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 Posted: Thu Jul 15, 2010 5:52 pm
Cleite sat in silence as she listened to Tui explain himself. She glanced down into the den, not to look at him to address him, but more to check on the job, to see just how effective he would be in this role. So far he wasn't that good at it. He seemed to stop working every time she asked him a question. "It is possible to talk and work at the same time." She told him before sitting up straight again looking out towards the trees. Though she had a job to do in breaking in the new recruit Cleite also needed to keep an eye out should that rogue male Achilles come back. "The best choices are meant to be made by those us of the superior gender." Cleite commented offhandedly as her eyes scanned the trees for even the slightest of movement that would indicate an unwanted guest here.
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Posted: Thu Jul 15, 2010 11:29 pm
Tui felt his face grow hot at the reprimand, and swiftly ducked back into the den, scrabbling to dig moldering leaves out the den's entrance. The lynx's reply, with its sting of humiliation, had decided it for him: the women here might shelter him and keep him safe, but they had no understanding of the slaves they kept. Keeping his eyes averted from Iosef's face, he slunk along the edge of the small enclosure, anxiously clawing detritus outwards and hoping that silence was an acceptable option here.
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Posted: Fri Jul 16, 2010 12:03 am
This was unfair, Iosef couldn't help but think. He of course had never had to deal with such a barrage of questions, had never had to defend himself --he had been born into this life, and staying there had been the most natural thing in the world. He had always been quite fond of Cleite, but now he felt a growing aggravation, a silent sort of grudge that welled up in him.
Just leave him alone, he thought to himself, furiously digging into the grime in order to distract himself. He'll be fine, if he just has some time to learn. He was growing angry, and he had no idea why. It bothered him. Iosef never got angry, not even when his sister had suggested that he be abandoned to die. As a rule, the only person the slave ever lost patience with, was himself.
But he said nothing, and instead gathered the detritus he had dug up, nosed it into a somewhat-tidy-pile, and drug it outside the den to bury it.
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Posted: Fri Jul 16, 2010 11:50 am
Satisfied with the information she had gathered for now Cleite sat quietly, mostly focused on the trees beyond. Every now and then she would glance into the den to check on their progress. Iosef, like always, was deep into his work, and with any luck Tui would be influenced by that. But honestly Cleite didn't expect him to instantly go into perfect slave mode right away.
As Iosef came out of the den with a pile of things Cleite glanced at him. "Where there any other duties the Queen instructed you two to do? Or are you to just go about your regular routine for now?" She questioned, as if she was to tag along for a while it would be nice to know where they were headed so she could stay more alert to hidden dangers.
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Posted: Fri Jul 16, 2010 11:33 pm
He shook his head. "No," he said, depositing the debris -- most of which was quickly crumbling into dust as he did so -- and quickly turning the loose soil over to bury it, scattering it amongst the topsoil to finish decaying properly. "I'm just to show him my regular routine, once his den is cleared."
He glanced over his shoulder as he finished up his work, checking on Tui's progress, then looked back to Cleite. He considered adding something, changed his mind, and went back inside the den. He was still fairly certain that something was living in there somewhere, but wasn't sure where.
"You're doing fine," he whispered, as he brushed past Tui. "Keep your nose out. I think something's nested in here." Then he pulled away to systematically work down the wall, searching for more signs of life.
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Posted: Sun Jul 18, 2010 5:54 pm
Cleite nodded at Iosef words but remained quiet. At this point there was nothing more she wished to know or ask about. Not she would remain at her guarding post until they moved to the next job site, upon which she would sit and watch and perhaps ask any question needed then. Also if Tui had any questions she would be able to answer them. Every now and then she would pull her eyes away from the trees and look into the den to check on their progress.
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Posted: Fri Jul 23, 2010 12:20 am
The slaves toiled for some time, moving a bit less efficiently perhaps than Iosef should have liked -- but then, it was to be expected, considering the circumstances. Especially as he could not help pausing intermittently to glance back at Cleite; her presence made him uneasy, not because he particularly minded the lynx, but because her being there meant that there was a threat very near to them, and Iosef knew that if it came to a fight that he was as good as dead.
But, at present, none of that was his concern. Whatever had nested in the den was, apparently, gone -- at least for now -- and Iosef stepped back to admire their handiwork as the sun rose to its highest point in the sky. There was a large splotch of dirt on the bridge of his nose. "I think that will do," he said, as much for Cleite's benefit as for Tui's. "You should be able to sleep now now, at any rate, and if whatever creature was staying here comes back, then you can dispatch it easily I'd think."
He offered a meager smile at Tui. "Now, just a quick pass over the den site to clear any debris, and we'll be able to break for some lunch and a bit of a nap during the heat of the day before our evening chores," he said, cheerfully, and then checked himself, ears folding back to his skull. "At least, that's my normal routine. If Cleite has no objections?"
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Posted: Thu Jul 29, 2010 9:15 am
Standing Cleite gave her fur a shake then took a moment to inspect their work. It was good enough, slave dens weren't usually in perfect shape anyways, so a bit of dirt here or a leaf there wasn't an issue. Turning her attention back to Iosef the lynx nodded. "Very well, I must speak with the Queen. Take your break for food and rest and I will meet up with you two later." She began to pad off but then stopped after a few steps and looked back at the slaves. "Do not wander too far." With her instructions given Cleite padded off towards the main dens, she would report to the Queen, give her approval of this new slave for at least a trial period and then take a break as well. It was likely gonna be a long night of watching the slaves work so she had best get some rest before returning here.
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Posted: Mon Aug 09, 2010 9:51 pm
When their work was finished, Tui listened to Iosef with eyes far too harrowed for someone who had only been cleaning out an old den. He braved a smile and nod, though, and even managed to pull his eyes over to look at Cleite. It wasn't until her nod and dismissal that he realized he'd been so strung up about her sober presence, and as she sauntered off he experienced a feeling of being so light he felt he'd been tossed into the air. He let out a silent breath, granting himself the luxury of a couple of seconds of closed eyes, and looked back with a wan smile to Iosef. "I think I've never dug a more harrying hole in my life."
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Posted: Wed Aug 11, 2010 10:22 pm
Iosef laughed good-naturedly and gave his fellow slave a friendly nudge. "You did well," he said, voice low, tail giving a slow wave. "Come, now...let's grab a bite to eat and relax for a moment before she gets back, shall we?"
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