Bane of the Dragons

I am thrown to the ground like the dog I am as my master presents his seven daughters of Nim to the seven brothers of Dorack. I don't dare lift my eyes as I sit on my knees next to the woman I tend to most, Clarian, the oldest daughter at twenty-three summers.

"Stay down dog!" I hear her father say to me. Her father is my master, a thin old man with a mean right kick. Suddenly I can hear a voice, a deep voice of a man which I assume is the oldest brother though I can't make out what he is saying. I sneak a peek, just a small one without lifting my head. He stands tall behind five other brothers and has seven wives around him already.

"Cut her ties" I hear the same man say, he is no longer speaking in his language.

"Her ties my Lord?" I hear my master say,

"Women before us must have their hair down, even if they are a dog."

The tie that keeps my hair in a rat bed above my head is quickly cut, and I flinch as my dark hair falls around me long, far longer than the prime daughters next to me.

"Forgive me for saying my Lord, but one of your brothers is missing," I hear my master say.

"I am here," I hear another voice, his like his brother is deep but stronger.

He stops, and his feet clad in brown boots are but a few inches away from me, and I wonder if he is going to kick me for being in his way. I try to hurry back without being too much of a notice when he crouches and grabs my hair. I freeze but dig my naked toes into the ground below me, and I don't dare lift my eyes. But to my utter shock, he starts playing with my long tresses. What the hell is he doing?

Maybe having long hair is an insult, perhaps he is about to cut it all off. I shudder because this makes me very sad I love my hair, it's all I got. The seven brides all had mid-length or short hair. Even though I will not be left here I fear we have insulted them by not cutting mine.

"Hand me a tie," He says, and I look down at his hands, he braided my hair. He quickly ties the end, takes out a knife, and slices through the bottom. I shriek and fall back clutching my long hair to me, he only took an inch off the end maybe but then I make an even bigger mistake, and I look up. He is big. Lean big muscles adorn every part of his body, and leather straps dig slightly into his skin. He is tan but what shocks me the most is his eyes, they are bright blue. He is beautiful for a brute. I can't take my eyes away from him.

"How dare you dog!" My master's foot meets with my back, and I fall forward and catch myself on my wrist, and damn does it hurt. I'm already covered in dirt and sweat, what's a little more?