Twilight Between: Day 6

Word Count: 36,008

Summary of Events:

Emma and Torben went to the royal fortress for the viewing of König Baldrich's body, along with every other Fürst in the kingdom — as the Häuptlinge had gone the day before, and all the other noble ranks would follow after — which was the first ever visit to the fortress for either of them. Adler continued working, as well as watching the mostly women who were picking the apples that he was then loading onto the wagon to take for sorting, particularly watching the youngest of the pickers, as she was the easiest to differentiate from the others . . .

Excerpt of the Day:

Adler had removed all the crates from beneath the first tree and walked toward the second tree when he saw the young picker take an apple from the tree, examine it, shine it against her sleeve, and then sink her teeth into it.

The Aufseher, apparently, didn’t notice immediately, thus she was able to get quite a few bites out of the apple before there was a shout and the crack of a whip that seemed to only prompt her to eat faster until the Aufseher strode over and seized the apple from her hand, crushing it under the heal of his boot as he cursed at her before dragging her away from the tree and out of Adler’s sight behind the horses before he saw motion to his right.

A handler was rushing down the slope and before long the young picker was being led by her Halsband away from the orchard, the handler’s Sklavestab pushing her forward.

“Work!” came a shout that startled Adler from behind.

He looked over his shoulder to see a different Aufseher on the other side of the row of trees moments before the Aufseher did a low snap of his whip, whose tail bit into the back of Adler’s still-tender right leg.

Adler yelped at the pain before quickly taking up a crate and hurrying toward the wagon.

“Keep them working show-off!” the Aufseher behind Adler hollered.

“I'm not a show-off!” the Aufseher who’d caught the young picker eating the now-crushed apple shouted back.

The one behind Adler made a scoffing noise, but didn’t make a retort, while Adler kept working and wondered what would happen to the young picker for having been caught trying to sate her surely desperate hunger.

Once the wagon was full Adler climbed onto the back and banged with the heel of his hand with the other slave to inform the driver that they were ready to move.

“Keep going!” the Aufseher shouted when the wagon slowed.

Apparently he was in a place to gesticulate to the driver, or even — and Adler didn’t like the thought — to get the horses going with the crack of the whip that he heard accompany the Aufseher’s shout before the wagon started moving again.

They soon reached the sorting building, where they started loading off crates, and as they worked, Adler heard a rather loud crack and a distinctly feminine shriek. He looked at the other slave.

“She’s being flogged,” the other slave said simply. “That is the punishment.”

Adler looked toward where he was sure the flogging area was and felt badly. He hoped they wouldn’t give her too many lashes, and that they would allow her wounds to heal before she was forced to return to work; or, at least, heal somewhat.

Considering that the desire was hard work over long hours, Adler was surprised that the diet wasn’t more sufficient, but he was pretty sure he knew the answer at the same time, as he was well aware that slaveowners were profit-driven men.

Pronunciations:

Häuptlinge: hoyptlingih

Aufseher: owfzehuh