AWH: Chapter Two

Two: Warning

As soon as Lith pulled herself together, she stood, smoothing her pale-blue jacket and matching skirt. "I am so sorry; sometimes my emotions get the better of me."
Not knowing what to say, I only nodded.
"Mr. Red wants me to introduce you to the rest of the brigsmen, but you shouldn't be forced to walk around in such indecent clothing. You are so much shorter than everyone here, but I have a uniform that shrunk a bit in the wash. You may wear that until Mr. Red gets you your own."
I nodded again, this entire situation surreal to me. Not really paying attention, I followed the raven-haired woman upstairs. After walking down a long hallway, she finally stopped in front of one of the doors. After she opened it and walked inside, she gestured for me to enter as well. In contrast to the lavishness of the foyer, Lith's—and now my—room was very plain. The walls and ceiling were a dull beige color, though the floor was dark hardwood. The only furnishings were two twin mattresses and two dressers, an alarm clock on each of them. The rest of the room was bare.
"Welcome home," Lith said, the cold bite back in her voice.
I sighed and sat down on my bed. It was very stiff, and felt old.
"It could be worse, you know."
I lifted my head and turned to Lith. "What?"
"Mr. Red might be very…temperamental, but he gives us beds to sleep in and lets us eat meals with him. If you stay on his good side, you'll have no problem living here. When he is angry, he is a terrifying force to reckon with, but when he is kind? There is a look in his eyes that I have never seen in a master before."
"You've had more than one?"
Lith tensed, her hand jerking to her shoulder. All the warmth that was in her grey eyes disappeared, and her mouth was pursed in a thin line. "Let me get your uniform."
Realizing that I said the wrong thing, I let the subject drop. "What about underwear?" I asked instead.
"Bandages will have to do until Mr. Red gets you a brassiere. As for panties, excuse me for saying this, but your figure is pretty boyish. Neither mine, nor any of the other brigswomen's will fit you. Pol is the thinnest male here, so I will get you a pair of his. I hope you don't mind."
I didn't. Despite the general awkwardness of wearing someone else's underwear, not to mention that said person was male, I would rather have some form of undergarments than none. "That's fine."
Lith nodded. "Very well. I will pick them up on our way to the bath."
"Bath?"
"Yes. You came just in time for bath hour," she clarified. "And good thing, too. It will be easier to introduce you to the other brigswomen this way. You'll meet the brigsmen at dinner."
"You all bathe together?"
"The tub can fit all of us. Plus, we don't waste water this way. The genders are separated, obviously; there are two bathing rooms."
I was a bit overwhelmed with all the new (and strange, in my opinion) information, so I said nothing.
Lith pulled a similar uniform to hers out of her wardrobe. She made sure the shirt, tie, jacket, and skirt were all folded neatly before handing them to me. She dug around some more until she found some white bandages and stuck them on top of the pile of clothes.
"Let's go," she said, walking to the door. "If we're late, we won't get a chance to clean ourselves for awhile; we only bathe twice a week."  
Nodding, I followed my guide out of the room. She briefly stopped at another room and walked inside. Once she returned to my side (now holding a pair of plain white boxers), we began walking again. She didn't slow her pace when she walked down a steep flight of stairs, and I nearly tripped. As we neared the end of the hallway, I could hear water running.
Suddenly, Lith grabbed my hand and ran, throwing open the door and pushing me inside before leaping in herself. "Just in time," she muttered.
"Huh?" My question was answered when I heard the door lock. "He locks us in?"
"It's a precaution, so we don't try to escape."
There was something about Lith's voice that was off, but I pushed the thought aside, assuming she was out of breath from running. She sighed and sat down on one of the three benches, rubbing a hand through her thick hair.
As soon as she began undressing, I looked away, wanting my new friend to have some privacy. However, when I caught a glimpse of her exposed body, I could not look away. It wasn't because she was extraordinarily beautiful (which she was), but because countless scars covered both sides of her thin frame, creating a disturbing latticework. I noticed that on her right shoulder was what looked to be a burn in the shape of an eagle, and I frowned. I saw similar markings on cows when I walked past the farms at home, and knew what caused them. She was branded?
"Lith?"
She didn't answer, but I could see the shame in her eyes. Blinking away what I assumed to be tears, she gently took my hand. "Undress, and we'll get to relax."
Still stunned by the sheer amount of wounds on her body, I complied, letting the robe slip off and pool to the floor. I still did not like being naked in front of someone I just met, but I supposed it was better than being naked in front of Red. I inwardly shuddered at the thought, my stomach tensing up as my mind replayed this morning's 'inspection'.
I was pulled from my thoughts when Lith spoke. "I would like you all to meet Mr. Red's newest brigswoman."
I realized that we were at the edge of a large, porcelain tub that was built into the floor. In it were four other women.
"Heh, she's a tiny thing. If Red ever wants her for pleasure, she'll break as soon as he—"
"East!" Lith interrupted. "That's quite enough!"
"Whatever, Lithy. You know it's true. Oi, girlie! What's your name?"
I turned to the woman, noting her unusual appearance and accent. Her hair was quite short for a woman's, and was an unusual auburn color. Her eyes were narrowed into slits, but I could see that they were pale brown. A shiny metal ring went through her eyebrow, adding to her strangeness. "My name is Li, er, Lat." My new name sounded so foreign on my tongue, so I wrinkled my nose.
"What kind of name is Lat?"
"Shut up, East, and let me enjoy my bath!" This time, a serious-looking woman with choppy light brown hair and an even more unusual accent spoke. "Lith, Lat, join us before time runs out."
Lith climbed into the tub and sat next to her. I hesitantly followed her, sitting on her other side. As much as I didn't want to let my guard down, I did; the water was just so relaxing.
"My name is Esto," the serious woman said. I could see that she was trying her best to smile, but it came out more as a grimace. She pointed to the last two women, the first being a curvy blonde and the second being angular with bobbed beige hair. "Raine and Byel."
They nodded, then went back to their whispered conversation. I dunked my head under the water, closing my eyes in happiness. I could almost forget that I was a brigswoman, someone's property. Almost. When I surfaced, Lith handed me a bottle of shampoo. It smelled flowery, a luxury that I never had at home. I squeezed some of it out of the bottle and rubbed it through my hair. Plunging myself back underwater, I quickly rinsed it out, wanting some time to relax in the warmth of the water before it was time to dry off.
After awhile, I discreetly glanced at Lith, who rested her head on Esto's shoulder. The cold woman said nothing, a tiny gleam of sadness in her cerulean eyes. Before I could ask her what was wrong, a loud bell rang, causing Lith to jump.
"Scheisse!" East spat. I didn't recognize the language, but I assumed it was a curse.
"It is time to dry off," Esto explained. She helped Lith out of the tub and handed her a towel from a basket. I snatched the third and last thick one, happy that my quick hands got to it before anyone else. East shot me a glare, but I didn't care. She's too cocky for my liking. After drying off, I wrapped the towel around my head and grabbed my clothes. The boxers were a bit loose around my thighs, but rested comfortably on my hips. The skirt was a bit long (on Lith, it ended a few inches above her knees, but on me, it reached below my knees), but I didn't complain. I looked at the bandages, wondering how I was going to put them on, until I felt a light tap on my shoulder.
"Let me help." Lith was already dressed, minus her skirt and jacket. I tried not to stare at the scars encircling her thighs and instead looked into her eyes.
"Thanks."
I closed my eyes as she wrapped the bandages around me, making sure to cover everything at least three times. The pressure on my breasts was unusual, but not uncomfortable. After she was finished, she helped me into my shirt, making sure the tie was correctly knotted.
"Mr. Red hates it if our ties are askew." With those words, Lith walked away.
I pulled on the jacket, making sure it was smooth. After rubbing the towel through my hair one final time, I threw it back into the basket after East did the same. I looked around until I found what I was looking for: a brush. Running it through my hair, I allowed myself to imagine that I was a princess getting ready for a ball, not a dispensable being that could be bought and sold. The illusion didn't last long; I was too much of a realist to be able to block out reality. Next to the basket of brushes was a glass bowl filled with hair ties. I took a simple red one and tied my hair up into the highest ponytail it could manage. I tightened it, liking the slight pain on my scalp. It reminded me of home, where I kept my hair up all the time.    
Shaking the thoughts from my head, I walked back to Lith. As soon as I passed Byel and Raine, they started whispering again, making me feel like some sort of bacterium under a microscope. Not wanting to even look at them, I focused on my new friend. She looked so strong, yet so fragile at the same time, especially standing next to Esto, whose rigid posture made her look like a sunflower, while Lith was a wilted rose. Even their uniforms contrasted; Lith's pale-blue version looked washed-out and dull compared to the rich olive green of Esto's.
The spaced-out look in Lith's eyes finally dissipated, and she held out her hand. "Come, little Lat. Let us wait by the door until the bell rings again. I'm sure dinner will be splendid tonight; Ungar gave up his bath to cook, and his food is the best."
The airiness in my raven-haired friend's voice sounded unlike her, even though I only knew her for a few hours. It seemed as though Esto shared my sentiments; her eyes were narrowed, and I could sense the wheels turning in her head. I took Lith's pale hand anyway, not wanting to offend her. Esto sharply looked at me, an emotion I could not place in her intelligent eyes. It was gone so soon that I almost thought I imagined it.
"You don't want to catch a cold, Lith," Esto advised. "You should put your hair up."
"Huh? Oh, you are right, my friend." The fog in her eyes was back as she let go of my hand and airily walked to get a hair tie. With ease she twisted her almost-endless expanse of hair into a messy bun before using another tie to keep it in place.
"Lith…" I heard Esto murmur, pinching the bridge of her nose.
Something is going on. I felt as though I was being kept in the dark about something, which made my stomach squirm. However, the thought quickly vanished when another bell rang, and the click of a lock being undone was heard.
"Dinnertime!" East cackled, her laugh unpleasant to my ears. She cracked her neck before sauntering out. Once Byel and Raine exited, Lith took my hand.
"Let us go, my friends. I am sure we all are hungry, especially our new flower."
Something about Lith's voice sent prickles down my neck, though I wasn't sure why. Esto's mouth was pressed into a thin line, and she took Lith's other hand. We walked to the dining room in silence, where the rest of the household waited.
"There she is!" Red boomed, his emerald eyes sparkling. "There's our new friend! Before we eat, she must be introduced to you lovely brigsmen."
Once Lith showed me to my seat, a boy who looked to be around my age stood up. His eyes were an unusual pale green, and his curly blond hair bounced as he nodded. "I am Pol. Pleased to meet you, um…"
I took that as my cue to introduce myself. "Lat." The name still felt weird, but since Red was in the room, I suppressed my shudder.
The next two men stood up. "Bul," the muscular brunet said. "Rom." He pointed to a frail-looking blond with bags under his eyes.
"And I'm Ungar. Can we please start this meal before it gets cold?" The last male blew some unruly strands of dark brown hair out of his face.
East chuckled, and Red sent her a withering look. She shut up immediately.
"Very well. And dear Ungar?" Though his face held a smile, Red's eyes were anything but happy. "I'd like to see you after dinner, in the basement."
Ungar nodded, his eyes briefly going wide. "Understood, sir."
I wondered what sort of horrors awaited the poor man in the basement and assumed that they were bad, given the look on his face when he was summoned there.
"Now, let us eat!" The tension was suddenly gone. Once Red was served, the rest of us got to pile food on our plates. The chicken was tender and the vegetables almost melted in my mouth. I almost laughed at the irony that my first meal as a slave was better than my last meal as a freewoman.
After awhile, I felt Red's gaze on me. "That uniform is too long; it will get caught in the food!" he barked. "Take off the jacket and the shirt!"
"Excuse me?" I was so surprised that I forgot to filter my words.
"I will not repeat myself. Do as I say or you will join Ungar later tonight."
I looked over at Lith, whose eyes pleaded for me to comply. Despite the embarrassment I knew it would cause me, I found myself unbuttoning the jacket, followed by the shirt, and placed both on the floor. My top half covered only by the bandages, I shivered, though I knew the house was heated.
The meal went on in silence until Pol's hand slipped, spilling whatever was in his glass onto the table, as well as his shirt and pants.
"Clumsy fool! Now you are going to have to wash that. Take it off, immediately!"
His expression emotionless, Pol nodded, undressing until he was only in his boxers. When his eyes met mine, I realized that his clumsiness was not an accident. I think I have another ally.
After dinner, Lith rushed me back up to our room. Once the door was closed, she pulled me into a tight hug. "Do you realize how close you were to a punishment?" she whispered, pulling me closer.
"I'm sorry." I really didn't know what I was apologizing for, but it felt right. When the silence became unbearable, I spoke again. "What will happen to Ungar?" The man reminded me of a boy in my class last year, a jokester who was liked by everyone.
"He will probably be either beaten or whipped." Lith was surprisingly blunt this time. "That's what happens when you anger Mr. Red."
Though it was only seven o'clock, I felt incredibly exhausted. I was worried about Ungar, but my eyes kept threatening to close. "Do you have an extra pair of pajamas?"
"You want to sleep? Good idea. We wake up at five every morning, so we take all the sleep we can get. Here." She opened her wardrobe and pulled out pale yellow nightgown, handing it to me.
"Thank you." The material felt soft against my skin, making the tiredness in my body increase. I found the end of the bandages and unraveled them, sighing in relief when they dropped to the floor. I shimmied out of the skirt and then finally pulled the nightgown over my head. Its soft sleeves felt heavenly on my freezing arms.
Lith, who was also in a nightgown, though hers was pale pink, turned off the light as soon as I was in bed. As my eyes got used to the darkness, the events of the day swirled around in my mind.
"Hey, Lith? What exactly will I do here?"
"Well, tomorrow, you'll pick a group to work with. What are you good at?"
"I always did the cleaning and the sewing at my house," I responded.
"Good." I could just sense Lith's approving nod. "You can work with me and Pol. I was hoping that you wouldn't be stuck with Byel and Raine. I don't trust them."
I was too tired to ask her about her reasoning, so I just grunted in understanding. "Goodnight, Lith."
"Sleep well, my little flower," she murmured, sounding half asleep herself. I closed my eyes, fatigue hitting me like a ton of bricks. Before I knew it, I was asleep.
I was jolted from my slumber when a loud crash echoed throughout the room. Sitting bolt upright, I looked out the small window just in time to see a flash of lightning, followed by another thunderclap. Unable to stifle my whimper, I buried myself under the thin blanket. It might have been childish, yes, but I had always been afraid of thunderstorms.
"Lat?" As soon as I heard that Lith was awake, I peeked my head out.
"Can I join you? Please?" I cursed my voice for sounding so weak. I cursed it again as a whimper tore from my throat when the next thunderclap sounded.
"Of course."
Wanting to reach her bed before any more thunder boomed, I ran, sliding under her blanket. As the storm raged on, I pressed myself against her. There was barely enough room for both of us, but Lith didn't complain. She embraced me, whispering kind words in my ear.
Suddenly, a thought popped into my head, and I blurted it out before I could forget it. "There was this one part of the inspection…It hurt."
"I know." I could tell that Lith knew exactly what I was talking about. "The tool used is supposed to mimic the size of a certain…appendage…on a man."
My stomach churned even more than it did because of the storm.
"Didn't your trainer warn you about that? They're supposed to teach you exactly how to react so it won't hurt very much."
"Lith…" I paused as another thunderclap boomed. "I didn't have a trainer. My parents…" I winced at the word, "…sold me."
"You are untrained? Oh, my beautiful Lat. No. No no no no. Ne."
The last word sounded like the word for 'no' in my language, save the fact that it wasn't as drawn-out. "Lith? What's wrong?"
She only held me tighter, burying me in her still damp hair.