Legends of Belariath
Atropa Bell
The last thing I remember from my life before Slavery, I lived with other nymphs in a simple glade, free and of every convention of society. I was an adult by then. I remember the men that came and trapped us so easily, and when I say us, I mean just me; my sisters escaped. I was caged and brought directly to a town far away, the hunter that watched me made sure I was untouched beyond a little check of my features. I didn't know what the term Virgin meant but, they used it for me and said I'd fetch a lot of money for them as I was being such a rare thing.
I feel asleep and woke in a cage. I sat up and heard the auctioneer calling out “A beautiful Dryad for sale, unspoilt by the hands of men! A rarity worthy of the cost!” I heard men calling out numbers until finally someone said six million... the entire room became quiet then. I saw the man that had bid such a high number. It was an elf in gorgeous silken robes of green and gold. He approached and placed a large bag onto the counter and I was let out of the cage.
He took his hand and placed it against my right cheek. He led me to a store and pulled out a small pouch full of inks. “these are enchanted, I would like you to mark my pet's cheek with the same mark that is upon the vials in the same design in every detail.” I was sat down and held in place and forcefully marked with the ink, it hurt a lot to be tattooed. “It will fade only upon my death pet... You are mine.” I didn't understand what he meant then.
it took three days to settle me into clothes and his home. “Now then, I would like to begin your training today dear.” and he did, from that day until the years end he taught me without stop of modesty, etiquette, & bashfulness, he taught me so many things I had known nothing of before. I respected him for it, he also gave me a name, the name of his favorite poisonous plant, he called me Atropa Bell.
He protected me constantly and never touched me himself. “The mark lets me see the world around you, it warns me when you are in danger.” Many times when he let me out into the town to wander Men tried to assault me and he would appear and send them cowering away. When they would try to take advantage of my naïveite of the ways of the town he would appear and smite them. He was my knight, He was my defender... he was the man I loved. The Mage Licuid Rhodes...
One night on the third year of his ownership of me and the sixth month of my daydreaming of his affections, he offered to teach me a skill of the many he was privy to, He explained the different types of magics to me and I decided easily on the bardic arts. His first gift to me was a pan flute he told me I could keep, the second was lessons in how to play the harp, the violin, the flute, the lute, the ocarina, the pan flute and several others... it was last that he began to teach me how to work the magic behind the melody... too close to the end
the night of the end came, a night I had planned to profess my love to my master. There was a loud crash at the front door as we sat and I played his harp for him. He led me to the front door, much of the town was there in armor carrying their weapons and readying spells. Licuid looked to the and then the mob that had torn down an entire wall to get in. he cast a spell and shoved me backward. I landed in a pile of dried leaves I looked at the portal he'd pushed me through as he closed it. I cried out for him and then felt a stinging pain in my cheek I stood with only the panflute around my neck, I stumbled forward and the center reeds broke to bits. I kept running until I reached a tranquil lake, I looked at the reflection and fell crying to my knees, the mark was gone... my master, the man I loved... was dead and I had never shown him how I felt for him.