3 Chapter 2: Forgotten Memories

The captain walked into the backroom and handed them the money.

"Release the shackles," he bellowed.

"Are you sure that's wise?" the auctioneer asked. The captain starred at me, "she is but a child. Release her," he commanded. "Aye! Do as he says. If the child kills you and runs we aren't responsible."

"Let it go," I said to the auctioneer. He looked at me and gave me a sinister grin. "That beast is mine. Be happy you got bought," he spat out. I turned to the captain. In my past life I forgot all about the beast. It was my last link to my clan. A cub of the Shadows. I didn't want to associate myself with the power of my clan. At that time, I despised it since it was the reason everyone was gone. My entire clan was massacred because of the Shadows. But this time round, I needed it in order to survive.

"The beast. Buy it," I told the captain.

He chuckled, "demanding now are we child?"

Turning to the auctioneer, "give me the beast too." "Sir that is for auction at another…" "Be grateful that I am not shutting you down. We all know slavery is on the verge of being abolished and no one wants a scene. Now you better bring me that beast," he leaned in closer to him letting out a whiff of his bloodlust, "or I will close this place down in bloodshed for trying to go against the King." The auctioneer winced and turned to his men. "Bring the beast," he told them his voice quivering in fear. I hadn't seen him release his bloodlust unless it was on the battlefield. Seeing that he would do this much for me made me really appreciate him. One of his men went out back and brought me the little one. I cradled him in my arms as I turned to the captain. He had small wounds on his small dark body. The cub was different from the rest of the Shadows, he was an albino. He wasn't purely black like the rest of his kind, he had patches of grey fur that swirled around his black fur like a pattern. The first one in over 1000 years. That was probably why they wanted him. There was a legend that albino Shadows are more powerful than normal Shadows and they had the power to be the next King. He opened his small emerald eyes slightly and then relaxed after he saw my eyes.

'Thank you.'

That was the first time I heard the beasts' voice. It filled my mind in a soothing tone that I found myself staring at him for a while. I petted his head softly and he purred in satisfaction. "she looks so cute," one of the captains' men said looking at me. "Come child."

I took the captains hand without hesitation and he was surprised but chuckled it away. He led me to his mare and his knights stared at him as he held out his hand after mounting his horse. It was clear why they felt a bit scared. His mare, Edgar, was as wild as Callion who belonged to me in the past. They were worried.

"Captain…" one of the men voiced out.

"Hush. Now child, shall we?" he had a wicked smile on his face that I always found alluring. He was always like this. Daring and adventurous. I nodded and held the beast tightly. I held out my hand and he lifted me up onto Edgar in front of him. Edgar started fidgeting since someone else other than his master was on top of him. His knights moved closer to us worried that I would fall off the horse.

I leaned in closer to his head and held his mane. Softly I whispered to him, 'it's okay. It's me Edgar.' I only assumed that he would calm down. This was not the past. He doesn't know me. But I had faith. That somehow he would understand me and my tongue. And he did. He calmed down and neighed at me. A smile spread on my lips, 'good job, avgarrnia (thank you).' The captain stared at me for a while before grabbing the reigns. "hold on tight little one," he said as he stormed off towards the palace, his knights in tow.

~~~~~~

"Get some rest. Practice starts early tomorrow. And send some knights tommorw to free the rest of the people captured at that auction house."

"Yes sir!" the men said but none moved. I could feel their gazes like daggers stabbing me in the back. "Um, Captain? Are you sure that's alright?" one man asked pointing at me. I had placed the cub on the ground and I was petting Edgar's head. He had lowered himself so that I could reach him. He chuckled, "any of you gonna go there and stop her?" None of them made a move towards me afraid of making Edgar overreact.

He tapped my shoulder and motioned for me to follow him. I picked up the cub and walked behind him quietly until we reached his house. His wife met us at the door. "A child?" she asked. "A slave. I couldn't leave her."

"You and your big heart," she chuckled as she saw the grin on his face. Crouching down to look at me properly, "the blood, it's not hers is it?" she said concern washing over her face as she looked at my bloodstained face. "No it's not hers." She nodded and then glanced at the cub. "And the beast?" "It might be the reason why she was captured."

She nodded and took my hand as she stood up. "Let's go, I'll give you both a bath."

She led me to the bath and filled the tub with warm water that had been boiled. She cooled it down to the right temperature and then drew off my clothes. I heard her gasp as she saw the wounds on my body. The slave traders liked to test my abilities. They would hurt the cub every time I refused so I had no choice but to comply. If I did anything wrong, they would hit me. She helped me into the water and I sat down. After washing my hair, she bathed me, relieved not to see any fresh wounds, and helped me clean the beast up. At first he refused to enter the water because of his wounds but after I held him in the water he calmed down. After dressing me in clean clothes she made me wear a pair of shoes before taking me back to the captain. I sat down and she served me a bowl of food and placed a loaf of bread on a plate besides the bowl.

"eat dear," she said softly.

I grabbed the spoon and fished out a piece of meat. I bent down and gave it to the beast. I glanced up at the captain but he didn't say a word. I ate a spoonful of the food and it tasted great. Her cooking was always great.

"I'm Rikkard," he pointed at himself and then at his wife, "the wife's Carla. What's your name child?" he asked.

"Elysia," I murmured softly.

"that's a beautiful name. and the little one?" she asked.

I looked at the cub then back at my food. "doesn't have one." I went back to eat as i shared my food with the beast until I was finished. Carla showed me a room to rest and left me there to sleep. "She doesn't say much does she?" she asked her husband. "It's a new environment. Give her some time, she'll get used to it." They walked away and I turned in my bed facing the sleeping beast. The years I had lived with them came into my mind. He was the nearest thing I had to a father after my family passed. When he fell in the war, it hurt more than I had imagined. It broke me.

I had been in denial but it seems I had grown attached to the old man.