Read In Thrall for Free Online Page A

I am forced to stay here like a wife, taking care of everything while he is away, I will not have you looking pretty and doing nothing.”
    “ What do you want me to do, my Lady?” Her voice was small. She felt as though she were back in lessons, being chided by her tutor.
    “ Can you sew?” She asked.
    “ I can embroider passably.” Zahira reluctantly admitted. Piecing clothing had never been expected of her.
    “ Spin? Weave?”
    The girl shook her head, blushing.
    “Cook?”
    Zahira sighed. “No. I can sing, and dance, and play music. I can read and write...”
    Freja waved a hand dismissively, making a tsk noise.
    “ I can learn.”
    Leif's sister paused, and looked down her nose at Zahira, silently judging her. “Alright,” she said finally. “You may go and find Hilde today. She will find someone to teach you... something... useful.”
    “Yes, my Lady.” She actually felt glad of the opportunity. At the very least, it would be good to be able to walk around a bit, and perhaps get some fresh air.
    “ It pleases my brother to keep you around as his little trophy-toy,” Freja continued disdainfully. “But do not count on that lasting forever. You may soon be doing hard work with the rest of the drudges.”
    She didn't know what to say, so she didn't answer.
    Freja changed the subject abruptly. “Now,” she said, “Leif wanted to find out what you like to eat, drink, and wear.”
    She had eaten nothing but meat and bread in seemingly forever. “Vegetables,” she answered immediately. “Rice. And fruit.” More than anything she desired fruit. “Do you have fruit?”
    “Leif has money. We can get anything from the traders. What about that -” she indicated her own eyes, running a finger around them. “Cosmetic you used. He mentioned how much he liked that.”
    Zahira was surprised, and perversely flattered. “Kohl.” She answered.
    Freja looked dubious, but nodded.
    She asked a few more questions, and the girl did her best to answer without further aggravating her. Then Freja dismissed her and left the room.
    Zahira wandered for a while. The hall was quiet, with no men around – only the occasional thrall cleaning the floors or bustling about with logs or piles of clothing. They all looked at her with large eyes, but didn't speak.
    She climbed the stairs and wandered her way to the kitchens, where a giant fire pit burned hot, huge pots hanging over it. Flustered kitchen women rushed around. And there was Hilde, directing it all.
    The old woman seemed surprised to see her, but after being told what Freja wanted, she nodded and smiled warmly.
    “ Maybe you can not weave or cook,” the old woman said, “But I know something you can do.”
    The task was watching over a gaggle of blonde Northern children. They ranged in ages from barely walking to almost adolescent.
    With the help of Hanna, a shy red-haired lass of about sixteen, Zahira sat and kept them amused for long hours. She sang them songs and tried to teach them finger games she had known since childhood.
    They were endlessly fascinated, even though they couldn't understand her – but whats more, they delighted in teaching her words from their language. Zahira quickly came to the conclusion that Hilde was very clever. She had known the girl would have experience with children, and Zahira expected she had known that the language barrier would force her to learn, too.
    In all, it was a lovely diversion, and she almost forgot for a time that she was a slave here, far away from home.
    In the afternoon, the children led her outside. She had no cloak and immediately felt cold, but she forgot it all at the sight of the landscape.
    Snow blanketed everything – a light, powdery covering. The youngest children laughed and ran out in it, kicking their boots in the white dust and the older ones gathered it in their hands and threw it at each other.
    She looked at Hanna, who smiled at her, unconcerned. So Zahira walked out into the cold air and bent