Lynn was deep in thought as she went about her work that day. Memories of her mother had haunted her for years.

"Mama!"

"It's alright Lynn. You be a good girl!"

A 6 year old Lynn watched in horror as her mother was dragged away from her. The guards of the slave house Lynn had been born in took her mother in back of the house and Lynn could hear her mother sobbing for her, then silence.

It was the last memory of her mother she would ever have. The guards had come back bloody without Lynn's mother Anya. Lynn had run screaming into the sleeping hall. She'd hid under her bed until the slave master herself yanked her by the hair and threatened to kill her too if she didn't behave. Lynn had been born and raised a slave like the other descendents of the Maline race. Slaves were all of the Maline race, unless a human's family sold them into slavery. It happened sometimes and Lynn shuddered to think about the kind of people that would do that to their own family member. Maline's were described officially as smaller than humans, with fair skin and unusual markings. Lynn had often scoured her body for unusual markings, but she never could find any. She had long dark auburn hair that fell to her mid-back. It was cut once a year to that length. Her eyes were an unusual emerald green. Lynn often wondered if her unusual markings were her eyes.

Lynn had of course been raised to be perfectly obedient. Lynn had learned at an early age that obedience was easier than anything else. When Lynn was a child, the slave master often screamed at Lynn while she paddled her. The slave master told her she had too much spirit during those punishments. The slave master had often threatened her with lashings and the farmer's fields after she had misbehaved. Lynn knew that the woman wouldn't hurt her enough to leave scars, but her threats still scared her.

Lynn had little hope of being sold. She hadn't been sold as a child and now, as an 18 year old, she had no hope at all, most slaves were bought at the age of 15 or 16. She didn't know why no one had bought her. She tried to be on her best behavior when someone came looking, because she knew if she wasn't bought in two years the slave master would sell her to poor farmers, or worse, kill her. Lynn had nearly been bought a couple of times, but her potential owners had changed their minds when bartering with the slave master. Lynn assumed she must have asked too much for her.

Lynn was sitting on the floor scrubbing the floor when the strange man appeared at the slave house. When he stepped into the room he watched her for a while. She wore little as was customary of the house. She wore a simple sleeveless tan shirt and a short flared skirt. All of the slaves were supposed to be ready if someone came to buy one of them. Lynn looked up from her scrubbing to the man's boots. She bowed her head meekly.

"Can I help you with anything My Lord?"

She hoped she was doing right. Some people didn't like slaves to talk at all unless asked direct questions.

"Go and find your master."

She stood up quickly and raced to the kitchen, looking for the slave master. She found her yelling at the kitchen slaves to "hurry it up or she'd cook them for dinner instead." Lynn shuddered and dropped her eyes to the floor.

"Mistress, there is a man here asking for you."

The red-faced woman looked at Lynn.

"Very well. Get back to your scrubbing."

Lynn trotted out quickly and took her place back on her hands and knees. She glanced at the man who was standing where she needed to scrub. She sighed softly and pretended to be busy with an already scrubbed spot. The man chuckled and Lynn frowned, wondering what was so funny. The slave master strode into the room.

"Lynn, you're dismissed. Go help the kitchen slaves."

Lynn jumped up and went to the kitchen where the slaves ignored her when she asked if she could help. Lynn frowned and started peeling potatoes for the soup they were making.

"Slave Mistress. I need a female slave. Someone companionable and maybe even spirited, but still obedient. Was that little slave that was in here scrubbing for sale?"

The slave master nodded at the man. Then she pulled him aside for a moment, talking to him in a hushed tone. The man nodded at her.

"Go fetch suitable slaves, including the one that was scrubbing. I shall pick from them."

The slave master was surprised but she went to gather up the slaves. She went into the kitchen and pulled a few of the slaves with her, including Lynn. Then she scoured the sleeping hall and the stables, and gardens. Twenty slaves fell in step behind her as she led them into the main room of the house and told them to line up. The slaves lined up carefully, all dropping their eyes to the floor. The man looked them up and down and asked several their names and ages. When he reached Lynn he took her chin in his hand and raised her face up to his.

"Name and age?"

"If it pleases you My Lord, I am called Lynn and am 18 years old."

"Mmm, it does please me Lynn"

Lynn blushed a bit, usually she wasn't even asked her name when people came looking for slaves. She hoped it was a good sign. The man nodded to the slave master and stepped back to talk with her. The slave master and he bartered with each other, and finally the slave master looked up at the slaves.

"All of you dismissed, except you Lynn."

Lynn's eyes widened. Had she been picked? Was she dreaming? She shivered a bit, wondering if she really wanted to be picked. The man was strong and he looked rather fierce. Maybe those fields weren't so bad.

Author's Note: Yay! A new story from me! Finally. . I've had some major writer's block and busy-ness like nobody's business. This is a bit of a change of pace from my usual bouncy, crazy stories….Heheh…