Chapter Four
Escapes and Quiet Boys

I do not know what happened in the last thirty minutes. I just know that I am clutching my E'ul the Brave book close to my heart and running through forest trees behind my old master's son.
I do wish that T'eyltar would have come, but she refused. Please get a good master, I think.
"We are almost there, J'uniea," says P'elou, glancing back behind him quickly. I have just noticed that he has long hair pulled back in a ponytail cascading down his back.
P'elou and I crouch down below some low branches, now running. I hear rushing water.
Rather abruptly, P'elou stops and I run into him.
"Sorry," I murmur.
"None taken." I past P'elou and to where he is staring. He is staring at a large boat on the river. Around the boat are lots of other slaves, living in one big shelter. Some are even mothers feeding their children.
My hand moves to my mouth. "Oh," I breathe. I didn't realize that P'elou did all of this.
P'elou turns to me and smiles, his blue eyes gleaming. I have never seen him smile before, and it makes me smile too.
"Ay'rgus!" he yells, turning away from me. "Oi, Ay'rgus! I have a new one!"
An elderly man comes hobbling over with his walking stick. He reminds me of an injured pigeon that T'eyltar and I healed once.
Suddenly, Ay'rgus is at my face and gently tipping my face up to him.
"Pretty little lady, too," he remarks, releasing my chin and smiling. His smile is very different from P'elou's. Ay'rgus's smile just a strange twisting of his thin lips, making his face look almost distorted.
I smile back hesitantly.
"Come with us. We have a few others around your age at the far end. You're about thirteen, correct?" P'elou says.
"Yes, sir," I reply as P'elou and Ay'rgus start walking.
P'elou laughs. His laugh surprises me, for it sounds like musical bells. You never would have guessed from his voice.
"No need to call me sir," he says.
I flush, although I don't know why. I stare at my feet the rest of the way to the far end of the shelter.
"Here we are," says Ay'rgus in that low growl of his.
I look up and smile at him, then look around. There are about five girls sitting in a circle, and one boy seeming about my age.
"Make yourself at home," says P'elou.
"Thank you," I mutter to him. He merely winks and he and Ay'rgus move out.
I watch them until they are hidden by the crowd and then sit in the circle.
The blonde girl beside me sticks out her hand for me to shake. I shake it and smile weakly, feeling hopelessly out of place. "Hello, my name is J'eressine, and this is K'etrella," she gestured to a meaty, sad looking black haired girl next to her. "And then there's A'nfra, Lo'ustia, G'ennaila and-" J'eressine lowers her voice so that I have to lean in to hear her. Her eyes dart quickly to the boy who is huddled off to the side, looking even more out of place than I am.
"That's the Boy. We do not know what his name is. He doesn't speak," says J'eressine. We both sraighten and I glance at the Boy.
He has curly jet black hair and well-tanned skin. His eyes appear brown until he shifts his head and the light hits them, then they look green. And scared.
I smile at J'eressine and the others and shift over to the Boy.
"Hello. I'm J'uniea, what is your name?" I ask in a quiet voice, still clutching my book to my chest.
The Boy stays silent, occasionally casting nervous glances in my direction. After a few minutes of this, I relax my grip on the book. "Here, do you read?" I ask gently, handing him the book.
I don't expect him to take it, but he does ever so carefully in his nimble hands. He studies the old leather cover with immense interest.
I let him investigate the book until he hands it back to me, actually smiling a little.
I grin back at him. "Do you speak?"
The Boy nods, but doesn't talk. We fall completely silent.