1.1 --- /dev/null	Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000
     1.2 +++ b/old/stories/ccs_psla-ch1.txt	Fri Feb 19 20:53:12 2010 -0500
     1.3 @@ -0,0 +1,181 @@
     1.4 +Pleasure Slave
     1.5 +
     1.6 +By Capitalist
     1.7 +peacewish@hotmail.com
     1.8 +
     1.9 +Chapter 1
    1.10 +‘taken’
    1.11 +
    1.12 +People said that it was impossible to see the wind, but they’d never come here.  They’d never basked on a sunlit slope, surrounded by the shadowed amethyst mountain peaks, so close to the gentle blue sky you felt you could almost touch it.  They didn’t see the way the vast tracts of green grass rippled and shimmered as the wind traveled past, or the patches of waving flowers that came next, before it finally reached you and caressed you with its warm touch.
    1.13 +Sakura did, though.  Surrounded by the riot of color, like a touchable rainbow, she relaxed against the flowers and closed her eyes, luxuriating in the sunshine.  It wasn’t the first warm day all year, but it was the first day she knew for certain that winter was over, and there would be no more surprise frost storms.  Winter was not an easy season, so high in the Paluwit mountains, but there was no better reward than the beautiful spring that followed it.  
    1.14 +It was nice to sit back and enjoy it, but she couldn’t lie here all day.  Stretching, Sakura sat up and reached for her collecting basket.  She’d gather a few of each, make her rounds, and that should get her home in time to prepare dinner.  Whimsically she studded her tiny braids with a few daisies, then set about plucking flowers in earnest.  There were so many here, on this sun-kissed slope, daisies and wild roses, bluebells and violets, marigolds and daffodils.  She became so involved in her task that it was some while before she realized she wasn’t alone.  Someone had wandered around the bend in the creek while she gathered, and now he stood watching her with a smile on his face.  
    1.15 +Surprised to see someone this far from the village, particularly a stranger, Sakura smiled in return. 
    1.16 +“Good afternoon.”
    1.17 +“Good afternoon,” he replied, nodding his head courteously.  “What’s a pretty young girl like yourself doing out here all alone?  Isn’t it dangerous?”
    1.18 +Sakura blushed faintly at the word ‘pretty’, but then she laughed.  “Dangerous?  I don’t think so, I’ve been walking these mountains all my life and nothing’s ever happened.  This is my home.”  But it wasn’t his, she knew every face in her home village.  He didn’t have the look of a lonesome mountain man, either, here in the countryside he seemed out of place.  “Are you visiting?”
    1.19 +“I suppose you could call it that,” the stranger agreed, “but I have no friends here.  I came seeking beautiful scenery.”
    1.20 +“Well I think you’ve found it,” Sakura said proudly, sweeping one arm out to the panoramic view.  She didn’t see how his eyes never left her.
    1.21 +“I think I have.”  
    1.22 +“Will you stay long?”
    1.23 +“Oh, not long.  I have business in Clearwater, pressing matters.  But I just couldn’t resist trekking up here to see the blooming flowers.”  
    1.24 +“I know what you mean.  I just love this season most of all, when everything is fresh and colorful.  It’s as if someone washed all of nature and hung it out to dry.”  
    1.25 +He laughed and she ducked her head, hoping it didn’t sound very silly.  But his eyes were friendly and his laugh not a mocking one.  Sakura decided he was quite nice, after all.
    1.26 +She would have liked to stay and talk more, but her basket was full and the sun would begin to drop soon.  
    1.27 +“Well I hope you enjoy your stay.  Good day.”  She curtsied, basket under one arm, and he hurried forward.  
    1.28 +“Oh, I wouldn’t dream of allowing you to walk back to your home unescorted, it would be very ungentlemanly of me.”
    1.29 +It was rare for anyone up this high to act so courtly, and Sakura blushed again at the unexpected attention.  
    1.30 +“It’s all right, really.  I told you, this is my home.  I often walk these paths alone.”  
    1.31 +He smiled at that for some reason, but the smile shifted into a shamefaced grin.
    1.32 +“Well, the truth is, I think I wandered a little too much today.  It seems I’ve gotten lost.  Would you be so kind as to let me follow you back to the village?”
    1.33 +“Of course!  It’s really not far at all, I’m sure you would have found it soon enough.”
    1.34 +“Well I thank you for your trouble.”
    1.35 +Sakura waved a hand in negation, leading him back to the woods’ edge.  Every tree and rock was easy to distinguish from one another, after spending her life wandering among them, and she couldn’t imagine getting lost.  But she’d been raised to show kindness to those in need of it, and her father wouldn’t expect any less of her.  
    1.36 +“And what does your father do?” he asked, when she’d explained as much to him.  For just a moment her smile fled, and she looked down.
    1.37 +“He was the teacher in my village, he taught most of the people there how to read.  But he’s gone now.  His heart stopped moving, two years ago.”  
    1.38 +“Oh dear.  What a hardship for your mother that must have been.”
    1.39 +“My mother died when I was just a baby.  I really don’t remember her, but people say she was the most beautiful woman in the mountains.  I’m sure they’re very happy together, somewhere.” 
    1.40 +He clucked his tongue, looking dismayed.  “And you live alone?”
    1.41 +“Goodness no, I have my older brother to look after me.  He works very hard, but I try to help by selling flowers and such.  We do all right.”  
    1.42 +In truth Sakura was rather proud of how well she and her brother had managed, since their father’s death, and lifted her chin a little.  There were some in the village that thought she’d be better off somewhere else, like a few men who presumed she ought to be married now that she was parentless.  Her snarling brother quickly corrected them, by way of a few punches here and there, and the aggressive suitors melted away.  
    1.43 +“He can be so difficult when he’s like that,” Sakura sighed.  “I know it’s just because he doesn’t want to live alone and have to cook his own food.  But it’s all right, I didn’t want to marry any of them anyway.  I’m only fifteen years old, there’s plenty of time.”
    1.44 +“Plenty of time,” her new friend agreed, and Sakura was pleased that at least one other person besides her brother understood.  Lately it seemed every woman in the village was determined to match her to a man.  “And yet it must be hard, carrying the burdens of the household on your young shoulders.”
    1.45 +“It’s a little hard,” Sakura admitted.  “Onii-chan works so many jobs around the village for money, but I try to help.  He won’t let me get a job, so I sell my flowers and gather food from the forest when I can.  It’s easy in springtime if you know where to look.”  She gestured to a flowing creek down the slope.  “There are mushrooms everywhere along those banks.  Tomorrow I’ll probably come and collect a basketful; they’ll keep for a good long time.”
    1.46 +“Really?  I didn’t know that.  I think your brother’s very lucky to have a sister like you.” 
    1.47 +Sakura hmphed.  “Well it would be nice if he said so, once in a while.  Oh, here we are.”
    1.48 +The widening path led them over the crest of a small hill, with the tiny village of Eagle’s Path was nestled below.  While it was always home to Sakura, her heart couldn’t help but lift at the picture it made now, almost floating in a cloud of bursting pink petals.  Spring really was the best season.  
    1.49 +“What a relief,” her companion sighed.  “And to think I might have spent the night roaming the mountains, completely lost!  I’m so glad I found you.”
    1.50 +“I’m glad too.  Will I see you again before you leave?”
    1.51 +“I hope so.  I’ll leave you here, I know how to find where I’m staying the night.  And I shouldn’t like to keep you any longer.”
    1.52 +“No trouble at all,” Sakura assured him, though she did need to get on if she was to prepare dinner in time.  On an impulse she grabbed a handful of sunflowers from her basket and held them out in offering.  “Here.  Because you don’t have any friends here.”
    1.53 +He looked surprised, but then the corners of his eyes crinkled and he grinned.  “Well thank you.  It’s as lovely a gift as anyone could ask for.”
    1.54 +He raised the bouquet in farewell, turned, and made his way down the gentle slope.  Sakura watched him for a moment, pleased with herself that she’d been able to do someone a good turn, and then hurried in the opposite direction.  Maki would be waiting.
    1.55 +
    1.56 +--
    1.57 +
    1.58 +Sakura arranged the leftovers in their small vase and set it on the table, between two steaming plates of potatoes and chicken.  Starving as usual, her brother said the customary thanks and dug in with enthusiasm.  
    1.59 +“How does it taste?  Is it too salty?”
    1.60 +“No, it’s fine.  Considering.”  He added that last part with a mischievous glance her way and she frowned.  
    1.61 +“Onii-chan!  Just once I wish you’d say that it tastes good, and nothing else.”
    1.62 +“Then start cooking better.”
    1.63 +“Nii-chan!”
    1.64 +“How much was the chicken?”
    1.65 +“Not very much.  I sold almost all of my flowers today, and that paid for most of it.  I promised Rika to bring her a share of mushrooms tomorrow to make up the difference.”
    1.66 +He nodded, not looking up.  While it was an unspoken agreement between them that expenses must be kept low, she knew he didn’t like talking about money with her.  He considered her too young to be exposed to such things, though Sakura felt that was nonsense.  He just wanted to pretend she was still ten years old and unable to do a simple sum in her head.  
    1.67 +“How was your day?” she asked, tactfully changing the subject.  
    1.68 +“Fine.  Spent most of it repairing Tanaka’s pigshed, the thing was about to fall down on them.”  He didn’t mention how many coppers he’d been paid for it, but he looked pleased and Sakura smiled.  Her brother could do so many things, and it seemed all of the village had come to him for help at one time or another.  In Sakura’s eyes, there wasn’t any job he couldn’t do.
    1.69 +“That’s wonderful.  I had a really good day too.  The flowers were so beautiful and the weather so nice today.  And I met a nice man, up on the slopes.”
    1.70 +Touya’s head jerked up, forkful of food in his hand forgotten.  “What?  Who?”
    1.71 +“Um, he didn’t tell me his name.  He was just someone from Clearwater, who’d come up to see the scenery.  He was lost, so I helped him find his way back to the village.”
    1.72 +“A stranger?  Sakura, how many times have I told you not to talk to strangers, especially men!”
    1.73 +“Onii-chan, you don’t have to yell.  I was just trying to be nice, like Father always said to.”
    1.74 +“But -”
    1.75 +“He was very nice, and nothing happened,” Sakura pointed out in defense, a little irritated that she had to explain her actions.  “He said thank you and I gave him a few sunflowers, and then he went on.  That’s all.  Honestly, Onii-chan, I don’t understand why you have to be so hostile every time I speak to a man.”  
    1.76 +She crossed her arms and pouted, and Touya bit back the instinctive response.  
    1.77 +“Sakura, I’m head of this house and what I say goes.  I don’t want you hanging around strange men.  Do you understand me?”
    1.78 +He slapped his hand against the table a little harder than he’d intended, and she flinched.
    1.79 +“Tou-san was never so mean.”
    1.80 +She pushed away from the table and flounced across the room, dropping into a little ball on the rug before the fire.  Instantly Touya regretted his outburst, and spoke again more softly.
    1.81 +“Sakura.”
    1.82 +She hugged her knees tighter to her chest and ignored him, though she could hear his footsteps coming closer.  He settled himself on the rug just behind her and rubbed a hand between her shoulders, an affectionate gesture that she refused to respond to.  Just because he was the elder didn’t mean he could forbid her from speaking to whomever she wanted.
    1.83 +“Sakura, I’m sorry.  I didn’t mean to yell.  I just worry about your safety, that’s all.”
    1.84 +“This is our home, Onii-chan.  What could happen?”
    1.85 +“I don’t know.  But you’re the only family I have left and I don’t want anything bad to happen to you.  I need you to promise to be more careful.  Will you do that for me, please?”
    1.86 +In spite of herself, Sakura was melting.  He made her so angry when he threatened her and ordered her around, using his authority in the house to his advantage.  But when his voice turned soft and his words pleading, she could not resist.  Already sensing victory, his arms encircled her and she rested against his chest, enjoying his warmth and the warmth of the fire.  
    1.87 +“I promise,” she muttered grudgingly, and she could feel him exhale with relief.  She knew how hard he tried, to prove to her and the rest of the village that he was capable of running the house and taking care of her.  The least she could do was ease his mind.  
    1.88 +“What shall we read tonight?  More poetry, or begin a story?”
    1.89 +“Pick what you like.  I’ll wash the dishes.”
    1.90 +“But -”
    1.91 +“I’ll do them, Sakura.  Find something good.”
    1.92 +The tension was gone, the little cabin comfortable again.  Pleased, Touya extricated himself and returned to the table for their plates.  The last thing he wanted was any awkwardness or angry feelings between them, given what tomorrow was.  And she didn’t even know it, since he’d hidden the calendar a week earlier.  Though it did worry him, sometimes, his little sister was delightfully easy to deceive.   
    1.93 +
    1.94 +--
    1.95 +
    1.96 +They read late into the night, that night, as was their post-dinner ritual.  Poor though the siblings were, their father had left them a treasure in books, the largest collection in the village.  He’d spent his life acquiring them and neither of his children would dream of parting with them for any money, though they were happy to lend one now and then to their father’s old students.  Sakura loved the romance stories, the fairy tales about beautiful princesses and brave princes that came to their rescue, while Touya preferred the history books, though by now they’d both gone through the entire collection at least twice.  Wistfully Sakura wondered when they’d be able to spare money for a new one.  
    1.97 +She selected a volume of poetry that night, one that their mother had been very fond of.  Sakura loved the lilt and fall of the verses, the artful description of the lamb gambolling in the fields.  It made her feel very safe and happy, though she couldn’t quite explain why.
    1.98 +Touya listened to her read page after page, watching her eyes droop, until her voice trailed off and she slumped against his chest in sleep.  Both of them worked hard every day, but it was always Sakura that fell asleep first, he was always the one to put her to bed.  
    1.99 +“Sweet dreams,” he whispered, and kissed her quickly on the forehead before standing up again.  That too was a ritual, though she never knew it.  
   1.100 +
   1.101 +----------------------------------------------
   1.102 +
   1.103 +The cabin was empty when Sakura opened her eyes the next morning, her brother already gone.  This she knew simply by rolling over and looking; like most of the homes in this village their house was nothing more than one big room.  It still felt rather strange, waking up alone under her blanket, after so many years of sharing the bed with her brother.  Her friends complained often about sharing the bed with their fidgeting siblings, but Sakura always felt so safe and secure sleeping next to her tall and strong brother.  She remembered when she was very young and woke up whimpering from nightmares, how he would hug her until she fell asleep again without either of them disturbing their father.
   1.104 +But it was silly, to share a bed when their father’s was empty of occupants, and in due course after their time of grieving Touya had moved across the room.  But she wondered if he ever missed her too.
   1.105 +He’d left a hunk of coarse brown bread on the table, with a stoppered skin of what she knew would be goat’s milk.  It was an agreement he shared with their neighbor, to assist in the morning milking in return for a small share.  By now he was probably helping to herd the flock up the hill and to pasture.  
   1.106 +Which meant she didn’t have much of an excuse for just lying here in bed.  Sakura threw back the blankets and shivered a little; mornings were still cool so early in the season.  She rubbed her arms and stoked the fire, then went outside to draw water for her morning tea.  
   1.107 +
   1.108 +--
   1.109 +
   1.110 +It was going to be another beautiful day, she could tell.  The sky was a pure fine blue over the treetrops, like the fragile shell of a robin’s egg, and the air so fresh it made her antsy to get going.  She hurried through the household chores, clearing out yesterday’s ashes, sweeping the floor, and taking the rug out to beat it free of dirt.  On second thoughts she took their bed linens out to hang on the line as well, so that they might absorb some of the sweet country scent.  By the time she set out with her collecting basket, it was no longer cool.  
   1.111 +The distance was not great, not nearly as far as the field of flowers, and soon Sakura could hear the splash of creek water over stones.  Bathe?  Perhaps, but not until after she’d completed the grubby task of gathering.  Humming tunelessly, Sakura dropped to her knees by a promising patch and set about with a sharp stick, unearthing the delectable fungi as the sun climbed higher and the morning birds quieted.  So accustomed to the late morning stillness, she nearly jumped at the sound of a human voice.  
   1.112 +“There she is.”
   1.113 +Sakura’s head jerked up, startled, and she found herself looking up at the man she’d helped the day before.  So intent on her task, she hadn’t heard him approach, but now he stood between her and the path, smiling down at her with a rather pleased expression.  He wasn’t alone, either, another man stood at his side.
   1.114 +“Oh, good morning.”  She stood, dusting off her palms, and smiled uncertainly.  If he had no friends here, then who was the second man?  “We meet again after all.”
   1.115 +“Indeed we do,” he answered, then nudged his companion.  “What did I tell you?  Is that a face, or what?”
   1.116 +“She’s perfect.  What do you think, twenty?”
   1.117 +“I think twenty-five at least.  You don’t see a pair of eyes like that every day.”
   1.118 +What on earth were they talking about?  Sakura felt slightly uneasy as she looked back and forth from one face to the other, wishing she knew why she felt so uncomfortable.  
   1.119 +“Is something the matter?” she finally asked, the politest way she could think of to ask what they were discussing.  
   1.120 +“No, not at all,” the first man assured her.  “Just do me a favor, and come here.”  He crooked his finger in invitation but Sakura didn’t move, instinctively sensing something was not right.  There was a peculiar glint in his eyes, and his smile did not seem quite so friendly as she remembered.  
   1.121 +“Um, no thank you.”  She took a step back, watching the second man uncoil a length of rope from his belt with trepidation.  “I h-have to get back home now.  Please excuse me.”
   1.122 +She took another step back, the basket of mushrooms at her feet completely forgotten, wanting only to be back in her village and with other people.  
   1.123 +The first man sighed, and shrugged.  “Get her.”
   1.124 +His friend rushed forward and Sakura shrieked, bolting to her right since the creek prevented her from running in the opposite direction.  But the distance was too small and he was too fast for her, an iron grasp closed over her wrist and yanked her back, almost throwing her to the ground.  Never in her life had anyone assaulted her and Sakura screamed again, too terrified to think straight.  She struggled to pull free but it wasn’t even a contest, and he caught her other hand when she tried to pry off his grip.  Almost casually he held her wrists together and looped the thin rope around them, knotting it securely.  
   1.125 +Panicked, Sakura screamed for her brother to come save her.  Something terrible that she didn’t quite understand was going to happen, and she had to escape it at all costs.  More by luck than any skill she kicked her attacker right in the shin, and he dropped his grip with a muffled grunt.  Sakura sprinted for the path with a fresh burst of hope, but she hadn’t taken more than a step before his vice-like grip closed around her arms.  He yanked her off her feet and back against his chest, holding her firmly in place.
   1.126 +“Bloody hell, she’s going to wake the dead like this,” he complained over Sakura’s frantic screams.  “Take care of it, would you?”
   1.127 +“Right.”
   1.128 +The man she’d been so kind to the day before produced a strip of cloth and held it up to her mouth.  Quickly Sakura tried to lean her head back out of reach, but that was impossible, and easily he tied the gag over her mouth.  
   1.129 +“Shh, no more screaming please.  We’re not going to hurt you, I just want to take you somewhere.  Don’t struggle, it’ll only be worse for you.”
   1.130 +Every word only solidified Sakura’s terror and she screamed again, the sound muffled now.  
   1.131 +“C’mon, let’s get out of here before someone else comes along.”
   1.132 +Onii-chan!
   1.133 +Wordlessly Sakura begged her brother to hear her stifled screams, to come running for her and get her away from these horrible men.  But he did not appear, and the burly man behind her scooped her up easily in his arms, paying no attention to how she kicked and wriggled.  They walked quickly, heads swiveling constantly and on the lookout for witnesses.  There were none, however, and they took Sakura around a bend in the path to where a horse and cart stood waiting.
   1.134 +“In you go.”  The bigger man deposited her, not gently, on the wooden planking of the small cart and grabbed at her ankles before she could attempt to roll over and right herself.  Quite casually he tied her ankles together and linked the knot to the rope around her wrists, immobilizing her.  The other one draped a burlap blanket over her, darkening her world.
   1.135 +“Easy as anything,” he said cheerfully.  “Now let’s get going, I want to make it to Junction by lunch.”
   1.136 +Hunter’s Junction, the closest village to their own, was still a six hours’ walk and at a far lower elevation; Sakura had never been there in her life.  They were taking her away, away from her home and her brother and she hadn’t done anything wrong!
   1.137 +She rolled onto her back and tried banging her tied feet against the side of the cart, but it didn’t make much noise and she only fell over again whenever they hit a bump.  And it was difficult to breathe, under this heavy and scratchy blanket.  At length she collapsed against the planks, panting, and choked on a sob.  
   1.138 +The hot tears that fell were the first of many.
   1.139 +
   1.140 +--
   1.141 +
   1.142 +The most horrible hours of Sakura’s life passed in a blur of fear and pain, repeatedly tossed up and back against the hard wood with every bump in the road, her face hot and blotchy with tears.  A prickling discomfort crawled through her folded and tied legs, which then disappeared with all feeling period.  The agony was endless; she had no way of measuring how much time passed.  
   1.143 +But she did notice when the sunlight dimmed, through her roughly woven veil, and felt the cooler temperature of shadows.  Were they back under the canopy of trees?
   1.144 +The horse slowed, and then the filtered sunlight disappeared altogether, quite abruptly.  They stopped, and a new voice spoke up.
   1.145 +“Pierce.  Didn’t expect you so soon.”
   1.146 +“Unexpected windfall,” her captor announced, and she could hear footsteps approaching her prison.  The burlap was yanked off her and she cringed, blinking at the shift in light and trying to hide her face in her arms.  “Wait until you see what I’ve got for you.”
   1.147 +That same ruthless grip closed over her upper arm and pulled her up and over the edge of the cart.  Her dry throat hurt too much to scream anymore, thanks to the stifling gag, but she tried her best anyway.  Fingers tugged at the knot tying her ankles to her wrists, loosening it so she could at least stand straight if not walk.  But after so many hours of lying curled up on the hard wood her legs refused to obey her, and she almost crumpled to the floor.  Quickly the man behind her renewed his grasp, holding her upright and close to his chest to prevent much squirming.  
   1.148 +“This skinny wisp of a girl?” the new voice said doubtfully, its owner blurry through her tears and tangled veil of hair.  
   1.149 +“She’s a little small, sure, but look at her face.”  Fingers combed back her hair and a splash of water was thrown into her face.  She squealed and tried to turn her head, but he only held her chin steady as he patted her dry.  “Like an angel, wouldn’t you say?  And aren’t those the loveliest eyes you ever saw?”  Sakura squeezed them shut, willfully wishing away those eager shadowed faces looming over her, aware that she was beginning to shake.  Fingers curled around her lips, pulling them back to examine her teeth, and she cringed.  But there was worse to come.
   1.150 +“Hair’s awful short.”
   1.151 +“That can be remedied easily enough.  Anyway, it’s a fine texture and color.”  
   1.152 +Hands patted her on the shoulders, cupping around her neck, then without any hesitation started exploring her breasts.  Sakura screamed again, at that point, with everything she had, and she struggled to break free.  
   1.153 +None of them even commented.  The hands only moved down further, feeling her waist and then hips before they finally withdrew.  
   1.154 +“And you can confirm it later, but I’ll say here and now that she’s a virgin.”  
   1.155 +“Decent.  I’ll give you eighteen.”
   1.156 +“Thirty.”
   1.157 +“Twenty.”
   1.158 +They sounded almost like women haggling over a cut of mutton, and Sakura tried to understand just what it was this man was buying.
   1.159 +“Twenty-eight.”
   1.160 +“Twenty-three.”
   1.161 +“I won’t go one copper less than twenty-five, Trin.  There’s others who might buy, and you know this one’s a cut above.”
   1.162 +“Twenty-five then,” Trin acceded grudgingly.  “But I’ll come find you if she’s not.”
   1.163 +“Oh, she is.  Trust me on that one.”
   1.164 +Is what?  Twenty-five for what?  Eyes still closed, she heard the metallic clinking of exchanging coins, and then foreign lips planted a disgusting kiss on her forehead.  She recoiled.
   1.165 +“Bye bye, little one.  Thanks for the flowers.”  He patted her cheek lightly and the man behind her released his hold, surprising her in her unbalanced condition.  She nearly fell, but then another pair of arms caught her, dragging her across a dirt-packed floor before depositing her in a slump against the wooden wall.  She was in a barn, she saw upon looking around, a barn even larger than her own house.  The horse and cart she’d come here in was leaving through its wide open door, sunlight spilling through tantalizingly with the familiar tree leaves rustling outside.  Frantic, Sakura rolled toward that sunlight and the promise of escape, but a meaty hand clamped down on her shoulder before she even got close.  
   1.166 +“Oh, no you don’t.  I just paid for you, little missy, so don’t you get feisty on me.”  Without much apparent effort he sent her tumbling back against the wall.  “It’s early enough, so we’ll head for Hunter’s Junction in just a little while.  But first, a little something so you won’t be troublesome.”  
   1.167 +A hand grasped her hair and pulled her head back, while another untied the gag.  Taken aback at this sudden freedom, Sakura shrieked for help.
   1.168 +“Somebody!  Please -”  Some bitter liquid poured into her mouth and she almost choked, wheezing and gasping and trying to spit it back out.  
   1.169 +“No, you will swallow it.”  Again he tipped the canteen into her mouth and quickly covered it with his hand, pinching her nose cruelly until she had no choice but to swallow.  “Good girl.  Now just lie still while I get the horses ready.”  He dropped her, limp and panting, to the floor and she rolled over to look at the sunlight again.  The horse’s trot had already faded, the men that had brought her here were apparently gone.  Sakura tried to scoot across the packed dirt again, but her muscles weren’t responding this time.  
   1.170 +Her bones felt very heavy, suddenly, it was as if they’d been replaced with rocks.  She could hear her own breath, drawing in and out a little more slowly, lulling her with its steady pace.  
   1.171 +What was wrong with her?  This was a horrible place, she needed to get out, had to find a way back to her home.  Onii-chan, he would be so worried…
   1.172 +The sunlight didn’t seem so bright anymore.  In fact, all of the world was dimming, like an early dusk settling over her vision.  She was just so sleepy.  She could rest for a few minutes, then try again to get out.  Just for a few minutes.
   1.173 +
   1.174 +--
   1.175 +
   1.176 +It was a long sleep, for the hapless young girl.  Thick and oozing, like syrup, it embraced her and pulled her down into its dark depths.  Hard wagon floor and constant jostling crept into her awareness every now and then; confused, she rolled over and mumbled her brother’s name.  Someone tipped a mouthful of that bitter concoction down her throat whenever this happened, but she didn’t have the energy to fight it.  
   1.177 +Dreams were vague and troubling.  She was picking flowers, not in the wide open fields of the mountains but a garden, lavishly designed and cultivated.  Bars shot down between her and the flowers, caging her in, and she almost cried.  Always someone was watching her, many pairs of eyes though she couldn’t quite see them.  Only feel them.  Who was watching?
   1.178 +The images and feelings dissolved when a hand cupped her chin.
   1.179 +“Onii-chan… few more minutes,” she murmured half-heartedly.  The sky was still dark overhead, it couldn’t possibly be time to wake up.  Fingertips and something smooth and cool brushed over her neck, she heard the tiny metallic click of something latching.
   1.180 +“She is virginal,” someone said, and a damp handkerchief wiped at her face.  Grateful for its cool relief, Sakura hummed contentedly and rolled over so she could go back to sleep.  
   1.181 +She never imagined the great distances that she traveled as she slept, for so many hours, never saw the moon rise and set or the sun rise after that.  Lost in her dreams, Sakura never suspected how drastically her life had been changed forever.
   1.182 +
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   1.184 +Disclaimer: I do not own these characters
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