The housekeeper

Alarra woke with a start, the crate bumping against something hard and jolting her injured ankle. She covered her mouth to muffle a scream of pain. She heard voices, an exchange of some sort and the soft chink of money. Great, I'm being sold, she sighed heavily. Again the box jolted, she was being moved.

An hour or so had passed and she sat quietly waiting for her impending doom. Suddenly, light cracked through the slates of the wooden box, it was being opened! A great crack filled the air as the crates side was lifted forcefully from its hinges. She squinted adjusting to the new light, the darkness had severely hindered her vision. Alarra crept forward and into a room, in it stood a basic bed, nightstand, and small reading light. She walked on unsteady legs forward and stroked the comforter of the bed, soft feather downed material greeted her. She'd never owned a cover, just a ratty quilt that had been leftover from the farmers children. Slowly, she turned to study the box she had just escaped, but stopped dead in her tracks. A man filled the room, not exceptionally large in physique but in presence. She could feel his energy crackling across the space, great waves of velvet ebony and silken shadows. He glared at her with stormy gray eyes, almost hidden beneath a waterfall of shoulder length midnight black hair. Alarra shrunk from him, sensing his strength, she'd never felt someone so powerful. The man took a step forward and touched her cheek, "you're so small, we paid for a full grown housekeeper, not the runt of the litter." He sighed studying her, " I suppose we can't return you, you'll just have to do, the master must have had some reason to want you."

She stood dumbstruck, a housekeeper? They hunted her down in the woods to clean their house? She cleared her throat, "Apologies my lord," her voice came out stronger than she felt, "though I am small I'm strong, however.. was the crate necessary?" He shrugged, his dark silky collar bumping against a pale stubbly jaw. "We simply bought a slave, the crate is customary for your protection.

Alarra laughed dryly, "You bought a slave without seeing it first?, seems kinda shortsighted dont you think?" He looked at her hard, "you don't act like a slave with that mouth of yours.., if you must know the master captured you, not I. I would have chosen.." he looked her up and down, "differently." she paused unsure of what to say.

"However there was a silencing spell put on you by the master himself to keep you knocked out for the duration of your travels." He crooked a dark eyebrow and leaned closer, she could feel his cool breath against her. He smelled.. divine, like ceder and dark spices. Alarra cleared her throat again and shifted uncomfortably, her ankle throbbing in protest. He suddenly shot down pushing her to the bed, she squealed falling like a sack of potatoes.