Prelude

"Can she swim?" He asked me, he being a representative of the Capacian Bath House. The Pool of Blue Flowers is one of the most famous pools in Ar, in the world, in fact. It is a cool water pool, fragrant with the scent of veminium, after which it is named. The Pool of Blue Flowers was one of dozens at the Capacian Bath House.

"You approached me, fellow," I answered with a quiet smile, lifting my cup. We were watching the girl we spoke of dancing in the sands of The Braided Whip Tavern, which I own in partnership with a few others. "But to answer your question, I believe so."

"Before the offer is finalized, I would like to test her out," he said to me, lifting a hand to snap his fingers twice. Dahlia, a soft, lovely thing, hurried forth to refill his cup. "Put her through her paces in the water. See that she possesses the potential fitness necessary."

"I have no doubt she will meet or exceed your expectations," I answered, shooing away Dahlia with a dismissive gesture when she glanced up at me with an unspoken question. Dahlia is not a petulant thing, but she is a slave girl. She would need to be put to her belly and raped eventually. "You may, of course, put the girl through these tests to assure she is a good fit."

He nodded with a grunt as he watched Dahlia saunter off before returning his attention to me. "We need a new girl for the Pool of the Northern Forests," he intimated. "Am I wrong in detecting a certain fittingness?"

I let my gaze move back to the sands. The girl that sparked the man's interest moved and swayed. I suppose, after all of these years, there was a certain fittingness as he presumed. I nodded and said as much to him. "Long removed from her. Beaten from her, but latent. Certainly."

"You will, of course, be compensated during this time," he assured me.

"I will be certain to deduct that compensation from the price of her sale, should it result in that," I offered, assuring him in turn.