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| Chapter 5 | |||||
| A week had gone by since becoming a centaur, and I had all but mastered the new form, discovering that I have also been given the instincts that went along with the form. Grandfather often still teases me I'm as ungainly as a newborn foal | |||||
| Though I am settling in with the fact tat this is what it is to be for the rest of my life I am defiantly alone, grandfather has become a kind of mentor but the prince, Prince Kadayan, I don't know how he sees me, | |||||
| I know his friends tease shout and order me around, they know what I am what I did to become what I am and my shame,. I refuse to ask the prince to steep in as I know I deserve al I get but I can't help feeling that I am a disappointment, a burden to him | |||||
| I lay in my quarters thinking on this, felt so restless I couldn't sleep, in the end I got up and as quirt as I could left the long house for the well in the centre of the compound. | |||||
| I tried often to serve the prince as I thought I must but often my bulk stopped me or he ordered me not to do anything as he could do it him self, only yesterday I asked grandfather what the human slaves the Elvin caught did as I had not seen any in the week | |||||
| He told me the humans caught were the ones that traded and or trapped the creatures if the Elvin lands and were so punished to a sentence of years of servitude working the Elvin farmland, it had surprised me that the sentences were often not permanent but often at the end of the sentence they were given the chance to return home or continue on, many continued on | |||||
| Grandfather had told me it was because many found life better here and I would to if I didn't keep my mind in despair and find a place for myself | |||||
| As I took a drink I thought on his words, I was only a burden to the prince because I had not found a place. I smiled to myself if I was a burden to him then the best way for me to find my way, was to turn that around. True centaurs never were asked to carry any one as the Elvin held them as noble brothers bur I wasn't a true centaur and I was also a slave. | |||||
| 'Calrin,' I said to my reflection 'time to clime out of the pit and do some work for a change' I smiled at the quote of Mother Anya but it soon left as I felt a pang of worry for my adopted parents | |||||
| Returning to the longhouse as quiet as I left I gathered some tanned leather that had been stored for future use and a set of spare leather working tools and set to work | |||||
| It took me three days to finish my project working mostly at night, I had often made my own things working with leather as often the worked hide was more valuable than the raw skin, it had also given me something to do when snowed in during winter. | |||||
| I had often made variations of what I wanted now but still often I had to improvise | |||||
| The buckles and fastenings were easy as the Elvin smith had seen me working and I had told him I was practising my old skill to get the hang of my new hands, I had even joked with him that leather working was bound to be better excepted than weapon making. | |||||
| I don't know if he felt sorry for me or I amused him that day but he provided any bit of metal work I desired | |||||
| When I finished my project, I vowed to myself that I would make something for him in thanks, and before I could stop myself I was mentally designing a broad belt to carry all his tools | |||||
| I smiled at the timing as I put the whole thing together, the prince tomorrow was to set out on a short journey to the near by town to meet an old friend who held a position similar to mayor | |||||