[Alicia Elsdragon]

The problem, of course, with being chained down when someone twice your size is trying to hit you is that they are likely to succeed and you are likely to fall unconscious.

It took more blows than he had imagined it would. This one was obviously a survivor, he thought as he rained blows on her until she felt consciousness slip from her.

~~~~~~

It was nearly impossible to open her eyes, they were blackened and swollen. Her face, should she be able to see it was a collage of black and blue and purple.

This room, however, that Rae'vyn felt consciousness return to her in, this one was lighter. It was, or it appeared to be a medical facility of some kind. Rae'vyn was in a bed, sitting propped up on comfortable pillows. There were three other women in the "ward" with her. THey all shared one thing. THey were all pregnant, and quite a way along by the look of it.

One of them, older than the others, was watching Rae'vyn. They were all in beds, as she was, all sitting propped up in the same position. As the woman spoke, Rae'vyn realised that she could not feel her legs at all

You are in a medical ward of some kind the woman said, quietly. Her own face was the duller brown of older bruises that Rae would achieve in a few brightenings, but her shoulder held a new vivid purple which was not more than candlemarks old, Rae'vyn figured.

All four of the women were naked, none of them covered by anything. No blankets of any kind or modesty for these ones. You've been given a drug to stop you feeling anything in your body the woman said. She did not know more than that, but she knew how frightening it was to wake up here. i have been here five brightenings, I think. When I got here there were others, all like me, but they have been taken, one by one. He is keeping his stock moving, I would say. I am Mara she smiled at Rae'vyn, but her eyes were terrified.

If Rae attempted to move, she found that she was completely unable to. She was mobile only from her neck upwards, which was absolutely fine.