Beneath the ruins of Adiranthe - Part 6a

Eleria sat in her bed in the otherwise bare little room in the slave quarters.
She had slept long - she had no idea what time it was in the world above, but maybe late morning or early afternoon - and while it had probably helped, she was stiff and sore. She rubbed her thighs ruefully, there was even a little graze on one. Great. Kardan had even more to answer for... if only she could find a way of turning the tables.

This focused her and she was up and moving around straight away, ignoring the soreness in her muscles. She knew that there wasn't really going to be a way out, through the door or otherwise, but trying at least gave her something to do.

For a while, anyway. As she methodically checked the door (locked) and probed the walls and floor, her mind woke up more, and she remembered all that had happened, every detail and sensation coming flooding back into her mind.
She shook her head as if fighting the memory. She had been entirely too submissive. There were feelings amongst all of it that she would rather not think about too much, and not just the little stinging sensations and the heavy press and crush of his weight and hands in her hair that had somehow controlled her. Her face flushed warm with embarrassment.
Neither was Eleria used to being defeated. She was the lone operator, the cat burglar who hadn't been caught or defeated since she left the guildmasters. Her face flushed bright red. She longed for the power to throw him down and defeat him instead!

To her amazement, her searching fingers found something at that moment. A small piece of stone gave way as her fingertips pressed.

Then footsteps sounded outside the door to her little room. She shoved the stone back into the wall and whirled to face the door.

A Goblin marched in. It (he, she??) seemed unfazed and unconcerned by her defensive posture and flashing eyes. That in itself was somewhat demoralizing, as if she really did have no power here.
She kept her pose haughty and icy as the awful-looking creature put food in front of her. She managed, with difficulty, to resist the urge to throw the plate in the goblin's face, she would need the energy...

It left her alone with her meal. UGH... what was this, goblin food? A pallid coloured slop laced through with wet slippery green stuff, and a handful of what looked to be bugs.
After staring at the stuff for long moments, Eleria steeled her will and began to shovel it down. She was tired and very, very hungry, and who knew what the day would bring? She doubted the food was harmful, anyway -  what use was a servant who was ill from the food?

After finishing the food - the slop had at least not tasted vile, just had a sort of slippery texture ugh and the bugs had at least not been alive! - Eleria sat staring at the loose stone in the wall. What lay behind it? Anything?? She wanted to examine it further, but dare not, the Goblin or even its human boss might come to her door any moment. No, she would bide her time, perhaps tonight. And she would also need to try to get a feeling of the layout of this place, no matter what else was going on. She WOULD escape!

The determination and focus made her feel a lot better. She would use it as psychological armour, and behave coolly towards Kardan. He would not get through to her.
Should she be obedient?? she wondered. She didn't want to, but if she began to act obedient, he might let his guard down just a little, and there might even be less trouble for her in the meantime...
No, she had spat at him even after all the events of yesterday. Sudden docile behaviour would definitely arouse suspicion.

Just then the door burst open and she whirled round again to face it instead of that spot on the wall, then realised just how suspicious and guilty that might look.
Thankfully it was just Goblins again.
"Master wants ya," rasped the biggest one.
"Master can go shove it," Eleria grumbled. But when the group of four creatures bristled and looked like they might charge her en masse, the thief girl sighed. "All right, I'm coming already, you'd think I meant to pound the lot of you into dust..."

******

To be continued!