They wandered the land, traveling mostly at night. When they found those enslaved, or were runaway slaves, they only asked one question. "Will you trust me enough to take you somewhere safe?" They took those willing to follow to a village that shattered the shackles, broke off the collars, and taught those once enslaved how to live free. The first lesson? "Think for yourself, and never let anyone force you to do that which you do not wish to." -- Anon Guest
It took quite some time for intelligent species on Alfarell to realise that slavery was a bad idea. Many defend the practice based on the sunk cost fallacy, superiority complexes, and generally not recognising their slaves as intelligent creatures.
Those who had power over others are truly reluctant to let that power go.
Two things are certain: nobody ever asks to be enslaved, and no slave ever gains their freedom with good manners and servility. Short of bloody revolution, there's few ways to gain freedom. Not without help.
Whispers spread amongst the chained. Something was stealing slaves away in the middle of the night. Whole groups of them would vanish without a trace. No blood. No footprints. No sign of a struggle. No alarms were raised. Not a dog to bark nor a goose to honk[1]. Whatever it was could freely ignore the protective runes meant to keep them in.
Even for the huddled masses yearning to be free, the very idea of what could do that was terrifying.
Loris clung to the rest of the breeders in her chain, terrified that they would somehow vanish one by one. Her friends. Her family. The masters could take their babies away, but they didn't break up the chain. Nevertheless, there was still the fear that the unknown might be able to do it. So they held each other tight as the long night brought its unseen terrors.
One kept watch on the night, whilst the others drowsed or cat-napped. Each in the chain taking their turn, keeping the others safe.
Loris was on watch when the raggedy Elf approached their chain. She cringed, expecting a whip or, at the very least, insults.
What ze had was bread. scrolled buns stuffed with herbs and other good things. Steaming warm in the middle of the night. "Be well," ze said. "I will not hurt you." Ze kept hir language simple, so that Loris and her fellow Humans could understand.
"What do you do, master?" Loris whispered.
"I bring food," answered the Elf. "I make... free. If wanting?"
One by one, her chain roused at the smell of food. They didn't trust, as the Masters liked to pull cruel jokes on their Humans. It smelled good, but the Masters had a way of making smells with their magic. They could make things look like other things, too.
"Point one out," said the Elf. "I will eat it."
Loris did, and watched the Elf take a bite. The scrolled bun remained just so. It was real. Each of the chain snatched up a bun, cramming their mouths full of good bread before it could be taken away.
"Will you trust?" The Elf offered hir hand. "I take you away... to somewhere nicer."
Now it made sense. A renegade Elf could easily bypass every measure any other Elf put in. Loris accepted, and so did the rest of her chain.
There was a circle, drawn on the ground with sparkling dust. There were runes drawn in the air. There was a lurch, and they were somewhere... else.
Loris swallowed to keep the bun down, shocked at the daylight. Further shocked by what else was here. Other Humans! Without chains! They were making buildings and farming and sewing their own clothes and...
"Come ye, come ye," offered a Human with a big leather apron and gloves. "I'll break them bracelets for you."
The Elf didn't easily speak Human words. "You be free. You making choose for you self, yes? Here be free. Being one Elf here. Me. Me am name... Wraithbind."
"Why do this?" asked Loris.
Wraithbind could only say, "Making promise."
[1] I have been informed that geese make very good guard dogs. Apart from the whole bit about not being actual canids.
[Photo by Patrick McManaman on Unsplash]
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