Pepper believed the worst thing about being a slave again wasn't the endless work or the brutal cold. Those things were bad, but not the worst. The worst part is that he misses everyone so much.
The second worst thing is hunger. Loneliness and hunger were both like a ache in his stomach, and sometimes they merged to the point where he couldn't even speak. It hurt so much that he couldn't think of anything.
If he works too hard, the hunger will be worse, but if he doesn't work hard enough, he won't eat anything. If he thinks about something, that makes it worse, too. His mother told him to think of happy things, but those were the most dangerous. All the joy came from spending time with two bereaved families, whom he missed dearly.
All he can do is do his job and hope he gets a hunk of bread today. He sighed and reached out to pick up another piece of horse manure. The owner's man liked to collect horse manure for reasons no one bothered to explain, and if he didn't collect enough horse manure before dark, he would have nothing to eat. The sun was only a fist's length above the horizon and sinking rapidly. He gritted his teeth and picked up another piece, wishing he had grown fur on his hands so his fingers would be warmer.
These aliens lived in the back cabin, just as he and his first family had lived before Androcles. They are shaped like a circle, wide and round, with a pointed top, and a roof made of hay, thick and heavy. The buildings are similar, but the people are different. They are both stone people, but they are not the same type as Dad. Dad's skin is a bit dark, his hair and beard are black instead of pale, and he...
Pepper's face turned pale and he looked around, but no one saw him thinking about his father, so he just shook his head and tried to think of something else.
The basket is as full as it gets, so it's time to empty it on the pile. However, when he bent down to pick it up, he discovered that it was heavier than he thought. He was so hungry that his arms felt like they were made of cloth. He looked at them and suddenly felt strange that they were his. I really wish Flower could help me, he thought. He imagined the flower standing there, holding the other end of the basket, and...oh, no, no, I thought about it again. He tried to think of something else, but it wasn't fast enough. Tears welled up in his eyes, and the pain in his stomach suddenly worsened. He almost threw up.
He knelt down, hugged himself tightly, and wrapped his tail around his knees, trying to warm up and calm down. He didn't want to cry because the tears made his face cold, and he didn't want to throw up because it hurt so much. There's nothing to throw up in there anyway. He squeezed his eyes shut so they wouldn't burn, and breathed as deeply and evenly as he could, over and over. It took him a while, but then he felt better.
He picked up the basket and used all his strength to lift it for about ten steps before putting it down and resting for a while. Then he picked it up again, staggered ten steps, and stopped to rest. Don't think about Flower anymore. No more thinking about Flower, or anyone else. Not until he was full, and definitely not in front of the Master.
It took Pepper a long time to drag the basket to the pile at the edge of the village, empty it out, and start cleaning the dung from the wicker. He had to pack it with snow and shake it out over and over again, otherwise the shit wouldn't come out. The cold stiffened his forearms and he realized he could barely move his fingers. But one time he didn't clean enough, and the master punished him by not giving him food. The next day, even though he was very hungry, he gave him the same amount of work. So Pepper did her best, stuffing the snow into all the cracks and patting it out until it was perfect.
He carried it back to the master's quarterdeck house, and as he drew nearer he saw the light of a great fire within, and heard the laughter of men and women. The smell of barbecue filled his mind, and a bold spark of hope ignited within him, even as his mouth watered and his stomach churned. Master is with his friends again, which is the best thing. This had only happened twice so far, but each time the master gave him more food than usual and kept him near the fire to keep his drinking corner full.
He shook the snow off his tail and off his leather shoes, then meekly lowered his head and carried the basket into the large quarter deckhouse. Without raising his head, he waited until Master stopped talking and then said: "Master, I did as you asked. This is the basket."
"Ah, great, this is my Thunderbolt who has returned from collecting excrement. Come and show me the basket," the master said kindly. Pepper's hope grew even greater.
Pepper stepped carefully between the guests and their wives, careful not to look at any of them, and showed the basket to the host. The rude man took it, looked inside, and threw it into the corner.
Pepper glanced into the room and saw at least ten guests gathered around the fire. The original stew pot was replaced by a fork, and on it sat a large skinned wild boar, roasted until it was red and gleaming. The master's wife drizzled more oil on it to make sure it was cooked through, just like Dad used to do with the rabbit and bird.
But just then, it turned, met Pepper's eyes, looked directly at him, and continued to turn. Little Pepper couldn't help shivering and being hungry. He stared into the face of the roasted animal, its tongue stuck between its teeth, its good eye fixed on him no matter how it turned, and somehow it seemed a personal emotion. . It was as if the iron rod was stuffed into him from tail to teeth. No skin. Pepper had to remind herself that this was food. He closed his eyes and smelled.
"So, Naos, where did you get the thunderbolt?" a man with a hoarse voice asked.
Pepper avoided looking at the visitor and remained still. He didn't know how to react - Master would be angry if he did anything outrageous, but he also didn't want to embarrass Master by appearing weak or stupid.
"I made a deal with the prince. He owed me a favor. It cost me two sheep," the master said, sounding pleased with himself. "So far, he doesn't deserve it."
Pepper's chest tightened and he looked away. His stomach twisted again, and he nearly doubled over in pain. The sudden fear of not getting dinner made the situation worse.
The master's friend replied: "Two sheep? Are you kidding me? In the south, a thunderbolt is worth more than four hundred silver coins, maybe more."
"Perhaps an adult. Not sure. But my little black tail is with that big beast that everyone is talking about. The one who killed the king's nephew? The toolbox is that man's slave. The prince needs to be there before the beast gets an idea Get rid of it as soon as possible. I think it's deserved," the master said with a chuckle.
Not a slave. I'm Daddy's son, not his slave, Pepper thought. However, he said nothing. The master even forbids him to think about his old family. The master somehow knew what he was doing and would hit him or twist his ears. He quickly thought about other things than his father. dinner.
"How is he?" I heard skytha
de
It's painful that if you raise them as adults, they will never obey you. asked another friend of the Master.
"Blacktail here is too small and skinny to be of much use, but so far he's been easy to deal with. Stop crying and fooling around. He soon forgot his old master. Isn't that right, Blacktail?" the Master asked, an evil glint in his eyes. Pepper could see the effect of the alcohol, making them emptier than normal. The firelight cast strange shadows on the Master's face, illuminating his sparse beard and short, unkempt hair. on. It made him look like a monster, and Pepper looked away.
"Yes, Master." Pepper said, eyes lowered, trying not to let the unhappiness in her stomach show in her voice.
"Now that I remember, tell me: how long have you been a slave?" the master asked.
"Half a month, Master," Pepper said.
"No, that's when I bought you, idiot. How long had you been a slave before that?" the Master said, sounding a little annoyed.
Pepper winced, knowing he was about to lose his only food for the second day in a row. The thought terrified him. Hunger is too terrible to imagine. His thoughts were running so fast that he could barely keep up with what he wanted to say. He tried to look remorseful and said, "I'm sorry, Master. I wasn't a slave before. But I don't remember much. I forgot all about them." He felt himself tripping over the lies as they came out of his mouth, He was sure everyone knew this.
"Were you not a slave before?" asked the master's wife. She had barely looked twice at Pepper during the time she'd lived with them, but now she was staring at him. Her dull brown eyes and long face, with her unkempt brown hair, had always made him uncomfortable, and even more so now.
"No, Master, or, um, Master's wife. I just, um..." Pepper said. He didn't want to say he was Androchus' son because it might appear provocative. Everyone knows that Androx is the strongest man in the world.
The master asked: "If you are not a slave, why are you a gentle little rabbit?"
Pepper didn't answer for a moment, feeling suddenly ashamed. He glared at his master almost defiantly before coming to his senses. But Dad always used to say something, usually to make Flower feel better about his poor performance. He would say: 'Being smart is as good as being strong. Pepper knew he was too young to fight with adults. He was sure he could beat any boy his age, maybe a kid of twelve or fifteen. But Pepper is still a child, and Master's fist makes him understand how fragile he is.
If he can't get strong, he needs to get smart. Even children can be smart. After he calmed down he said: "Master wants me to be weak, so I am weak. I have to do what you say because I am a slave now, you can kill me if you want. I am just a child. I have no place You can go."
The joyful atmosphere around the fire waned a bit, and for a moment Pepper worried that he'd messed up - that he'd ruined his master's party by saying something dark instead of something funny, and now he'd be hungry again. . He looked at the wall.
Master said: "It's best not to forget, kit."
"Of course, Master." Suddenly an idea flashed, and he quickly added: "Master has always been kind. I may starve to death in the snow. I will never forget, because I am still alive." Then, he knew that every time Everyone was watching him, and he risked everything by glancing at the roasted boar, then shyly licking his lips and looking away. He was just so shy that people thought he was an accident. He held his breath in anticipation, waiting to see if it would work.
There was a brief silence; then a woman with a hoarse, unpleasant voice said: "We are not here to talk to your slave Navais. Just feed him and let us get back to happier things."
Master broke off half a piece of bread and handed it to Little Pepper with a frown on his face. Little Pepper was relieved and burst into tears before she realized what had happened. He quickly turned around and took a bite of bread that was almost too big to chew. After swallowing, he could feel the tube going down to his stomach. His stomach felt sour for a while, but by the time the bread was gone, he felt better. The hunger in his stomach disappeared, leaving only loneliness. Having a full belly feels like a victory.
For the rest of the evening, Pepper stood respectfully beside her host, filling everyone's glasses with wine. Once the atmosphere became cheerful and the Master's guests began to share large portions of meat and wine with him, he accepted it all with a grin and a sincere "thank you"!
Pepper knew she didn't have Flower's charisma. Everyone fell in love with Flower immediately. He looks better, his hair is white instead of black. The flower always smiles and my mother always says she is happy to see it. Pepper is good at sneaking, he is a better hunter, but the flowers can sing so well that the trees bend down to listen. No one stopped to listen to what Pepper was doing. However, here, among these people, now that he works really hard, Pepper begins to believe that he can have a good personality and get what he wants, just like Ga
biandFlowe
Same. He just needs to be like Ga
bi as humble as flowe
As friendly as Wolfsca
Just as fun, plus…
The owner hit Pepper's ribs with his knuckles, and a sharp pain suddenly shot out of Pepper's body. Little Pepper gritted his teeth in pain, collapsed to the ground, and grabbed the place where his master hit him.
"You're thinking of your old master again. I can see it. "Stop," the Master said, his voice without any emotion.
Pepper didn't dare look up at him, or anyone else. "Yes, Master. I'm sorry," he whispered.
Those who were still awake seemed to be deliberately ignoring what was happening, for no one spoke. The more he thought about it, the worse the pain seemed to get, making Pepper feel sick to her stomach. It had been too long and he had eaten too much. He began to worry that he was going to throw up, a thought that frightened him more than being hit again.
But then the owner reached out and patted Little Pepper on the head. The surprise was enough to make him forget everything; the Master had never done such a good thing. Pepper looked up, confused.
The Master said in a gentler, calmer voice: "Listen, child. You should not love or hate any Master too much. Just serve. It is easier for everyone. And don't let the Masters love you too much or hate them too much. Hate you. A slave is a slave, not a family. You can never be a family. You will never have one. You will be a slave for the rest of your life. If you love a master, you will know when he sells you Broken. If you hate him, he will kill you when he finds out. Just take the middle road. Do as I say and it will be easier for you. So forget about your old master. I can see you Love him. Forget him."
How could I forget Dad? Or does anyone know? He will save me one day, Pepper thought. But he didn't say it. He would never say something like that within earshot of the Master. After a while, he said calmly: "Yes, Master." Then he wiped the tears from his eyes, which caused two kinds of pain.
The master nodded and looked away.
The night grew longer, and finally the last few of the Master's friends fell asleep with the help of fragrant wine. The master was the last to sleep, so Pepper added another log to keep the fire warm all night, then covered everyone with whatever blankets he could find.
Except for one, the blanket that Master gave him. It's thin and has two holes, but it's better than nothing. Pepper wrapped herself in it and curled up on a bundle of furs that her owner had placed beneath his hunting trophies.
He took one last look at the quarterdeck house, listening carefully to everyone's breathing to make sure they were actually asleep. them. No one moved. Some of them snored.
It always feels weird being the last one to wake up, but it's a good feeling. It made him feel powerful. If he wanted to, he could decide to sleep, or do something else. No matter what he thinks.
But he knew what he wanted to do: while the master was asleep, he could think of his family. He struggled to remember what it was like to sleep next to his father. He still remembers the feeling of being warmed by his father's big arms when he woke up. What it feels like to sit next to flowers, holding hands and tying tails together, best friends and brothers. He thought of Gabby's laugh, her seriousness, her clever jokes. Mom's harsh language, the horrible things she said, were not her intentions. When mom says, "You nasty little mouse!" what she really means is: "I love you, honey!"
Dad once thought he had to give up the peppers and flowers, so he gave them to Mom to take care of. She held them in her lap and rested their heads on her shoulders, and they cried, thinking they would never see him again. She held them, hugged them, and sang the songs of her old tribe, and Pepper never forgot them for a moment, no matter what his master told him.
A long time ago, Pepper's first family were good people. They were happy and took good care of him, but they were killed by slavers. People are like the Master's tribe. So they decided not to keep him, but to leave him to fend for himself. He almost found it, but he found Flower first. Then he found his father. Then they found their mother. and Ga
bi. and Wolfsca
.
Now that's Pepper's family. He had lost everything. He was only hours away from death. Then he was saved. He's daddy's boy. No matter what Master said, he would never forget it.
He opened his eyes and glared at the sleeping figure of his master. Dad will come to save him. There is no doubt about this. He's done it many times and he'll do it again. Even if he can't do it, Pepper will become stronger one day. He will become an adult, he will kill the master, and then go to everyone to save dad. Then they would go and live in Dikaya, as their father had promised. Pepper stared at the sleeping master, anger burning in her stomach. He never forgets who he is. One day he will be free.
