Role

Chapter 2

I should say that we were not the only children in the household during
these years. There was another: Azarkand. He was the Master's son and
heir to his vast fortune. And, oddly enough, unlike him in every way save
his penchant for cruelty. Growing up we shared the same tutor. Whereas I
excelled, dutifully attending my lessons for fear of punishment, he was
lazy and disobedient, lording his position over our tutor. His father,
the Master, did nothing to curtail this behavior, and so it continued for
the whole of our joint education. It is only now, after the fact, that I
realize the full extent to which he grew to hate me.

And yet his hatred was frustrated. The Master was cruel, like his son,
but not stupid, and certainly not wasteful. He forbade Azarkand from
striking at me directly, or else I might have died before even reaching
maturity. So Azarkand turned to the one avenue left to him through which
he might torment me: Andanu. Of course it didn't hurt that by this time
she was an attractive young woman. I caught him the first time he tried,
before he could do her any harm, and would have killed him on the spot had
I not know what that would mean for Andanu and I. Instead I planned.

Now it was the Master's custom to buy his slaves in pairs. Usually
siblings, though sometimes also sets of parents and children. The bond I
shared with Andanu was in fact thorougly intentional on his part. What
good would I be if I had to be accompanied by guards every time I left the
residence? No good at all. And so he resorted to ransom. Andanu and I
both occasionally went into the larger city alone, but never together.
When one was away the other was always closely guarded. It was clear to
both of us what would happen if either attempted escape. We were trapped.