She groaned and tried to roll over, momentarily forgetting that she was tied to a group of other unfortunate souls. The movement pulled the rope around her neck even tighter, further irritating the raw skin. The man next to her grunted and shoved her away, bringing her fully awake. Her commotion woke the slavers, bringing the angry leader to his feet in record time. He grabbed the rope and jerked her to her feet, those nearest her following to keep themselves from being chocked. With a special twist and tug of the rope, the slaver released her from the group while the others kicked the slaves back to the ground. “You’ll learn your place, girl, high-born or not,” growled the leader. He thrust her to the ground with the force of a strong arm. Bethany landed on her knees, sharp stones making her cry out with the impact. “You think that hurts?” snapped the slaver. From some hook or loop on his belt, the slaver retrieved a long, flat paddle and quickly brought it down on her back.
