Treasure And Trash

Olivia's heart pounded faster with every silent snore the stranger made, she wanted to run, but her legs were too tired to move. Her hands tightly gripped her mouth, keeping her petrified squealing to a minimum.

She knew that she was in enemy territory, she just didn't know who her enemies were. She also knew she couldn't see, and imagined the enemies were the ones who did that to her.

They were certainly no different than the people who had her parents tortured in that dungeon.

For as long as she could tell, Olivia sat beside the well, with her hands over her mouth, listening to the stranger, wondering if he was ever going to wake up. She stayed that way until the heat from the sun was replaced by a chilling night's breeze.

She was cold, hungry and desperate for a bed to lay down, it didn't look like the stranger would wake up anytime soon, he must've been a heavy sleeper.

Hence, she crouched down by the flower beds and slept off, half confident that by the time she woke up, she would wake up and realize everything was a dream.

It was unfortunate however, that when she did regain consciousness, that she wasn't in the garden any longer, but somewhere warmer, quieter and softer.

"Water…" Olivia's weakly muttered, surprising the people around her that she could still speak in her condition.

"Pass me that jar, now!" Freina ordered, clutching Olivia tighter to her chest, "Back away, all of you! This isn't a spectacle!" She charged furiously at the other maids who flocked around her, peering at the child.

"Here, drink up." Freina softly tipped the cup against her lips, then slipped the cool water down her throat.

Olivia hungrily drank it all until she emptied the cup, subsequently, Freina had two more cups of water given to her, before the colour returned to Olivia's lips.

'Just how the hell is this child still breathing?' Freina contemplated whilst she carried Olivia to the small table of food laid out for her.

The men from the first division had stayed longer than expected, which was why she could only get away at night to seek out Olivia. One could only imagine the shock Freina went through, after seeing Olivia passed out by the well.

"Eat up, as much as you can, you don't know when the next meal will be." Freina advised while she handfed Olivia, glad that she had stopped being stubborn.

Tears trickled down Olivia's eyes whilst she ate, she knew of a fact that these were the people who broke her mother's jaw and murdered her while she was pregnant. But, her hunger was greater than her anger and pride, forcing her to eat out of the enemy's hand.

After the meal was concluded, Olivia was bathed and changed, and then led through the quiet halls, towards the chamber of the third division commander.

"Commander, I have brought her as requested." Freina said after knocking twice, Olivia clenched her jaw, she didn't understand what was going on, but she definitely felt safer with Freina than anyone else.

"Come in."

Olivia felt a tug on her wrist, nudging her to walk forward, she shrank back in protest, and slightly shook her head from side to side. But Freina who was more concerned over them getting spotted, pulled Olivia forcefully into the room and locked the door behind them.

"Commander, she has been bathed and fed, as per your instructions." Freina reported with her hands in front of her.

"Can she speak?" Commander Ivankov asked, his unimpressed gaze fixed on the frail looking child, who could barely stand on her feet.

"Yes, I believe so. But, I am afraid she's overwhelmed by the trauma, and might not respond."

"It's fine, I only need her to hear and do as I say, maybe it's for the best she's turned mute." Commander Ivankov replied, he gestured Freina to bring the child closer, directing her to the rags brought together to form a seat.

Olivia placed up a small protest when she was forced into sitting on her knees, but ultimately kept quiet when the commander placed his foot down.

"That's enough, brat! One more word out of you, and I'll send you to the well!" He threatened, "This isn't your territory, here, you either shut your mouth and swallow your fucking pride, or die like a miserable fool."

Olivia gasped slightly, was she going to die here? Was that why they bothered letting her live? Just to torture her? Like they did to her mother and father?

In a shaky tone, Olivia asked, "My mother, where is she?"

Freina casted a pitiful glance at the child, afraid of how she would react to hearing that her mother's head was hung at the border gates of their territory, alongside the head of her pack's Alpha.

The commander took a puff of his cigar, but didn't respond, instead he gave her a piece of information.

"Aleric and Amelia of Darkclaw, the fugitives who not only betrayed their Alpha, but their entire pack as well." He started off, tracing his cigarette from his lips towards Olivia's cowering body.

"And you, the kept daughter of these two traitors will fetch a hefty sum in shadow tarvern, you cannot begin to imagine the caliber of men who hold a grudge against those bastards. If it pleased me, I could have you sold, rather than have those bastards from the first division breathing down my neck." He took a pause and flung one leg over the other, keeping his stare on Olivia's wrist, which was bandaged the day he brought her, but was now completely healed.

Same went for her other bruises.

"But," he breathed out a thick cloud of smoke, "You and I both know you're worth more than their asking price. You're special Olivia," commander Ivankov pointed out, standing to his feet.

Olivia flinched when his large fingers punched her chin, she couldn't see him, but she had a feeling he was staring at her eyes.

"And I plan to use you as my spiderweb and crawl out of this hellhole, one way or the other!" He spat out, and then tightened her grip on the child's cheeks, forcing her lips to part.

Olivia winced, he was hurting her, she wanted to fight back, but knew he would take her out with just a simple smack to the face, hence she endured it.

Because she knew the truth as well, the truth her parents had always warned her never to tell a single soul. And now, this man towering over her would determine her fate, her life was now resting solely on someone else's shoulders.

"Commander." Zeke interrupted, leaving Olivia stunned of the presence of a third person. He had been so still, and barely made any sound, that the commander's admonition drowned out the sound of him breathing.

Olivia immediately had a bad feeling about Zeke.

"I just got word through the mindlink, the slaves have been brought in." Zeke informed him.

Commander Ivankov retracted him grip, startled, Olivia tumbled backward, thankfully, Freina had her eye on the child and caught her sharply.

"Freina." The commander charged, "Yes, commander." She responded, helping Olivia to her feet.

"Have her sent to the slave quarters, as of tomorrow, the daughter of the proud Gamma of Dark claw, will become a fucking slave!" He announced with amusement in his tone.

Freina parted her lips as though to protest, but Zeke sternly warned her with his eyes. Helpless, Freina lowered her head and responded, "Yes, commander."

Olivia's heart skipped a beat, were they going to force her into becoming a slave? Freina attempted to take her away, but Olivia placed a small struggle, pressing the sole of her feet firmly against the ground, refusing to move.

Freina silently tried to get her to move, if the commander caught whiff of her being defiant, he might rescind his decision and have the child killed instead.

There weren't plenty of options available, and she truly did not want to see this child die. Hence, Freina sucked up her undying loyalty and made a preposition.

"Commander, if you would allow it, then may I take the child?"

Ivankov's smile contorted into a scowl, "What?" He asked, flatly.

A nervous line of sweat ran down the woman's neck, "The slaves are from the colonies, they can't be trusted. If the child lives with them, sooner or later she'll be found out, and then the commander will be held at fault." After all, deceiving the pack was just as hefty a crime as treason.

Freina continued, "If she worked here, with the rest of the maids, I can guarantee I'll have my eye on her, and train her personally."

"And where shall we say she came from?"

Freina replied. "I'll claim she's one of my father's bastards who I decided to take in after her mother's death."

Ivankov sighed and relaxed his shoulders. "If you're willing to bring our dead Gamma into the matter, then no one will stop you. Do as you please, but remember, Freina, what I told you back then." He said, making the woman remember the words he told her after he rescued her from the fire that claimed her family.

"Treasure can become trash in only a matter of a second." He spat out, reminding the woman that she who was once the daughter of the pack's Gamma, was now nothing but a head maid, abandoned by the pack her father died serving.

Freina maintained her usual level of stoicism and bowed curtly. "I remember, commander." She said, right before leaving the room with Olivia.