She had been watching, her green eyes intent on the other cats as they came in, were priced, and thrown into cages. There was one that the large hyena seemed to have pinpointed and was handling rather roughly. Niobe frowned as she saw him shackled and then the harsh way he was tossed in the cage. She cringed back a bit trying to make herself invisible to the smelly hyena. Slowly she turned her gaze to the reddish colored male examining him.
Well he didn't look half as bad as some of the others around here. She eyed his tail wondering if he had been born with it short or if some greater mishap had led to it's current length. "Hello..." She whispered softly through the rough iron bars. It might seem stupid to talk to other enslaved cats when one had no clue as to their future, but for someone like Niobe who had been in the cages for a while now talking to the others was all that kept her from crying. She just had to have hope that a better life awaited her someday, somewhere, somehow.
So close! Sosososoclose! He whined softly as the hyena grumbled something in his thick accent about it being, what, the fourth or fifth time he had to reign this lil’ guy back in? Either the master was inattentive, or was deceived by the young slave’s goofy charm (when not put off by the pitch black eyes that is), or otherwise didn’t notice that with enough effort Adham could slip his paws from most shackles. Well this time he knew he could not, for he wriggled as much as he could before he was tossed unceremoniously into the small cage, wincing at the loud crash of the door locking in place. Dangit . . .
Beneath the echoing crash in his ears, Adham heard a soft voice from somewhere next to him and curiously peeked his snout out from between the bars, focusing upon a green-eyed slave that addressed him. “Haaaai,” he replied back with a little wiggle of his short tail, not exactly the most educated in speech. He could understand well enough, but often his sentences were a little garbled or otherwise short and sweet. Oddly, this one’s front limbs were both chained together, and he blinked down at the shiny metal. “Haaiyo?”
Niobe was surprised by how...happy the slave seemed, well other then his whining at being tossed in the cage. She looked at the shackles he wore surprised by how tight they seemed. "How...How long have you been here?" She blinked and wondered if perhaps his cheer and optimism were merely because he was new. Her tail gave a tiny waver the chain clinking against the cold metal bottom of the cage.
She crouched lower nervously as the hyena slunk past cackling about a sale. She looked around before lifting her head again and looking at the male. His dark wide eyes were a bit unnerving but the smiling and cheerfulness of his voice put her at ease. "I'm Niobe..." She added softly, maybe even if she never got out of here someone would remember her.
“Niiiiobeee,” Adham parroted back, then giggled a little as he sat on his haunches. “Bee-Bee!” Easier to remember and cuter. Now how long had he been here, huh . . . Good question. This land he recognized well, this “Zanzibar”. Especially the stinky-butt hyena. “Um, um. Here now,” the slave replied with a bob of his head, not sure if she meant how long had he been in the cage (which was like two minutes now) or how long he had been in the slave business (which he didn’t bother counting). But that was the answer that mattered most to her, yes?
When the stinky-butt came past, he winked at him and got a cackle in return, which Adham returned thinking it was the good kind and not the bad. Winks weren’t bad, yes? He turned back to Bee-Bee and put a paw to his chest. “Ad-ham,” he sounded out. “Aaaadham~ You here how long?”
Niobe almost smiled, almost the corner of her lips twitched a bit upwards. It was hard to smile in a place like this, but the male didn't see depressed, angry, or beaten like the rest. Somehow he had kept his spirits high and was of good cheer. The nickname he gave her was cute too, amusing because she had never had one before. His lack of a grasp for time was something she understood and so accepted his answer despite it's lack of information. Yes, he was here now as was she and in the end that was all that mattered.
She cringed back again as she saw the hyena coming and when he passed she was surprised at the way Adham winked. It was as though he were incapable of being unfriendly even to the stinky hyena. The cackle sent shivers down her spine however and she looked at Adham surprised when he mimicked it.
"Adham..." She repeated with a nod before frowning at his question. "Too long, I've been here far too long..." She sighed and then watched the hyena move on to another set of cages. "Why did you wink at him?" She asked curiously tilting her head.
For some reason, her question was funny to him because he chuckled. “In land of little smiles, make own to shine,” Adham explained simply, tail curling nearer to his legs. Poor thing, she cringed at anything Stink-butt said or did it looked like, which made sense since she’d been in here for “too long” like she said. Whoops duh. “I’m ‘exotic’. No beatings, many pets, but try make ‘breed’.” The word made him make a face at the memories of being prepped for such events. “Not like, so ran. Ran veryveryveryveryfast. This not first time here,” he announced proudly.
She was mildly surprised by his response and took a moment to think it over. Well, that was one way to keep a cheerful attitude she supposed. She gave a slight wry smile and found that it did indeed feel good, as if the mere action of smiling lifted her spirits. "Thats good advice..." She conceded and moved to sit pressed up against the bars in her usual huddle, but with her head lifted a bit higher.
"Exotic?" She echoed curiously and then leaned over a bit to peer at his pricetag. Oh yes he must be a special one since he cost more then the usual prices she had seen about. No beatings, many pets...well that sounded nice, until he talked about breeding. She was lucky no one had ever tried to force her to procreate, poor Adham must not have liked it at all. Still she was surprised to hear of his many attempted escapes and visits to the market. Well he would probably be purchased again quickly, and she hoped he'd find a happier place. "You did you get away to run?" She asked, she hadn't met many who had managed anytype of escape successful or not. Of course she figured she would never hear about successful escaped since those cats had...well escaped.
Adham bobbed his head in another nod, grinning. “Yarp! Runrunrunrun, then caught. Then here. Then sell. Then new home. Something go bad. And then runrunrunrun s’more.” But to him that was the good life~ It kept things interesting, plus he got to know a few of the hounds that had owned him in the past in the various tribes of Syria. In a sense, he was a cosmopolitical slave! If he knew what a “cosmopolitan” even was. Besides, Adham was betting on his odd appearance to see him through when it came to the temperaments of potential masters, which hadn’t let him down yet.
“How you get here?” he prompted, waving a paw in her general direction with a few jangles of the broken links. There had to be a story behind her fully chained legs, but she didn’t look like a very vicious type. But she had several healing scars upon her that he cocked his head about.
"You were able to run away?" She was surprised, he was so bright and playful how could anyone not notice him missing. Still he must have had some skill to help him in his mis-adventures. He also looked fairly healthy so his homes must have been forgiving of his escapist lifestyle. He certainly was an exotic color she wasn't surprised they had wanted to wring kittens from him, it could contribute greatly to the wealth of a hounds household.
"I...I was sold here when my masters moved." She had been conflicted on wether to feel sad or happy about her new situation. At first she had been sad, the home she had known would be no more and she would be in a miserable cage waiting for an unknown fate. Then she had come to count her blessings because her master and mistress hadn't been very kind and she had been beaten severely for everything their naughty pup did. Now the days dragged on, but at least no one beat her and she had food and water. It was neither good nor bad she had to admit, simply a state of uncertain limbo.
Again the slight cat nodded his head several times, grinning like a kitten. “Big game hide and seek. Hide in Zanzi dust red, creep about, look for way out. Then guards! Runrunrunrun!” Re-enacting it, Adham used his two front paws to zoom them about in zigzags, one chasing the other. Eventually they clasped and he sighed. “Catched. And put back here.” One paw escorted the other and then “booted” it into his chest.
“Iz okay, though. I know better things come soon,” he added with another wink to her. “Maybe new owner not notice small paws.” He shook his front ones, noting once more that the ones Stink-butt had put on him were rather secure, sadly. “I sorry they no take you. I pray you get good one this time, yes?” He clapped his paws together.
She watched as his paws danced out the scene of his life, hiding, creeping, running, and finally being caught. It really didn't seem like a happy existence but then again what did she know of happiness. Her own paws twitched a bit, if she re-enacted her life story it would simply be a lifetime of beatings. She noticed his small paws he moved them though and realized why the hyena had tightened his bonds so much.
"How do you know it'll get better? What if it only gets worse?" She asked softly her eyes filling with sadness. It was harder to be optimistic when you weren't even sure of what 'better' was. She nodded softly at his words, yes she could do with some prayers. She could do with anything any luck or chance or meager hope even in just the form of words to keep her going. After all that was why she even risked talking to the other cats, to remind herself when they left that it might have been for a better place.
There must have been something other than just separation anxiety going on. The small cogs in his brain began to move slowly as he processed her dismal expression, the meek voice, the chained legs . . . Maybe her previous owners weren’t exactly the nicest hounds. He docked his ears a bit at the thought, looking sympathetic at her saddened countenance. For all his smiles, he sometimes forgot what the reality was for some slaves. And what was more saddening was that some didn’t have something to fall back on when they fell into despair.
“Just do,” Adham answered, skirting the true answer without exactly lying. Religion was a touchy subject, and the last thing he needed to do was give information like that without knowing how she’d react, however nice Niobe seemed. He felt bad, though, he needed to give her something positive. “I’m lucky!” he revealed, grinning widely. “Lucky ‘cause I keep head up in down time. Masters not like whiners, yes? Better treatment. You be lucky to if you do too! Like saying: ‘Good things come to those who wait”.”
She watched his ears fall back and saw the look cross his face, she had seen that look before. Yet sympathy was worth little in a place like this, the only things that had worth here were stones. Stones were what got you bought, a new home, a better life. Hope and Sympathy were just frail things that had sustained her, but failed to nourish her. She turned her head back down at his answer, of course he just knew he had seen a life better then this one.
She gave a sad little smile and reached between the cage bars as far as her chains would allow. "Lucky hmm?" Maybe if she touched him a little luck would rub off. "Yes...well when one keeps ones head down it's better...no one notices you." Of course maybe the key was to be noticed here, at home she had never wanted to be seen lest a fresh beating occur. Here though when the hounds came she probably ought to take Adhams advice and lift her head a little, or she'd never be bought.
He darted a look to the left. Then to the right. Front, left, right, left again juuuust to be sure. /Then/ he reached out to touch her paw, his easily fitting inside hers; by jamming his shoulder between the bars he even managed to get his toes inbetween hers. “Luck be with you!” Adham whispered fervently, squeezing a little before quickly darting his paw back; the last thing they needed was Stink-butt coming around to notice they were doing something non-miserable. Since, y’know, he figured the hyena was all about the bad stuff.
Settling comfortably back on his haunches, he winked at her once more. “Secret to luck is prayer too,” the slave explained, tail twitching. “You religion? IS good for slave have one.”
She felt a smile, a real smile broke out onto her face and her eyes twinkled with pleasure. There was nothing quite as comforting as a friendly touch when ones whole life had only been touched by pain. She withdrew her paw reluctant but understanding the hyena might return. IT was funny how a simple touch could lift her spirits, she felt a bit luckier, a bit more hopeful too.
"Religion?" She echoed uncertainly and looked at him. "Like the hounds pray to their gods? I don't think their Gods are real...but maybe they are, maybe that why they have power and we don't." She sighed and shrugged softly peering between the bars at the back of her cage at a beautiful distant blossoming flower. She knew the petals would fall and the pretty thing would quickly wither away in the heat. Still it was amazing it had grown at all with no care, it had blossomed despite the adversity of its surroundings.
She turned back to Adham and then gazed at the flower. "I used to love to garden...making something grow, taking care of it, watching the first bloom..."
The smile alone made him know that at least he had helped her even a little, and he returned it. That was his job here until he was taken: praying for them all and, hopefully, getting a few to talk with him to pass the time. Better than to sit or pull against chains or otherwise snap at anyone that got too near, he figured.
“Someone up there, yes,” Adham assured her, clasping his paws together just as he had with hers a mere moment before. “Mkays? This reminder you not alone. Suuuu, you garden?” he asked curiously, following her gaze to the lone flower. “Is hard to? Knew someone could do, but don’t remember.” Heck, the most he could say about gardening in terms of skill was that he had an odd habit of getting seeds caught in his fur – a few of which still clung to him tenaciously.
She clasped her paws together in a mimic of what he did and nodded with a soft smile. Yes, she would remember him and then maybe she wouldn't feel so lonely. She was certain he would be purchased soon, easily before her even with a higher price, he was worth it. She gazed back at the flower and her paws slowly dropped down to paw at the bottom of the cage.
"Yes...I used to garden all the time. It's not easy, lots of time, lots of patience, but it's worth it. Everything starts that way it seems, on little seed and if you care enough for it...it can become something so beautiful." She motioned to the desert bloom and sighed. "Somehow that one made it even without any special care, it must be tough."
She turned away from the flower and back to him with a soft smile. "When I do this I'll think of you..." She clasped her paws together again and then nodded. "and when you see a pretty flower...please think of me?" She murmured softly and then crouched back a bit nervously as she saw the hyena approaching again.
Oooo, lotsa patience, yes. He could see that definitely being a part of it, seeing as life was the most precious thing in this land – it couldn’t be just soil and water and sunshine, even if that’s what it seemed like to him. Maybe Niobe had a green toe for it, though . . . nope, her toes were just fine color-wise. An invisible green toe? That’d be pretty neat! And if cats could be red like him or pitch black or even with weird blue stripes (no lie, he watched a paw of that very description languorously stretch from between the bars of a cage nearby before darting out of sight again), then hey – an invisible green toe was totally possible!
Smiling warmly, he clasped his paws back and bowed his head a little. “Good! Think po-si-tive and be tough Bee Bee flower. Will stand out nice ‘gainst sand. Not forgetting soon~” With that, he winked at her again, gave Stinkbutt another big kitty grin, giggled when he scowled and jostled his cage with a grumbling cough, and decided it was good then to take a nap. The heat was getting to him, and the bars were growing very hot under the sun, and if there was one good thing heat did for young Adham, it was mimicking the warmth produced by his mother, the kind that lulled him to sleep if he shut his eyes, pretended that he wasn’t in a cage, that he wasn’t an adult but rather a kitten oblivious to his future, easily contented by the soft sounds of his mother’s breathing . . . “Zzzzz.”
