lifting at the corners of his mouth when he took in their shocked expressions. “It’s not that bad boys.”
Silence reigned a few more moments before Madu threw his arms in the air and shouted, “Price of Cats!”
“PRINCE OF CATS!” The group by the door shouted in unison before erupting into a chorus of cheers. A s Bray strode determinedly through the doors of the altar room to place his mark on the petition for recognition of mating status, he did so to well-wishes and good natured slaps on the back.
Chapter 9
N eomee retrieved a cloth and a jar of water before retreating to the slaves bathing area carrying her new white tunic draped over one arm. The new tunics had been provided to all female slaves for the special occasion.
T h e women’s bathing area consist e d of a small empty windowless room with benches. In the middle of each of the four benches sat a large bowl and a chunk of pasty soap made from rendered animal fat and chalk .
Neomee placed the large bowl on the ground, removed her gown , sat with her feet in the large bowl, then poured some of the water from her jar over her feet. She dipped her cloth in the water before swiping it against the soap several times then proceeded to scrub her body before rinsing clean with the remainder of the water in the jar. Who knows when next I’ll have the luxury of bathing.
After her bath, Neomee changed quickly into her new white gown . It exactly matched her old gown except the new one was a pristine white , free of the dirt that had tinged her old gown to more of a cream color ed hue .
She unbraided her flowing black locks and ran her fingers through her hair in an effort to brush her waist length mane. Satisfied, she quickly re-braided her hair, folded her old gown and placed it under one arm as she exited the slave’s quarters.
The temple would be home to hundred s of guests and e very temple slave was assigned multiple tasks for the evening. Even slaves from the town and outlying villages had been loaned to the temple for the great festival. Neomee’s hope was that in the mass confusion and raucous celebration that a lone missing slave would go unnoticed long enough for her to put great distance between herself and the town.
She couldn’t help but remember Bray’s odd threat. All my plans are ruined if he intentionally seeks me out. If he cannot find me, perhaps he’ll think I’m hiding from him and will let it be.
The temple and town were both already filled with more people than Neo mee had ever seen in one place, and as she made her way down the crowded hall to the garden, she had to sidestep multiple guests and ornately dressed Cats to avoid collision. Head bowed, eyes cast downward, she traversed the corridors quickly.
Approaching the garden cautiously , she stopped at the door to peek a round the corner into the open area . Sh e sighed her relief to find the plots empty.
She crossed the garden to a large thick shrub on the farthest wall then scanned her surroundings and the wall one last time to ensure there were no witnesses. Satisfied that she was alone, Neomee crouched behind the shrub and pulled her food cache from under its lush green leaves. Unfolding her old gown, Neomee loaded it with the fruits, nuts, vegetables, and dry meat that she’d been hoarding before she topped her gown with a small calf skin water bag she’d managed to steal from one of the Cats when he’d dropped it as he carried a slave out of the garden for some primal pleasure.
She quickly folded her gown around her contents and carried it like a sack. Standing, she scanned the garden again. Empty. Funny, she could feel the fine hairs on the back of her neck standing on end. It felt like she was being watched, but she saw no one.
Paranoid , she chided her self. Get moving girl. Exiting the garden, Neomee made her way quickly back down the crowded corridor, her eyes on the ground. Music drifted
Silence reigned a few more moments before Madu threw his arms in the air and shouted, “Price of Cats!”
“PRINCE OF CATS!” The group by the door shouted in unison before erupting into a chorus of cheers. A s Bray strode determinedly through the doors of the altar room to place his mark on the petition for recognition of mating status, he did so to well-wishes and good natured slaps on the back.
Chapter 9
N eomee retrieved a cloth and a jar of water before retreating to the slaves bathing area carrying her new white tunic draped over one arm. The new tunics had been provided to all female slaves for the special occasion.
T h e women’s bathing area consist e d of a small empty windowless room with benches. In the middle of each of the four benches sat a large bowl and a chunk of pasty soap made from rendered animal fat and chalk .
Neomee placed the large bowl on the ground, removed her gown , sat with her feet in the large bowl, then poured some of the water from her jar over her feet. She dipped her cloth in the water before swiping it against the soap several times then proceeded to scrub her body before rinsing clean with the remainder of the water in the jar. Who knows when next I’ll have the luxury of bathing.
After her bath, Neomee changed quickly into her new white gown . It exactly matched her old gown except the new one was a pristine white , free of the dirt that had tinged her old gown to more of a cream color ed hue .
She unbraided her flowing black locks and ran her fingers through her hair in an effort to brush her waist length mane. Satisfied, she quickly re-braided her hair, folded her old gown and placed it under one arm as she exited the slave’s quarters.
The temple would be home to hundred s of guests and e very temple slave was assigned multiple tasks for the evening. Even slaves from the town and outlying villages had been loaned to the temple for the great festival. Neomee’s hope was that in the mass confusion and raucous celebration that a lone missing slave would go unnoticed long enough for her to put great distance between herself and the town.
She couldn’t help but remember Bray’s odd threat. All my plans are ruined if he intentionally seeks me out. If he cannot find me, perhaps he’ll think I’m hiding from him and will let it be.
The temple and town were both already filled with more people than Neo mee had ever seen in one place, and as she made her way down the crowded hall to the garden, she had to sidestep multiple guests and ornately dressed Cats to avoid collision. Head bowed, eyes cast downward, she traversed the corridors quickly.
Approaching the garden cautiously , she stopped at the door to peek a round the corner into the open area . Sh e sighed her relief to find the plots empty.
She crossed the garden to a large thick shrub on the farthest wall then scanned her surroundings and the wall one last time to ensure there were no witnesses. Satisfied that she was alone, Neomee crouched behind the shrub and pulled her food cache from under its lush green leaves. Unfolding her old gown, Neomee loaded it with the fruits, nuts, vegetables, and dry meat that she’d been hoarding before she topped her gown with a small calf skin water bag she’d managed to steal from one of the Cats when he’d dropped it as he carried a slave out of the garden for some primal pleasure.
She quickly folded her gown around her contents and carried it like a sack. Standing, she scanned the garden again. Empty. Funny, she could feel the fine hairs on the back of her neck standing on end. It felt like she was being watched, but she saw no one.
Paranoid , she chided her self. Get moving girl. Exiting the garden, Neomee made her way quickly back down the crowded corridor, her eyes on the ground. Music drifted
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