Chapter 1 part 4
     When next he woke Laughing Coyote was still tied and laying face down but no one was holding him. He didn’t much care--the only thing he could think about was the pain. He could hear them grunting at each other in their horrible language nearby but when he stirred and curled into a ball tucking his bound hands between his legs they stopped. He suppressed a moan and kept his eyes tightly shut.
     Someone grabbed his hair and hauled him partly upright. He reluctantly opened his eyes to see Greyhair looking at him appraisingly.
     “Now, truth from you boy.” He twisted his fingers a little tighter into his hair. “Am I going to have any more trouble from you?”
     “N-no. Please don’t hit me anymore.” His voice squeaked and he continued to clutch his abused pride.
     That caused Greyhair to scoff and drop him onto his shoulder on the deck; he stalked off barking orders and two who hadn’t yet hurt him came forward and cautiously picked him up by the arms. He didn’t resist or hinder and was led rather than dragged over to where the other captives were and shoved down among them.
     They hadn’t given him back his clothes or blanket and while the cold wind felt good on his flaming back right now he knew he’d soon be chilled to the bone in only breechcloth and leggings. He noticed at that moment the absence of his skystone necklace against his throat. He suppressed a surge of anger and wondered which of the icy-pale thieves had taken it and when. Did they take it in the night or this morning after beating me senseless?
    Laughing Coyote carefully kept his hands between his knees and stayed hunched over as he regarded his fellows in misery. The young man he was shoulder to shoulder with was from one of the conquered tribes, he was thicker built and heavier featured and his hair was cut short across his brow and at jaw level and he wore a high-necked wool jacket with dried blood spattered on the front. He hadn’t responded when the newest captive was dumped against him but continued to stare off in two different directions at once, his thick nose smashed flat and crusted with blood.
     The oldest man looked about twenty.  He had a warrior’s shave that had grown out fuzzy but without any feathers from battles won tied in his braid. He wore a red and green checkered shirt with a bone breastplate over it. He was the only other one tied up and he stared furiously at the wall in front of him. The young man who had been crying earlier now sat mute; he looked to be about fourteen and was wearing an old stained buckskin shirt and wrapped in a threadbare blanket and his own sorrow.
     The last three men looked to be about his own age or just a little older. One man who looked eighteen wore an orange head-wrap with a traditional cornhusk rain-cape over a quilled buckskin shirt; he feigned not to notice anyone around him but sat erect, legs and arms folded as if he were merely a passenger on a trip rather than a prisoner. Then there were two who looked enough alike to be brothers, or at least close cousins. They had matching red blankets with black stripes which must have come from the same loom. The one who might be younger looked down while the other glared at the demons patrolling the deck and whenever they were not watched he bent his head to whisper vehemently to his fellow.
     “I cannot believe you bet me in a game!” The one in yellow hissed “I truly cannot believe it.” He looked around to make sure they weren’t being watched and gave a Laughing Coyote an insolent look before turning back to his kinsman.
     “He didn’t play like that when it was just for beans!” Whined the one in multi-colored stripes, “when we played just for fun I beat him easy” he definitely seemed the younger of the two.
     “The only thing more unbelievable,” The first went on rolling his eyes “is that you then bet yourself.”
     “I had to try and get you back!”
     Laughing Coyote looked carefully around making sure all the demons were on the other side of the boat, then rose to a low crouch and scurried to where his clothes and blanket were heaped. He seized all in a bundle and hurried back to his place among the captives. They were all looking at him now except for the one he sat next to. He wrapped his blanket around his burning shoulders and hunched down as Scarlet came walking by.
     Scarlet looked over the captives and glared hard at Laughing Coyote huddled in his blanket. The big demon looked to the empty spot where his things had been tossed then stomped off. As soon as he was turned away Laughing Coyote threw back his blanket and pulled his shirt and jacket back over his head. They’d been pulled off together and not even unbuttoned so he was able to pull both back on together.
     The warrior with the overgrown shave was giving him a shocked look of complete disbelief. His disbelief grew quickly to outrage as he watched Laughing Coyote pull his blanket back over his shoulders and rewrap the rope he’d been holding around his wrists.
     “What are you doing?” He hissed.
     “I am cold and they forgot to give my clothes back when they were done beating me.” He replied calmly as he made sure the ropes looked secure around his wrists.
     The warrior blinked and shook his head “I mean why are you tying yourself back up?”
    “I don’t wish to be beaten again.” He gave the elder of their little group a long cool stare and didn’t break his gaze until the older man looked away to where Greyhair was stomping up with Scarlet in smirking attendance.
     “I thought we had an agreement.” The grey-haired demon wasn’t very amused; Scarlet however seemed overly so and grinned nastily as he slapped the knotted rope meaningfully against his leg.
    “That’s right. I am being no trouble at all.” He blinked wide innocent eyes at the demon’s leader and held up his apparently bound hands for emphasis.
    Scarlet started towards him snarling “You move skraeling. You cloth on!” He pointed at Laughing Coyote with his finger like a toddler and looked back at Greyhair for vindication.
    The grizzled demon pinched the bridge of his nose in a clearly irritated manner and snapped something at Scarlet that made his fat face flush nearly as bright as his shirt. Scarlet-faced now as well as clothed, he shot Laughing Coyote a murderous look before throwing the rope down and stomping off.
     Greyhair picked up the rope and stroked it through his rough hands, folding it up as he had before. “What am I going to do with you?” he asked.
     “No really,” Laughing Coyote shrank back. “I just wanted my things back. But I didn’t want to bother you. You’re a very busy man and you hate to be bothered, I can tell.”
    The old demon snorted a bit and tucked the rope into his belt. Emboldened by this, Laughing Coyote held up his rope-wrapped wrists again.
    “See, I even tied myself back up. Just to save you the trouble.”
     Greyhair gave a short bark of laughter outright at that. Then quick as a snake, he seized his forearms and jerked them apart. The rope unwound itself with such speed it left burning lines around his wrists.
     “Alright, I am not very good at tying knots. I-“
     “Silence.”
     He didn’t shout or even raise his voice; he just lifted the younger man by his wrists and set him lightly on his feet.
     Scarlet came back carrying Laughing Coyote’s decorated leather bookbag which he threw at Greyhair’s feet before stomping off. The old man picked up his bag and rummaged through it with a familiarity that made Laughing Coyote grind his teeth.
     “You are a pretty boy with a pretty voice.” Greyhair pulled his flute out and brandished it. ”Do you also play prettily?”
    “My family will pay-“ He started but was backhanded into shocked silence and calmly handed his flute.
    “Your family will not pay enough to lose me my business. No, I will sell you and I expect you’ll fetch a fine price. Young and healthy, good breeding and fine looks. And musical to boot. Play.”
    He lifted his flute, took several deep breaths and he played. He played the most intricate piece he knew. He played as if his music instructor and the whole school were watching. He played as if Owlfeathers were here and he was trying to win her back.
     When he finished and opened his eyes it was to see that half the crew had crept up to listen with rapt expressions and even Greyhair himself had his eyes half-closed.
    The demon leader smiled at him and reached out, ignoring his cringe and tousled his hair. “See skraeling, that wasn’t so difficult. Behave yourself and I’ll see you’re sold to a good master.” Laughing Coyote didn’t say anything he just hung his head and felt his heart dying inside him.
    Greyhair smirked and shoved his bag to him with a foot. He picked it up and sat down near the other prisoners. He could feel their eyes on him but he didn’t look at them. He couldn’t.
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