19. Caged

Brooke was a murderer in their eyes, but they all were captives in a ship, sailing further and further away from home.

The cold wind sifted through her jumpsuit. She hugged herself and looked around. Where was she? She and a bunch of elfin servants sat on a wheeled wooden plank pulled by one of those big creature things. The little one cracked a whip, and it responded with a grunt and jerk. Brooke wasn’t in shackles any more, but now in a cage. Brooke sighed. Just great. It felt nice not to be in that cell, though. At least her bottom sat on a flat surface, and here she could see the sky clearly, not through a barred window. The feel of the air gave her a refreshing vibe and death didn’t seem very peaceful anymore. Despite hardships, she liked the things that made her alive like beautiful things and things she felt, even in the grimmest of times.

          She noticed the servants huddled together in the farthest corner away. Away. Away from her. They believed Brooke to be criminal that slaughtered their princess. She was a monster in their eyes. Princess Meredith sat in the opposite corner, gazing out at the moving scenery. She caught Brooke’s stare, and turned away. Of course Princess Meredith would think the same as her servants. Elves were always into their own race. Brooke thought about pleading with Princess Meredith to believe her, but it was better to save her breath.

          Brooke looked ahead, trying to see past the big creature thing. She saw the glimmer of an ocean shore. Were they by the docks? Why would they take them towards the market place? Brooke hoped they weren’t going into the Wilderness. It wasn’t the same docks. She didn’t see the anymalis. Was it possible there was another set of docks? Maybe they had already passed through the Wilderness. Brooke arched her brows and asked before thinking, “Where’s Master Guardian Kirin?”

          The servants flinched at her words, and they exchanged glances with one another. They whispered amongst themselves, but refused to answer her. Brooke groaned. She only asked a question. Princess Meredith didn’t even glance her way. Brooke crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. She searched for other carriages. There was a trail of carriages, transporting a bunch of elfin people, but Brooke saw no Master Guardian Kirin. Where had she gone? Where had these creatures put her? She hoped nothing happened to her. 

          Brooke saw a large ship beside the docks. They were going overseas, but to where? The carriages halted and the head tiny creature jumped down. “You will be directed into the ship’s hold,” it said, removing its spectacles and wiping the round lenses on its blue polo shirt. “And please don’t make us have to force you.” The servants whimpered, and one of them started to cry. “Quiet!”

The servant sniffled and tried her best to stop. Princess Meredith rushed to the distressed woman, patting her back and hushing her. The creature nodded to a figure that appeared as a red hooded man. Brooke and the elfin people boarded the ship, following the man into the hold of the ship. It was spacious. “Where are the beds, the chairs, food, what about food?” complained a male elf.

“The floor is your bed and as for food, you’ll all be fed every day around noon,” answered the man in a low voice. “Some of you may be given labor, so prepare for that.”

“Where are we going?” Brooke asked. The hooded man stared intensely at her.

“Desdemonia.” 

“What kind of a name is that?” asked another elf.

“No more questions.” His voice was final, and all went silent.

“How far is that?” Brooke asked.

The man frowned, his ripped eyebrows mashing against his forehead. “I said no more questions.” He slammed the door shut, and all the elves began to wail, cry, and complain.

“This is unbelievable!” cried one elf.

“Who do these things think they are?”

“What are these things?”

“What about my family, my husband?” cried the servant Princess Meredith comforted. She continued to pat her, allowing the woman to sob in her lap. The women elves did a lot of crying and sobbing, while the men elves complained.

“They are called elfin thieves.” Everyone’s eyes fell on Princess Meredith as she spoke. She lifted her head and gulped. “They kidnap elves, and they sell them into slavery.” The elves went into an uproar.

“Me, slavery?” scoffed one elf in disbelief.

“Do they know who I am?” complained another elf. They annoyed Brooke. She covered her ears, but it didn’t help.

“Desdemonia is…full of goblins, orcs, and the dislikes; it’s an ugly kingdom,” spat Princess Meredith.

Brooke walked around, searching for Master Guardian Kirin among the crowd. She couldn’t find her, but she found Dill and Basil. “Where is Master Guardian Kirin?” Brooke asked them and they gawked at her, not sure whether to respond to her or not.  

“We are in here with a killer too!” complained one elf. All eyes fell on Brooke, and she blushed, forgetting that everyone thought her some kind of murder. 

“I think that’s the worst of this situation,” said Princess Meredith, her nose twitching in a disgusted expression. Brooke stared at her, but she knew the princess hated her.

 Time passed in the hold. The treatment was far better than the cell. They received good food and Brooke would pick a boarded floor over a spiky floor any day. However, now, there was no way to view the sky. The only thing she had to go by was lying on the floor, listening to the ocean murmur her to sleep. 

 

Author's Note

Dear Reader,

So, it's a relief on my soul that Brooke is out of the cell. It hurt me to write that, but everything is in due purpose I promise. If you stuck through all of that, thank you and I hope you enjoy the rest of the story.

Thanks for reading!

Sincerely JazzSoulKeke,

God bless