she was quite the looker in her day." Penny explained with a sad smile.
"I have always been a slave, I don't remember anything else. I just went from one rich family after another. They would occasionally use me to talk to their pets, but usually I was just put in charge of cleaning stables. Since horses don't really kick people they can reason with. I think I had about ten masters before I settled here. My temper is why I kept being sold, that's why I hold my tongue so well now." She chuckled at this, but there was pain in her eyes. "I came here, and Hilda helped get me used to things, since the madam just assumed I would know how to do everything." She silently looked into the distance seeming trapped in her reminiscence.
"...and me?" I asked. Snapping Penny out of her thoughts.
"You came here two years after I got here. You are a bit of a mystery though. You never told us how you became a slave, but you knew that you were able to activate those symbols. That power of yours, plus your looks are why you sold for so much. Master spent more than he was supposed to on you, but you were a solid investment. Since you got here the master hasn't had to buy any food for the animals, and Hilda and I don't have to haul water to the barn. Another reason you were bought: was because the young master seemed very interested in you. He begged for the 'pretty slave'. After you came here, and heard all of the young master's compliments you fell head over heels for him."
"I did what?!" I asked loudly, in total disbelief. I had thought they were just joking when they had said I 'didn't love the young master anymore', on my first day. Like maybe it had just been some joke. Maybe Asha had just been a brown-noser.
"Well with all of that sweet talk, and obvious interest; you convinced yourself that he would marry you some day, and you would no longer be a slave." Penny explained, as if Asha's dream was understandable.
"That is ridiculous, and he is a creep." I said plainly with a deadpan face. This caused Penny to giggle a bit.
"Okay, just don't say anything like that in front of him, okay?" She said.
I learned my lesson with the young master and the madam. Stay out of sight, do your job, and stay quiet.
Penny and I walked back to our sheds, chatting comfortably the whole time. I was excited to get back, and try my luck with summoning those dried apples.
I had decided, with Penny's consultation. That scratching a tiny Apple, on the side of my bed would be best. Large enough that I could trace it with my finger, and small enough that it wouldn't be noticeable to the master if he came inside my shed. How I was going to get clean water was another issue.
As I closed the door behind myself I grabbed the nail that I had left on my wooden bed. I began etching Apple, into one of the legs. The symbol was about the size of a quarter, but with my pinky finger I could still trace the lines. With the few ficks of my finger, I had managed to get my apple. My first meal since yesterday morning's bread.
I traced the symbol ten times over before I decided to stop. It was dark, I was tired, and now I was full. My body was still unhappy with me moving, but I had to get up; if only to go back to bed.
I needed to know more. How could I make my life better with these. I could do it, I just needed to learn the rules, I thought to myself. Penny got tired when she talked to animals for a long time, was this going to make me tired if I used it? How could I make myself a cup in my little shed? What new symbols could I create? My mind was wide awake, but my body needed the rest. Soon, despite my excitement, everything went dark as my eyes shut for the night. One thought seemed to be on repeat even in my sleep: What can I try tomorrow?