The Black Unicorn

All for a couple of Apples

A/N Quick warning!! There is torture in this chapter so be warned!!

You had spent the entire day with Dracal learning how to read. He taught you the letters and how to sound them out. You learned thankfully fairly quickly how to sound out the words given to you by remembering what each letter was.

You still stuttered and stumbled around but you were able to get the basics down during the day. Once again you had a hard time sleeping. Tossing and turning to the ringing in your ears.

Ever since you told on the thieves you had been avoided by most of the other servants. Now that you were the master's personal servant you were avoided by all except Bernard and Andela. Even the hed maid would not even look at you when she talked.

Whenever you sat down at one of the tables whoever was sitting there first would quickly flee. That's how it was at lunch and dinner yesterday and that's how it was at breakfast this morning.

You wanted to take your time eating breakfast but the master was expecting you. You quickly scarfed everything down before getting up and going out and down the hallways.

It was quiet as you walked alone. Sometimes passing a posted guard. Your feet carried you the master's workroom even though your mind was telling you to turn around and bolt.

You stopped before you entered. Placing a hand on the door and taking a deep breath. Taking a second to mentally prepare yourself to enter. You sucked in one more breath before pushing the door open.

The master was already there. He was currently doing something at the table and when you entered he lifted his head up and looked deeply at you. You gulped the lump forming in your throat before walking timidly over to him. He was grinding roots and herbs up into powders.

He dropped the pestle on the table and nodded for you to pick up the work. You walked over to where he was standing, being in between both tables now and picked up the pestle. He had separate piles going on for each thing he was grinding up. So you continued the herb he was currently on.

Dried mousbush leaves were first, then Elta root, then some kind of berry that looked a little like cranberries. The dried leaves crunched as you crushed them against the mortar. The pestle making a grinding sound as stone slid around on stone.

The dried mousbush smelled slightly of hay and you were brought back to memories of the farm at your little cottage. It helped keep your mind occupied other than focus on the master's loud footsteps going across the room.

Once everything was crushed up into as fine a powder as you could put it. You used a brush with fine strands to sweep the powder into certain vials.

You called upon your lessons from yesterday to find the labeled bottles to place them in. This part was slower than you could have liked and every time the sound of the master's boots stopped you were afraid that he was staring at you.

The powder sounded like glass as it was poured into the bottles. You were careful to get as much in as you could and not spill any of it. You carefully corked each bottle, taking them in your hands, and going over to the supply shelf.

You looked around for the shelves that looked like they had the same letters like the ones on the bottles. This was taking a while though and after a few minutes, you were sure that the master was looking over at you now.

Sweat started to bead at your forehead as you felt his eyes. The pressure on your back only worsened the situation as you were half focused on the master rather than being completely focused on the shelves.

You swore you might be having a heart attack when his heavy footsteps started up, coming right towards you. Your eyes quickly flickered over the shelves.