Variants of Shade : Shadows and Shade Alternate Universes

Middle : Mud

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I wake draped over some guy's shoulder. For two steps, I'm pretty sure it's Commander One's, but the stride is too long for him. All I can see is his back in a gray cotton shirt, his ass, and the ground. With glimpses of his legs in leather breeches as he walks.

It's not Commander One – Pax. Or Trickster Two – Seth. Or Sexy Three – Roarke. Or Scary Four – Killian. And yes, I was watching closely enough to note their clothing and rough heights.

And asses.

But instead of calmly trying to work out where I am – I squeal something indignant and untranslatable then thrash around trying to loosen his grip on my legs.

Someone to my left laughs, and I manage to turn enough to see a short guy with a far too strong nose. His hand is resting on his hilt, and his step is light like this is rather entertaining. Frantically, I try to take in my surroundings. There's an assortment of fenced yards everywhere, the type used for training horses in, and a massive stable further away. Beyond that is a solid wall of trees. The guy's walking on a path made from smooth white pebbles that would make a pleasant crunching noise if my heart weren't racing at a million miles a minute.

Add in the fact that there's a chuckin' castle behind us, and I have every good reason to freak out.

A stone fence covered in climbing vines blocks my view at the same time as my emotions burst free.

"Let me down!" I shout, thumping my fists down hard on the guy's back.

He stops, then tosses me down. Air rushes past me, and my eyes go wide with fear. I have barely enough time to comprehend the amused looks on both their faces before I hit the ground. Not hard or with a thump, but soft and with a squelch.

In the mud.

A pig comes running right up to me, nudging my back as I rush to sit up.

The two guys are in hysterics.

"Filthy servants," says the guy who was carrying me, dusting his hands off as if touching me made them dirty. "You are so lucky we bumped into the Dignitaries before you stepped foot into the castle. Standards are pretty high in there – out here is much better suited to the weak. Your orders are to live in there and tend the sty." He nods toward a building on the left before adding, "Ought to be fun, there are more than twenty male servants housed in the grounds quarters and not a single woman. And they're all in bunks too. The grounds servants ought to be returning from their duties on the next bell and the Elorsin traitors with them." He finishes his sentence by spitting on the ground, barely missing my hand.

So, my kidnappers aren't any more popular here than they were with Lord Martin.

"You can't leave me here," I declare rather indignantly since I'm pretty sure they can.

"Of course, we can. Your servitude has been ordered by the Dignitaris, and they don't get any higher up in the castle food chain than that – unless you're a personal friend of the Crown? Pig duties for the next fifty years. Anything to piss Pax off."

The other guy sucks back his laugh just long enough to snort like a pig at me, then they both turn to leave.

"I'm not your servant to just leave wherever you chuckin' please," I growl.

"I don't care who you are, you're not my problem."

Damn right, I'm not. The Elorsins brought me here.

Makes me their problem!