Loki sauntered down the rows of cages, glancing either way with little interest. He had no desire to have a personal slave; they had an ample amount at the place already. However, Odin insisted, saying having a servant at your side would be good company for the reclusive prince. You scoffed at this, but agreed nonetheless. He thought at the very least, a slave would provide him with some idle entertainment during the mundane hours of his day. He usually spent them tormenting his elder brother Thor, but lately even that past time has grown dull.
He strode down a new row of cages, eyeing them in distaste. They were all mostly grimy, tired looking and malnourished mortals, being that humans made up a vast majority of the slave trade this wasn't suprising. However their poor state of health took him slightly aback. He knew slaves weren't treated with any sort of luxury by any means but the servants back at the palace were at least given the basic necessities and dignity that (even you) thought they deserved. Seeing so many in such deplorable conditions almost made you feel pity for them.
Almost.
A loud crash from behind pulled him from his thoughts abruptly, followed by a clattering and the shouting of various obscenities. He looked over his shoulder to see a tangle of guardsmen trying to restrain a small slave girl.
"WENCH!" yelled one of the guards as he kicked the girl in the gut, effectively silencing her feral cries as she fell to the ground, pulling herself into a small tight ball, gripping her stomach.
"Now now..That is no way to treat a lady"
The guards all looked at Loki like frightened deer as they staggered upright, bowing deeply and muttering apologies. The man gripping the young maiden spoke up, his voice tight but feigning a playful tone "my lord, this here can hardly qualify as a lady." As if to justify his accusation, the girl at his feet made another animalistic growl and bit at the retraining hands,.
"This slave," he said, his voice dripping with malice at the word 'slave' "is more like a wild beast than anything. This is her third escape attempt in a month, such a wild creature is nothing but a burden to Asgardian society and the slave trade, we are taking care of her promptly, pay her no mind my lord."
Loki 'hmmmm'd in response, scarcely hearing what he was saying. With two long, slow strides, he was standing face to face (well, more face to chest) with the feral slave. Upon closer inspection, he noted to she was quite comely, despite her dirty and wild appearance. She couldn't of stood more than 5 feet tall and was skinny as a child, and had waist length silver hair. Her eyes were wide and round, and such a deep shade of black that you truly could of compared them to a true doe if they weren't boaring up at him with obvious malice. Giving her another once over, he couldn't help but think how everything about her appearance screamed innocence and purity. Only her demeanor was feral.
He found her hair most interesting. He had seen the color on a few maidens of Asgard, yet it was always a dingy, unnatural and unflattering shade that they obviously bestowed upon themselves as an attempt at unique beauty, but instead just looked utterly foolish.
However this girls hair almost looked magical, it glittered even under the dull lights of the slave hut, and still looked exceptionally flattering in its untamed state. It suited the girls alabaster complexion perfectly.
He reached out and tucked an unruly tendril behind her ear, and noticed her ear was pointed. He didn't dwell on it though because his action had earned him a quick snapping bite from the young spitfire.
Her retaliation earned her another blow to the gut, while the others spewed incessant apologies at Loki. He simply raised his hand as a signal to silence them, and knelt before the maiden.
"What is your name, girl?" It was almost a whisper, but still held his normal authoritarian tone. The girls face twisted as if contemplating something painful, as the same man as before spoke up. Loki assumed he was the lead slave trader of the hut.
"Her name is Fawn."
Loki couldn't help but smirk at how fitting her name was.
"She is a half elvish, half mortal mutt, that has been in the trade since she was small, yet never held an owner for more than a few weeks." The man glowered over at her "for obvious reasons. It's a shame, despite what you may see before you she is quite the looker, she would of made an excellent pleasure companion for many men but she is yet to be tamed."
The man chuckled as if what he'd said was somehow terribly funny. The girl was snarling up at him, obviously even more enraged by his words, but her faint flush and wry smile on the man's face told a story without words.
Loki looked away, shaking his head slightly, disgusted by the unspoken story. He never understood how men became so hard pressed for a bed mate that they had to force themselves upon maidens. Loki may be no saint but bedding an unwilling companion was above even him. Not that anyone has ever been unwilling, he thought idly.
He reached down, taking Fawn by her upper arm. She was so skinny, his hand completely encircled it completely. Lifting her as if she weighed nothing he brought her up to him.
This earned him a very quick, hard slap across the face.
The whole slave hut fell silent. The guardsmen looked at Loki in stunned dismay, all the other slaves hushed chatter ceased, even the girl, still in his grip looked mildly bewildered by her own actions.
The silence was broken with a breathy chuckle as a wry smile spread across his lips. He looked over his shoulder at the slave trader.
"I like herrr."
It was practically a purr.
The slave trader was snapped out of his bewilderment "y-you what?" He stammered out finally.
Loki didn't like to repeat himself. "I'll take this girl as my slave. Where is the paperwork? I am a very busy man you know, I'd like to return home quickly."
The man was clearly still bewildered but nodded quickly and scampered off somewhere to prepare the binding of slave and owner.
Fawn kicked and bit and flailed against Lokis grasp, all in vain. He chose to ignore it. He found her resistance exciting. It had been so long since someone had even considered going against his wishes, and certainly the first time in his long life that someone has struck him outside of battle and lived to tell about it.
Taming this wild fawn would be just the entertainment he'd been looking for.