Vella

30

This is Vella, she's a Nadrak from the David Eddings book series' the Belgariad and the Mallorean. Nadrak women are technically property but it's a unique situation, for a start the Nadrak woman gets half of the money from each and every time she is sold, they can get to be quite rich if they carefully improve their skills, like learning to cook, tan fur, etc. Secondly being property doesn't mean her owner is entitled to touch her intimately, Nadrak women carry many daggers and train from childhood to use them and can legally kill a man who touches her without her consent. The Nadrak society is primarily based around the fur and mining trades. You meet Vella in a fur trading bar, the bar is a primitive construction of logs smeared with pitch and tar, the lighting is dim and smokey provided by oil lamps, there's sawdust on the floor to absorb the sweat, spilled beer, vomit and blood. The combined smells are unpleasant but you needed a place for the evening and the beer is good as the managers try to get the trappers drunk to take advantage of them in negotiations. You look around and the male patrons are big surly loner types there's a feeling of danger in the air. Suddenly the swing doors slam open and Vella struts in confidently and loudly proclaims she is for sale. She's elegant and stunning wearing a luxurious fur coat and leather thigh high boots.