Stolen...

The cold air swirled around her body. She was out looking for fresh mushrooms and other plants to store for the winter. Her eyes scanned slowly across the fine dusting of snow. There was not much of it upon the ground, just enough to making the grass glisten in the sunlight. She pulled the cloak she had been allowed to wear around her body in a futile attempt to keep warm. Her fingers ached in the cold, wrapped tightly into the thin leather cloak to keep it closed...

...The snow and grass crunched under her feet as she walked onwards in search of whatever food stuffs she could find. Winter was upon them, the first snow was but a dusting, the slaves were sent out to find whatever they could before more snow came. Carefully she searched for anything, her eyes fixed to the task at hand...

...Off in the distance her soft green eyes caught movement. A rabbit, plump and round rustled in a thicket. Slowly her hands moved, letting go of her thin cloak, down to her slingshot. Quietly she slipped it out of its holder, her other hand grasping a stone from the small pouch on her belt.
  Her soft fingertips held the stone in the leather catch of the slingshot. They trembled in the cold air as she carefully took aim, waiting, waiting...

...She could see the impact, her stone hitting true. She hurried quickly towards the fresh kill, making sure it was dead with a quick, sharp twist if its neck. A warm smile slipped across her lips, it would be a great addition to the sullage tonight. Carefully she tied the still warm carcass to her belt with a bit of leather and continued her search...

...Her breath curled in the air, its whitish gray color dancing in front of her as she walked onwards in her search. She clearly missed the warmth of the former cities she had served in before. Ebony skin shivered in the wind, slicing into her like a Masters whip, making her eyes tear with its bite. Slowly she trudged on, going ever further with each step...

...Hours had passed, her basket slowly getting heavier and more cumbersome, it was turning out to be a good morning for foraging. She would take the easier route back to camp. The gurgling of the small creek sung in her ears steadily as she grew closer. She'd check the fish traps on her way back, a much easier path to walk...

...A heavy sigh escaped her lips as trap after trap turned up empty. Empty like someone else had taken the catch. She reset them and continued slowly onwards. The suns warmth teasing licked at her dark skin, making her shiver more when it hid behind a passing cloud. She could hear the cackling of the wild volos in the distance, their noise mixing with the bubbling of the creek as its water slept over stones...

...There was quite the way back to the camp. Her legs burned in the winds chilling grasp, her back aching under the weight of her full basket. A warm, tender song came to her lips, its tune matching the sounds about her. She hummed happily, the full basket heavy with her found treasures would surely make the Mistresses pleased. The thought of their warm smiles making her own smile bigger...

... 'Half way there.' She thought to herself, not much longer at all. The once snow covered grass was now just damp. It had turned out to be a great morning despite the cold start. A snap of a branch, barely heard, mostly ignored, stood out in sharp contrast of the sounds she had been humming. Her head turned towards the direction it seemed to come from...

...A heavy throbbing pain shot through her head, her eyes glazed over from the intense pain, and then, blackness.
  She awoke some time later, the sun, low on the horizon now. She could feel the sharpness of the rope as it bit into her wrists and ankles, the smell of the dirt at her nose. There she lay, hog tied on the cold ground of a hut, her head filled with fogginess, cut with the sharpness of pain, she tried to look around, but the darkness found her again...

...It must have been morning, the bright sunshine tore at her eyes when the door opened. The black shadowy figure stood in the doorway, her eyes trying to focus on the figure, the suns light keeping the face from being seen.
  The figure drew closer, her body trembled as she watched its hand move towards her. The rattle of a chain cut into the eerie silence, she felt it latch upon her collar. Nimble fingers quickly untied her, a strong feminine voice boomed in the silence, "Up girl."
  She quickly slipped to her knees, her body shivering, "Yes Mistress." was all she said...

...Out into the morning light she was led, out into an unfamiliar camp. She knew now what had happened to her...

   ...She was now a slave of a new camp, captured from her old camp...
     ...no one would miss her for quite some time at her old camp, she was but a camp slave, not wanted by anyone there anyway...