by Allan Joyal
Our caravan was being ignored by the slaves as we approached the vineyard. Most of the slaves were men. They were shirtless as they moved along the vines. Several had masses of scar tissue on their backs. I wanted to do something, but the overseer had three armed men walking with him and it was clear these men would attack anyone who tried to interfere with the work of the slaves.
I was going to continue walking when Jeff ran up to me. "She's from Earth!" he hissed as he pointed at one of the few female slaves in the group.
The girl he was pointing at was squatting down to carefully remove some branches from a vine. In fact it took me a moment to confirm it was a woman, but as she straightened her back I realized that her top was an off-white sports bra. The girl kept her head down and moved quickly to the next vine to continue her work.
Instantly I made a decision. "Get Aine and Lydia to cover me," I whispered to Steve. He turned away as I walked up to the edge of the road and waved my hand.
"Overseer! Can I have a moment of your time?" I called out.
The man turned to look at me. His eyes widened a little as he noticed the carts passing behind me. After handing a riding crop of some kind to one of the armed men, he and another armed man pushed the slaves out of the way and walked up to me.
"You have some nerve, traveler," the overseer growled. "We only get a few good days to clear these fields. I can't be interrupted by just anyone."
"I'm sorry to take your time," I replied. "I was just wondering if I might purchase one of the slaves you have here."
"Why?" the overseer asked. He was watching the carts pass and I could see him mentally counting the number of people. "You don't seem to need a slave for anything."
I prayed Heather would not react and smirked. "Oh, I might have need for a bit of warmth at night," I sneered.
The overseer snorted. "From these? They aren't for that. I don't think any of them are what you want."
"What about her?" I asked, pointing at the woman wearing the sports bra. She was standing up to stretch her back and her rather ample breasts stood out from her body.
The overseer gasped. "Her … . Well, she is a recent purchase and the Master has noted that she's not very good, but … ."
I reached into my smaller money pouch. "I'm sure you can spare her then. How about her original price plus a drachma?"
"The food she's eaten since we purchased her has cost more than that," the overseer said scornfully.
"Really? I'm guessing you purchased her less than ten days ago. I'm sure she hasn't been eating that well since you got her. I can see her ribs."
"I'm sure we have had her for longer than that," the overseer contradicted me. "But perhaps we can agree to her purchase price plus four drachma. That would be one gold and three drachma."
"Expensive for just one woman," I replied. "I'll go for one gold and one drachma."
The overseer scowled again. I thought he we going to refuse, but he nodded. "Done."
He turned to his armed companion, who rushed over to the still unnamed woman. I carefully pulled a gold and silver coin from my pouch and held them up to show the man. He reached for them, but I moved them away.
"Not until she's over here," I said.
The armed man had walked over to the woman. He seized her arm and dragged her out of the vines. She froze in surprise and was limp as he brought her over to us and threw her into the dirt at my feet.
"She's yours," the overseer said as he held out his hand for the money.
Steve came over and picked the girl up from the dirt as the overseer turned back to the still working slaves. I noticed that none of them had even looked up as the armed men walked past.
I waited until the overseer was back in the vines and then turned to catch up with the group. Jeff and Heather both moved to join me once we had moved far enough away that we could no longer hear the overseer's shouted commands.
"What will we do with her?" Heather asked.
"How is she?" I asked. "I didn't dare look too closely."
"Steve took her right to Esme," Heather said. "I guess the girl has been whipped."
I looked over at Jeff. The man shrugged. "I was never whipped, but I never fought with my captors and they didn't seem interested in me sexually. I did see one woman raped by the slavers, so it might have happened."
"More broken toys," I muttered. "Well, let's try to keep her out of sight while we are in Rockspire. We might want to move her directly to the campground we set up."
"What about shopping?" Heather asked.
I pointed back at the overseer. "We just saw four men doing nothing except watch about two dozen slaves. That suggests that someone in the valley is rich and not exactly filled with human kindness. If that's true, we'd be much better off if only men are shopping. If they employ slaves so openly, they probably aren't against kidnapping a girl to make her into a slave."
Heather looked offended, but Jeff nodded. "I never thought about that, but you're right. The team doing the purchasing should be small and not linger in town."
I nodded. "I'll take Jeff and Al. That leaves our better fighters with the carts and the women. We don't have a lot to purchase."
"I heard Gerit suggest that we sell the two horses that still can't pull a cart. We were going to sell the one sled weren't we?" Jeff commented.
I nodded. "That sounds like a plan. I'd love to keep the horses, but they are slowing us down because they are in such poor condition. Why don't you get with Gerit and make sure the two horses and the sled are separated out. Heather, go and check on the girl. She's probably in shock."
Jeff and Heather dashed off. I was looking for Al when Lenoir appeared from the right side of the road. She had been crouched low in the snow covered grass and shivered slightly in the chill air. "I found a small grove we can camp in past the spire," she said.
"Is it something we can defend?" I asked.
"Yes," Lenoir said. "The fields around it make it easy to spot anyone approaching. We'll have to post guards, but we should be fine for the night."
I nodded again. I was feeling like I had become a bobble-head as I spoke. "Get with Hencktor and Steve. We're going to send everyone directly to the campsite."
"Problem?" Lenoir asked as Al ran up.
"I have a bad feeling about this town," I said. "I want as few people as possible in a vulnerable position."
"That makes too much sense," Al said. "How much are we purchasing in town?"
"We need more hay for the animals," I said. "Also we're going to sell two of the horses. They are in terrible shape and need to rest. I suspect one will be killed and eaten before spring."
Al nodded. "They weren't exactly prime examples of horseflesh were they? Do we want to take the rickety cart? It has space and won't make us look too prosperous."
"Yes, we'll need to bring a lot of stuff back if we can find it," I said.
Al rushed off as Lenoir put a hand on my arm. This was a surprise as she rarely touched anyone. "Thank you," she whispered.
"For?" I asked.
"I know that woman is someone you know, but I never thought you'd spend money to get her from the overseer," Lenoir said.
"Actually, I don't know her," I replied. "Jeff recognized the style of top she's wearing. It's made out of material produced in the land we come from. I'll know more later."
Lenoir looked surprised, but then hurried off in search of Hencktor. I was left alone with my thoughts as everyone prepared for some of us to split off and visit the town to trade.
Chapter 31: Reminders of the Dangers
The sun was getting close to the horizon when Al, Jeff and I finally arrived in Rockspire. We had slowed down our advance while we reviewed what we needed and wanted to trade for, and then some items needed to be removed from the cart we planned on taking into town.
Al took the duty of leading us to the center of town. There was an open area that seemed large enough to hold a bazaar, but we found no tents in the area. At first we stood there until I wav
ed to a passing boy and got his attention.
"What?" the kid snarled. He seemed upset to be asked to do something.
I held up a copper coin. "I have two horses and a sled to sell and then I'm looking to purchase some goods. Do you know who I need to talk to and can you lead me to him?"
"Master Senith," the boy said. "At least you'll start with him. He lives in the big house." The boy pointed to a large stone house that dominated one side of the courtyard. We took a step toward it, but the boy called out.
"He's not there. Right now he'll be at the stables. They are in the walled area to the left of the house."
We changed direction as I dug a second copper coin out of my pouches. I threw both coins to the boy as we exited the square area and found ourselves in a narrow street. There was a wooden palisade to our right. We walked along it for almost a hundred yards before we found an opening. I led the others up to the entrance and we looked inside.
There was a group of men standing and looking at a horse lying on the ground. One of the men was in richly decorated leather pants and vest. "I can't believe you didn't check the grain!" he screamed. "We've had this problem almost every winter!"
Two of the other men in the circle tried to look away. One noticed me and held up a hand. "Boss, we have visitors."
The leather clad man turned to look at the entrance. He frowned as he looked over my friends and me. "And who might you be?" he said scornfully.
"I am Ron, trader for the group Daytona Trade. We seek to sell some goods and purchase a few provisions and other items. We were told that you would be the person to talk to in Rockspire," I said carefully.
"And what could three ragged travelers like you have for me?" the man asked.
I sighed. "We have two horses. I'll admit they are not in the best condition, but for a man such as you, bringing them back to health would be an option. We also have a sledge that has had wheels added so it can be used on roads while still being usable over snow."
The man looked over my shoulder at the two horses. "Not good?" he snapped. "I'm amazed those two horses are still alive. One might be able to recover from his ill-treatment."
"Still, even if you put the horse down, you can use the meat," I said.
The man frowned again. "Two drachma, and even at that I feel I'm overpaying for the horses."
"How about a trade?" I asked.
"What do you want to trade?" the merchant replied.
"We need some hay and some oats. We were also hoping to pick up some travel provisions in town," I said.
"There is only a little I can provide," the man said with a smirk. "The harvests all along the river have been poor. I can give you some."
"What about for the sled? What can you offer for it?" I asked.
"Surely you don't expect it to be worth much," the merchant said.
"It's something you don't have in this stable," I said. "We've used it all winter and found it to be useful. The harness is even adapted for both humans and draft animals."
"Why not keep it then?" the man asked.
"Our destination requires that we have carts with more clearance," I said. "And the sled is currently empty so now is a good time to sell it."
The man started walking around the sled. He seemed to frown as he looked at the frame, but then bent down to look at the wheels. He seemed surprised.
"Dwarven make?" he asked.
"They were the ones who installed the wheels," I saidd. "They were offering me the option of traveling underground where the sled runners would have been useless."
The man looked more closely at my clothing. He seemed to pause as he scanned my vest. He turned to look at Al, who was wearing a similar vest. Then he glanced over at Jeff. "Who is this one?" he asked, pointing at Jeff.
"He is a young man we met during our travels. He was nearly starved, and I offered him a job as a cargo handler. He's been helpful. I brought him to help load the cart," I said.
"Charity does have its place," the man said absently. "Although I would have put a collar on him. I can say that the sled is worth some goodly coin. Now you wanted hay and oats?"
"To start," I said adding a bit of scorn to my voice. "But it is a good start."
The man frowned, but turned to some of his minions. I noticed a few of them had pulled their knives from their sheaths and were pointing them our way. I put a hand on my own knife. However, the merchant ignored the posturing. "Bring out three bales of hay and three barrels of oats. That will be fair trade for the horses."
Three men turned and walked away from the circle. The remaining ones backed off slightly. The merchant turned his attention back towards me. "So I've never heard of the group Daytona Trade. What wares do you specialize in?"
"Mostly farm products and a few magic reagents," I said. "We are a new group."
The man once again had a sinister look in his eyes. "Ever consider delving into other trade?" the man asked.
"We actually are on a special trade mission for our group, so it's not an option at the moment. We are expected in Saraloncto before the moon finishes another cycle," I said. "There is a contracted delivery we must complete."
The man looked at my vest again and sighed. His minions had reappeared. They had been joined by three others and the six men carried three hay bales. Atop the bales, small barrels had been set.
"Jeff, show the men where to put the bales on the cart," I said. "So that is the trade for the horses? What about the sled?"
The man looked closely at me. "Rogne," he shouted. "Go and gather some travel foods. Make sure you bring about six drachma worth of food. Have others help."
Several more men from the circle headed off. I noticed that the six men who had brought the hay out had completed their trades. Four headed back inside, but two took the reins of the horses. They took a closer look at the horses.
"This one is done," one of the men said after looking at the legs of the horse he was leading. "It's old and isn't going to regain his strength."
"This one actually might recover. It looks like it was a well-trained riding horse once," the other man said. "Master, you got a good deal."
"Good," the merchant said. "Now I have some messages to send out. Take the good horse to the stable and make sure Clatu knows that it needs special care. The other can be killed."
"Can I ask for one more item?" I asked.
"What?" the merchant snapped.
"While we were walking into town, we noticed that you had several workers trimming the growth of some vines. Would it be possible to be given about two dozen of the cut branches? It would be best if they were as long as a man's arm," I said.
"That I can do," the merchant said with a laugh. "If you want to waste a trade, I'm happy to oblige."
The merchant nodded to one of his men. The man ran out of the courtyard. He was heading towards the hills where we saw the vines.
With all of the trades underway, the merchant turned away from us and marched off to a doorway I had not noticed. Al, Jeff and I were standing alone at the entrance to the stable courtyard.
"Why the vines?" Al asked. "The merchant thought you a fool."
"It probably won't work, but we might be able to get them to grow roots and become new vines. It wouldn't be bad to have a source of grapes for wine in our new home," I said.
"Can we do that?" Jeff asked.
"I don't know," I admitted. "I've never made wine and I don't know if anyone in our group has. I know the basics aren't too much different from beer and I've read about that. We will still need to find the right kind of yeast and learn to make barrels, but we might be able to make it work."
"But will the vines grow?" Al asked.
"I've heard it can be done, but I don't expect us to succeed. It was more to get the merchant to think that we don't have valuables. He seemed too quick to suggest that we trade in contraband," I said.
"Is that what he was offering?" Al asked.
"Yes," Jeff said.
We heard noises behind us and t
urned as a group. Six men were walking towards us carrying several barrels. They put the barrels on the ground next to our cart and then picked up the sled and carried it into the stable area. Al and Jeff immediately began loading the barrels on the cart.
I checked to see that we were alone and then joined Al and Jeff. Several of the barrels felt lighter than the others as we lifted them.
"What's in these?" Al asked.
"I don't know, but we won't check them here," I said.
"Why not?" Jeff asked. "And why did you say I was some hireling?"
"You don't look like you are a merchant," Al said. "Ron doesn't either, but that vest gives him some prestige. It's obvious that the merchants recognize that dwarves made it."
We got all of the barrels loaded. I was looking around carefully once the cart was filled. "Let's start to head back to the road," I said. "Al, turn the cart around. Make sure you stay away from the walls, but don't get pinned. If we have to, we'll unhitch the mule and muscle the cart around."
Al looked up and down the street. He handed the axe to me and then walked to the mule. It shied as he grasped the harness, but calmed quickly. Al began the process of getting the mule to turn the cart around in the narrow alley as I guarded the rear.
Jeff stood to the side, watching us. Finally he spoke up. "What is going on?"
"I don't trust the merchant," I said. "I thought about it as we approached the town. Unlike Purahomp, this valley is dominated by one man, and I get a feeling he would fail any class on professional ethics given back on Earth."
"I don't know," Al said. "I know a few professors who'd give him top marks."
Jeff just stared at us. "Anyways," I said. "I want to get out of town quickly and we might have a very short night in camp. I don't want to be here longer than we have to be."
"We could travel at night," Jeff said.
"No light," Al said. "And unlike in the caves where the lanterns discouraged many creatures from investigating, a light out here will attract bandits. Our group isn't big enough to look like an army."