“Wake up, Slav.”, said Ban, caressing her hair.

“Are they here?”, yawned Slav.

“Are who here?”, asked Ban.

“Our new family!”

Ban laughed and replied, “Hopefully!”

They went outside, Dit was standing right there. He nodded when he saw them coming out.

“Are they here yet?”, asked Ban

“That’s what I was saying!”, said Slav, before she went on and hugged Dit.

Dit put his hands up, awkwardly and didn’t say anything.

“Come here!", said Ban, as she took Slav aside and hugged her.

“How nice!”, the duke came up on top of the mountain with what looked like dozens of people and a big ogre.

“It has only been some years and she’s already... so different.”, he added before looking at Ban.

“I assume she doesn’t mine.”, he asked.

“She doesn’t, she’s far more important than the other... merchandise than you bought before.", Ban replied, and laughed. She put her hands on Slav’s head and spoke, “She’s good at fighting, so I will train her.”

“Isn’t that right, Slav?”

Slav looked up at Ban, with stars shining in her eyes, and nodded while pushing Ban’s hand up.

Ban smiled and laughed.

“Are they what we talked about?”, asked Dit.

Duke nodded before replying, “The first graduates from the orphanage.”, he points to most of the people he came along with. There was a boy and an ogre separated from them now, they stood alongside his soldiers.

“Esting really gave you an interesting task...”, said Ban.

The duke sighed, “It’s for our mutual benefit...”

“Sure. Sure.”, Ban replied before looking at Dit and adding, “Take them in and show them the ropes.”

Dit nodded and took them inside the cave.

“Are they our new family?”, asked an eager Slav who almost ran towards them, but she got stopped by Ban, who held her hand and jolted her backward. She kneeled and spoke, “No, they are not!”, then she hugged Slav before adding, “They are going to join the other people and work in the mine, alright?”

Slav nodded.

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“Good girl!”, said Ban as she got up.

“What about our new... family?”, asked Slav.

Ban smiled and pulled Slav to her and walked with her toward the young boy and the ogre.

“Ogre?”, said the ogre.

“Oh! it speaks!”, said Ban, smiling.

“Ogre!”

The duke came to Ban and said, “Yes. It’s a high ogre... Esting found him and sent him your way.”

“Tell him my thanks!”, Ban replied before looking at the young boy and added, “And who might you be...?”

“Please say human!”, said Ban before laughing.

“Ogre...”

She looked at Ogre, “No offense.”

“An illegitimate child from Smadom.”, said the duke.

Ban looked over at him and smiled, “I thought you weren’t interested in slaves.”

“I’m not.”, the duke rolled his eyes. “But this one’s different.”, he added.

“It doesn’t matter.”, Ban replied while smiling. “As long as they can fight.”, she punched her fists.

“That they can.”

“Good!”

Ban looked at Slav and smiled before adding, “They are our new family!”

Slav looked at them and then at Ban and then back at them again before smiling a huge smile.

----------------------------------------

Slav woke up in a jail cell, she wondered what had happened before it all rushed back to her.

She groaned and tried to get up.

“Are you alright?”, asked Dave, sitting inside the cell, waiting for her to wake up. He stood up, with both his hands gesturing to ask if she was alright.

Slav almost growled before retreating as far as she could.

Dave sighed and sat down again, looking at the ground for a few seconds before looking at Slav, “Did you have a nice dream...?”

Slav looked at Dave with confusion on her face.

“You were smiling... in your sleep.”, he added.

Slav didn’t reply, the anger in her eyes didn’t subside.

“You’re a slave... whoever your...”, Dave sighed before adding, “...owner is, they don’t, they won’t treat you right.”

“Maybe you were ordered to not speak but looking at you... you have enough freedom to speak up. Some slaves get some freedom when they’re liked by their masters.”

Dave looked at Slav, right into her eyes, “You’re not special... you’re being brainwashed into obeying them.”

His eyes glanced towards the slave collar, and he sighed, “Stay here.” and got up, and outside the cell, where Cess was waiting for him.

Dave nodded, saying no and Cess sighed as well. They both left the jail and found Eric and Orph waiting for them.

“I guess that didn’t work and she was unwilling to give up her boss’ secrets?”, asked Orph.

Dave sighed.

“We can use... other methods...”, he added before being interrupted by Dave.

“No! She’s... she’s just a child, maybe a couple of years younger than you all.”

“We are not going to harm her in any way. Is that clear?”, he added.

The others nodded in agreement.

“Have you all noticed the village feeling off?”, asked Orph.

Dave pondered and replied, “There have been cases...”

“I’ve noticed people staring at us too much too... at first, I thought it was because we were knights but it’s almost like we are always on watch.”, said Cess.

“Knight cadets.”, said Orph.

“I-yes, same thing.”

“No, not really.”, replied Orph, smiling.

Cess groaned, “Except sir knight here, we’re all knight cadets... who get monitored by people.”

“Maybe they are scared of us?”, asked Eric.

“Maybe...”, Dave replied.

“Ooooor the village knows something about the slave traders.”, said Orph.

He sighed before adding, “Think about it. A slave camp here, in the middle of nowhere with a village in the middle of nowhere! They must know...”

“You’re probably right...”, Dave replied as he put out a thinking pose.

“We need to ask around the village and check for clues.”, he added and looked at the other three, who all nodded in agreement.