What have I done? what’s wrong with me? I’m a fucking slaver now. Nita thought in disgust, as she flopped down on her own bed for the first time in months, putting her head in her hands. What choice did I have though? Just kill Lilly after the fight was over or let her bleed out? Let the magistrate hang her? She shook her head. Cid would never have let me release her. Nita hadn’t been able to kill anybody who was defenseless after a fight was over: Except goblins, but the savage vermin hardly counted as intelligent.

Kit looked so pathetic and sad, and Rebeca was going to be sold as a camp whore, they usually last a year at most. Now I'm just making excuses. You only made Lilly a slave; the others were branded already. She tried a different tack with herself. Bandits hang or get brands. There is no other option in Walchester, there were no prisons and slaves were useful, for the war if nothing else. Could have just let her go anyway, she’s just a kid. Mom would be ashamed. Dad would… she shuddered at what her father would have done had he been around, and mentally forced herself to think about something else.

A knock at the door broke Nita of her wallowing, and she looked up to see Lilly poke her head in.

“Do you need anything Mistress?” Lilly asked quietly.

Nita just shook her head mutely. Her head still in her hands.

“Well, Master Cid said Master Ed was in the Training Yard with Captain Grey and they insist you come for a spar. They want to see how much you’ve fallen in your training while you were away.” Lilly said; repeating what Cid had told her.

“What’s with the ‘Master and Mistress’ all of a sudden?” Nita asked looking up, finally meeting Lilly’s eyes.

“Master Cid insisted that we use proper address, so the family doesn’t look weak to outsiders.” Lilly explained.

“Well I hate it. I’d rather you just call me Nita.” Nita muttered her mood lowering even more.

“They are waiting for you in the yard. Best not keep them waiting Mistress.” Lilly tried again more forcefully this time.

“Fine.” Nita responded sullenly with her blood rising. She got up and started peeling off her traveling clothes.

“Help me with this.” Nita said tersely to Lilly. Pointing at the straps at the back of her jerkin. “Please.” She added.

Lilly helped her out of her armor. Then watched and helped as Nita stormed about her apartment collecting different gear. She couldn’t help but worry a little about the drastic change in Nita’s manner. She hoped it didn’t turn into something more sinister. She liked Nita, even though she was now her owner. She was led to banditry after all; though life had forced her into it. She didn’t blame Nita for how things turned out, and she was happy to still be alive in a relatively wealthy and functional household.

“Let’s go.” Nita said waiting at the door, seeing Lilly was lost in her own thoughts.

“Aye.” Lilly said getting herself together and following Nita out.

“Where is Kit? We need her too get in on this, since she is my bodyguard now. I got some idea of her ability in the last few weeks, but Captain Grey will be much better at judging her weaknesses and how she can improve.” Nita said. The words coming more easily with something other than self-pity to concentrate on.

“She is there already, mistress. Master Cid has her with them at the yard.” Lilly said with a small smile, seeing Nita engaging a little.

“Of course, he’s a step ahead of me.” Nita said picking up her pace. “Come on, we need to get there before they break her, and I have to spend all night healing her. Knowing those two they will take that into account and give her a good thrashing.” Nita elaborated.

“Yes mistress!” Lilly replied hurrying.

“Ug. Lilly. Please call me mistress as little as possible.” Nita winced. She had managed to trick herself into forgetting they were slaves during the trip. But the ‘mistresses’ were starting to make it really set in. It was different when the Galloway’s slaves called her that, since they weren’t hers and not her choice, but Lilly was making her feel ashamed of her choices.

As they left the halls, and entered the large sand filled courtyard, they used for personal training, a bigger, more robust, and scarred version of Cid approached with a huge grin on his face.

“Flower!” Edward Galloway bellowed as he approached and wrapped Nita in a big hug, lifting her off the ground and spinning her around in a few quick spins before putting her down. Ed had about 50 pounds and 6 inches on his brother; all of it lean muscle.

“Cindy told me all about your recent trip!” Ed said giving Cid a wicked grin. “So, you finally got your brand. I’ve seen the slave version on Kit there.” He said pointing at where Kit was bent over with her hands on her knees panting heavily, while glaring at the ever-stoic Captain Grey, who appeared unfazed, a wooden short sword held loosely in his left hand. “But you’re going to have to show me yours. Cindy tells me it's your full back! Never would have thought you would go that big. At least it looks like your artist was talented!”

“My name is CID! Not Cindy!” Cid yelled throwing a training sword at the back of his brother’s head. Which Ed just casually side stepped and smiled looking back at his brother

“Keep telling yourself that girly boy.” Ed shot back. “Nita here is 10 times the fighter you are! Hell, Kit there is at least twice the man you are.” Ed said. The grin never leaving his face, as he poked fun at his youngest brother.

“Ass-fucker!” Cid retorted.

“Real original there Cindy.” Ed said rolling his eyes.

“Where is Ander?” Cid asked trying to divert his brothers teasing, but secretly happy, as he saw a smile finally appear on Nita’s face at his brothers’ antics.

“He’s with Father. Now for the real fun.” Ed said turning his grin back to Nita, his eyes sparkling.

“Shit. I hate it when he gets that look.” Nita said to Lilly, getting into a fighting stance and bringing her weapons up to defend herself, just in time to deflect the quick charge and lunge from Ed. She blocked with a quick sidestep and precisely angled deflection with the dagger in her left hand. Her adrenaline hit; blood pounding in her ears. Nita took a couple quick steps back to give herself a little distance then with a quick reversal she stepped into Ed’s approaching swing and tried to hip check him and slice his inner thigh with her gladius. Only to dive into a roll to mitigate the force from the quick offhanded punch Ed threw into her shoulder. Holy fuck, I forgot how hard he hits!

“Good!” Ed said cheerfully taking a few more swings at her with his longsword, as she regained her feet with her defense intact. “You’ve managed to keep some of your edge my Flower.”

“Well I had two real fights on the road, and I trained most nights like I promised I would.” Nita said circling Ed while trying a few exploratory swings and lunges, which he effortlessly deflected. With a sudden smile she feinted at Ed’s head with her sword then dagger, followed with a quick kick to the side of his knee that connected.

“Nice! That was new.” Ed grinned resetting his balance and following Nita closer, then taking a few whip fast strikes which she deflected then landing one on her left bicep.

“Learnt that from Kit.” Nita said matching his grin. While shaking out the sting in her arm.

“Okay, now that we have warmed up, let’s make this more interesting.” Ed said a few minutes later, looking to the side where the others were watching.

“Okay the teams are me and my flower here, against Cindy, Kit, Lilly, and the Captain.” Ed said enthusiastically. “Since we are at the disadvantage, we choose the ground.” He continued with a smirk turning to Nita. “You choose.” He told her.

“Hmm, The double doors over there. We are in the hall defending they are attacking.” Nita said nodding with a grin.

“Some disadvantage. Okay, victory conditions are fatal strikes to all enemy’s or if attacking force gets two members past and clear.” Cid said. To which both Nita and Ed nodded and smiled.

A couple hours later Nita pulled her head out of a water barrel and brushed the water-soaked hair out of her face with a stupid grin.

“Shit I needed that!” She said gathering herself and looking at Kit who was also soaking herself in the barrel. “You’re better than I thought, why didn’t you tell me you were best with two kukris? I would have found you some sooner! Would have been better than being stuck with that saber.” She asked.

“I wanted to practice with the longer blade. You know what they say about knife fights.” Kit said, gesturing at all of her scars, with a slight smile. The sparring had opened her up to Nita a little more.

“Yeah, cut fast, cut first, and cut true. Preferably without your enemy seeing you. Anything else and you are likely dead.” Nita said reciting Captain Grey’s spiel on short blades. He firmly believed they were only for assassination, though he seemed to appreciate Kit’s display earlier. The lithe Catkin seemed to flow around the others, slipping blows aside with her blades.

“Exactly! My speed’s been the only thing keeping me alive this long. Sometimes it was really close; not all of these scars are from the whip.” Kit said looking at her arms, then giving Nita another smirk. “Now what? On the road it was easy to know what I am supposed to do, but it’s a little more uncertain here.” Kit asked openly.

“Well I have court with the Count in the morning which you, Lilly and Rebeca can probably avoid. Then I imagine we will have an informal family brunch which I believe he’ll want the three of you to attend so he can ask his questions. Otherwise you’re my bodyguard. I’ll talk to the head maid to see about some training for Lilly. Rebeca, will depend on the Count tomorrow.” Nita explained coming to a decision on her two slaves. There was no way she was going to sell them, she would treat them like friends, and she would do the best she could for Rebeca with the Count. She was sure he would at least keep her around with her skills and beauty.

“Alright, if you want me to be your guard can you buy me some armor?” Kit asked.

“Absolutely! I need to replacement myself. But tomorrow; we need to find a bite to eat and get some sleep.” Nita said with a giant yawn. As they reached her apartment and closed and bolted the door.

“Sleep sounds good.” Lilly said yawning in response to Nita’s, before collapsing onto a chaise longue.

“Agreed.” Rebeca agreed finding a couch as Kit grabbed some blankets from their bags and piled them in a corner kicking them until she liked the shape, before sprawling out on them.

“I’ll figure beds out tomorrow too! Don’t let me forget, Lilly.” Nita added watching them while eating a sandwich that was left on a sideboard, before falling into her bed, blowing out the candle on the nightstand.

“G-Nite, girls.” She said, before quickly falling into a deep sleep.

“Nite.” They murmured back.