((This might be short. I don't like to repeat myself.))

So much for compassion, thought Claudia to herself when the silence passed and he had not said anything in response. She wondered if he'd heard her at all. Perhaps she should say something else? But what?

She was forced into motion as the onager moved. It was not a fast pace, however, and she found she could keep up with it without becoming too uncomfortable. However, her unclothed feet were unprotected by the roughness of the road - or, for that matter, the sharp, jagged pebbles that lined the path, and she winced in pain, though remained silent. She doubted protests would do much good.

Claudia had already gifted her new owner with the classification she reserved for uncaring brutes who took no interest in her. She was surprised, then, when he covered her head with the cloth, somewhat lessening the intense, piercing gaze of the sun. She watched intently as he reached into the cart once more and withdrew the water bladder. For a few, hellish moments, she had to watch him drink, and her parched, dry throat protested at such a sight.

When he tossed the bladder ever so casually to her, she grabbed it as if it were a lifeline. If she had noticed, Claudia would have blushed when he glanced at her briefly nude form, but her attention was elsewere. The blessed, lifesaving liquid flowed down her throat in that wonderfully refreshing way, and she thought of nothing else for the next few moments. Gradually, her thirst began to diminuish, and much later, she stopped drinking altogether. She took one look at the bladder. It was nearly completely drained. Some much for drinking sparingly.

The rest of the afternoon was a test of endurance for Claudia. She was unaccustomed to walking such great distances, and besides, her feet hurt, her stomach growled for food, and her tired body demanded that she stopped and rest. She was about to agree to the latter when they finally stopped at their destination. Relief poured into her.

She froze, however, when the cool metal of a knife touched her skin. Her eyes widened and she could have sworn he was going to kill her right then and there. But no, instead he made a comment about her smell and pushed her towards a stream which Claudia hadn't noticed until then. Fool, she chided herself, Why would he kill you right after buying you? She muttered a shaky "yes" to his question and stumbled towards the stream.

Again, she was naked. Claudia was beginning to get used to this. She wondered silently to herself whether or not that was a good thing.

The cool stream water washed over her tired, worn body, relieving not only the grime, dirt, and sweat, but also the sores and aches of being cramped in a cage so long. Claudia scrubbed herself meticulously down to every crevice of her body. It felt so good to be clean again. As she dipped her hair into the water and rinsed it out with a twist, she spied her owner out of the corner of her eyes. Despite the fact that he was setting up camp, she noticed that he was also paying attention to her whereabouts. Continuing to wash her hair, she turned her attention to her surroundings. They didn't offer much for means of escape. Even if she did manage to push her exhausted body to run away, somehow avoid his capture (which was a small possibility in itself), she would be unable to survive alone for long. Besides, the man was likely to have food with him, and she was very hungry.

I'll think of a plan later, she assured her troubled mind. I just need to rest a little first and regain my strength. I'll escape. Somehow. Although doubtful of herself, she accepted the notion for now and began wading back towards the camp.

Awkward, in her unclothed state, she approached the area and looked for a means to cover herself. For the moment, however, she appeared quite unconcealed, and, standing there in the open, her beauty was seen in full detail. Her beautiful, rich hair actually held a tint of gold along with the deep red. Covered in dirt, it had been hard to noticed before, but now it was plain. The tresses falled casually along her face in a brilliant cascade, stopping a little before her waist. They framed her visage very naturally, contrasting with her rather pale skin. The light complexion, however, complimented her physique. It went along well with the demanding tone of hair, the refined features of her face, and the overall look of delicacy in her figure. Her curves were far from subtle, however, and they stood out quite well. Her breasts were young and supple - on the large side, actually, and by no means a disappointment to any man. Her sex was covered in a small triangle of red hair.

A gust of wind blew suddenly, causing Claudia to shiver and wrap her arms around herself feebly for warmth. She spotted the abandoned cloak out of the corner of her eye and quickly walked reached for it, draping the garment over her form swiftly.