by Ben Hale
“He's good,” Ursana said. Then she pointed to the scars that lined Jack's back.
“What happened there?” Forlana asked, noticing the motion.
“Silver reaver,” Jack said.
“Is that true?” Ursana asked, her eyes going wide.
“No,” Jack said with a laugh.
“Regardless, it will help sell the persona,” Forlana said, and gestured to the jar of pigment in Gordon's hand. “Now don your tan.”
Gordon growled and began to darken his flesh. As Forlana pulled a long, dark wig onto her bare skull and altered her own clothing, she launched into a description of the various cultural nuances that would keep their personas intact.
“Gordon will be my husband and Jack will be our son,” she said. “We'll be visitors from a friendly tribe traveling to find a wife for Jack. The custom is for women to bid on the available man, and I expect the bidding to be fierce enough to draw a crowd. When it does, Ursana will sneak into the prison hut and get the child out.”
“So I'm a distraction?” Jack asked.
Forlana grinned at the disappointment in his tone. “The best kind for a tribe of powerful women. You have to keep the bidding going until we are certain she has escaped. Then we make our exit.”
“And I'm just supposed to run from a woman that has now paid for me?”
“Yes,” Forlana said. “And run we shall. They will not take kindly to a desired mate escaping before their eyes. If you are caught, you will be shackled to the wall for your new wife to do with as she wishes.”
“As appealing as that sounds,” Jack said, “I think I prefer the running.”
“I thought you might,” Forlana said. “Are you ready?”
“No,” Gordon said bluntly, causing her to grin and stride away.
They stashed their packs near the village and Ursana split off from them. A moment later they stepped onto a trail headed south. Shortly after they turned a corner and a wooden palisade came into view. Built of logs, the wall curved around a large clearing that sat against river.
The main entrance was open, allowing Jack to see an assortment of large and small huts scattered throughout the area, their haphazard layout suggesting a disorganized leader. Then he saw the women and forgot all about the village itself.
Most wore leather jerkins decorated with strips of jaguar and other animal fur. Instead of a dress they wore pants that went to the ankles and covered hardy boots. In spite of their utilitarian garb, the women were flawlessly beautiful, with smooth skin and dark eyes. Their brown hair was pulled back and tied, or cut short like men from Griffin.
They used staff weapons with blades on both ends. Between two huts Jack caught a glimpse of them spinning their blades in devastating maneuvers as they trained. Their skill matched that of the legendary Talinor cavalry, and he wondered who would be the victor between the two.
The men were dressed as Forlana had described, and toiled over crops in a field at the corner of the village. Some washed clothing while others cared for children. One man scolding a child reminded him so much of his own mother that he almost heard her voice.
“One more thing,” Forlana murmured. “Don't forget the Amazons utilize sound magic to great effect. If they open their mouths to scream, get out of the way.”
Jack would have laughed but her expression was as serious as when she'd described the dangers of the Evermist. Then they reached the gate, and Forlana turned to the pair of women standing guard at the opening. They were suspicious and held their weapons at the ready, but Forlana's persona could not be denied, and after several minutes of speaking the guards allowed them entry.
“I may have to bid on this one myself,” one said, and smacked Jack on the rump as he passed. The other, a burly woman that stood even taller than Jack, grunted in agreement, her heavy-lidded eyes never leaving Jack's body.
“If you can afford me,” Jack said.
They burst into laughter and the tall one's smile became possessive. “And he has spirit. How very fortunate.”
“You already have two men, Soora,” the first guard reminded her.
“I can always use a third,” she replied.
They continued to argue as Jack was led out of earshot. He turned away with a smirk on his face, but Gordon nudged him.
“I don't think you want them to like you.”
“Why not?” Jack asked. “The longer the bidding goes, the more time Ursana has to get in.”
“Just be careful.”
“I'm not about to marry one of them,” Jack said, and then noticed a fortified hut.
Its walls were built stronger than the others, and it was one of the few with guards lounging outside. As they strode through the village they began to attract attention. Then he noticed the difference between himself and the men in the village. Although they were fit enough, their bodies had been ravaged by their labors. They were out of shape or scrawny, with even the youth appearing haggard and worn. Like overworked servants, the men gazed at him with a weary despair in their eyes.
He'd seen the look before, in servant women working for nobles throughout Lumineia. He'd always hated the look of the oppressed, and his amusement at the situation faded into irritation. Then Forlana reached a small stage and took Jack up to it.
“I seek a wife for my son, Kelan. As is customary, bidding will begin at nightfall. Until then you may view your potential mate.”
She took a step away from Jack, causing him to hiss at her. “What am I supposed to do?”
“Stay here until the bidding,” she said.
“Where are you going?”
“Dinner,” Forlana said it like it was obvious. “I'm hungry.”
“What about me?” Jack demanded, eyeing the women making their way toward the platform.
“Stand here and look attractive,” she said with a smile. “Think you can handle that?”
She began to leave and he reached out to catch her arm. Then he thought better of it and kept his hands to himself.
“I'm just supposed to stand here?”
“It's customary for potential mates to be viewed before the bidding,” she said. “It gives the women a chance to evaluate what you are capable of.”
He glanced at the small crowd of warrior women drawing close. “Was this the only plan you had for this assignment?”
“No,” she admitted. “But it's the most fun.”
Her smile widened and she joined Gordon on the steps.
“Good luck, Jack,” Gordon said, and began to chuckle under his breath.
“Oh, and don't let them touch you,” Forlana warned. “Trust me on that one.”
Jack turned to face the women as they reached the platform. The hunger in their gaze reminded him of a pack of dogs gathered around a butcher shop.
And he was the meat.
Chapter 12: Desired
The afternoon passed slowly and Jack took Forlana's advice to heart. He kept his distance from the women but responded to their queries with his usual touch of arrogance. Rather than deter them, his refusal to lower his eyes heightened their desire, so by the time the bidding began nearly every female in the tribe stood before the platform.
When Forlana returned, the satisfaction on her expression made it clear she'd anticipated the result, and Jack suddenly realized she was using his persona as a weapon. That thought brought a smile to his face, further inciting the crowd.
She stepped onto the platform and looked over the gathered women. Then she bowed to the woman standing near the front wearing a cloak of rayth fur. She was obviously the tribe's chief, and she bore a small smile of anticipation on her face.
“You have my gratitude for allowing us to come,” Forlana said. “As is customary, your chief has the chance to offer the first bid.”
She didn't hesitate. “Two gold.”
Several eyes widened at the amount, and Jack guessed that it exceeded a standard opening bid. The anger and disappointment on many faces signaled it was more than they possessed. Soora,
one of the guards at the gate, was among them. Then she bent her head and began an earnest conversation with several of the other women.
The betting quickly escalated. Women called out amounts so quickly Forlana struggled to keep up. Their laughter and jeers turned violent, and two began to brawl. The chief gestured to a guard to end it but remained in place, calling out a new high bid.
Jack smirked at the display. Even though he knew he was just bait, he couldn't help basking in the appreciation. Then Forlana's eyes flicked to Jack and he noticed her rising concern. At the current rate, the frenzy would reach a conclusion long before Ursana could release the girl.
He risked looking at the guarded hut to see a shadow slip behind the guards and dart inside. Drawn to the spectacle, the guards had drifted several steps away from the hut and were calling out to their friends. Then abruptly one voice echoed over the din.
“Thirty gold!”
The bid silenced the crowd, and drew sullen looks from many of the women. Others were furious and spit on the earth. Rage flitted across the chieftain's face as she rotated to face a very smug Soora.
“You don't have a fraction of that.”
“But we do,” she said, and gestured to a collection of women around her.
They reached into money pouches and began producing the coin. Soora shoved her way to the platform and dumped her purse onto it. Then her companions joined her, and the pile of money continued to grow. Most of it was copper and a few silver, and a single gold piece joined the pile.
The triumph on Soora's face mirrored Forlana’s smile, but Jack saw a beat of sweat trickle down from beneath her wig. It had been too quick, and at any moment the crowd would disperse, leaving Ursana trapped with the kidnapped girl. Realizing he had to act, Jack released a throaty growl, drawing the attention to him.
“You think I'm property to be owned by one of you?”
“You are male,” Soora said with a snort. “And now you're mine.”
“Ours,” several of her friends said, their expressions resentful.
“I refuse,” Jack said. “I may be a male but I am no different than you. We should be treated with respect, not disregarded as slaves.” Many of the men perked up at his words, and he raised his voice to override the chieftain's angry retort.
“I refuse to accept the life you present to me. I will not be this woman's husband,” he stabbed a finger at Soora, “or any other’s. I am my own man, and I choose my own fate.”
“I will enjoy breaking your spirit,” Soora said, and she climbed onto the platform.
Towering over Forlana, she began to stalk forward, an eager smile on her face. Jack held his ground and smiled.
“I'd rather be a barbarian.”
The words caused the women to fall silent, their eyes going wide with shock and rage. Then they charged the platform and reached for him. Jack whirled and leapt away, darting toward the nearest hut. In his wake Forlana feigned a shout of anger but he heard the note of humor in her voice.
With a hundred women howling for his blood, Jack leapt to the roof of a hut and bounded over, jumping to the next in line. Leaping the gaps, he managed to get enough distance to drop through a window. He silenced the man and two children with a wave of his finger and ducked to the wall as the women screamed by. Then he leapt out the window and back onto the roof.
“A barbarian wouldn't have been fooled so easily!” he roared.
The women skidded to a stop and whirled, the rage on their faces promising dismemberment when he was caught. One opened her mouth to scream and Jack dropped to the roof and covered his ears.
A horrendous shriek tore across the village, ripping through a wood roof like it was thatch in a hurricane. Even as it missed, Jack's bones vibrated from the proximity. Then it abruptly cut off and Jack saw Soora standing over the woman, her fist raised to strike again.
“He's my mate to punish!”
Jack smirked and darted away, leading the women back across the village. They screamed and shouted, but they could not keep up with him. At every turn Jack mocked them as he sought an exit. When they realized they could not catch him the group broke apart, working to flank him.
He retreated toward the corner of the village, searching the palisade for any egress. Avoiding the fortified hut, he raced between the herding groups of Amazonian women. They closed on him from three sides, forcing him against the wall of the village.
They came to a halt and Soora stepped forward. Rage and excitement twisted her features, robbing her of her beauty. The other women extended their staff blades toward him and growled their hatred.
“We should kill him.”
“He'll be trouble with the other men.”
“He's my mate,” Soora snarled, her eyes flashing. One of her friends shifted her feet but Soora turned on her and she remained silent. Then Soora faced Jack with a cruel smile. “Come, male, and I promise I won't break all your bones when I beat you.”
“I'm afraid I must decline your offer,” Jack said.
In the background he noticed the platform was empty, with no sign of Gordon or Forlana, or the pile of coin. The fortified hut was equally as silent. Then the chief drew his eyes.
“You will make an example of him,” she said to Soora, “before his words can poison the others.”
Soora growled but did not disagree. “Your game is over, Kelan.”
He grinned. “You speak the truth, Amazon. It's a pity you don't know the game you were playing.”
Her eyes narrowed in confusion but the chief whirled to the platform. Forlana and the pouch of gold were gone. Her frame went rigid when she looked beyond it to the fortified hut, the door open and the guards absent. Just as she opened her mouth to shout, Jack crouched and gathered his strength. Then he launched himself into a lazy back flip that carried him over the palisade. He landed on the ground with ease and darted into the jungle, his laughter fading as he slipped away.
“BLASTED THIEVES!” a woman roared.
He weaved through the trees, racing toward the appointed meeting place. The sounds of pursuit diminished as he outran the enraged women. When he was certain he’d left them behind, he shifted direction and met the others where they had stashed their packs.
Jack grabbed his and they sprinted into the jungle. Forlana didn't slow until they reached the edge of the Evermist. Then she brought them to a halt.
“Why did you rescue me?” the girl asked, gasping for breath.
The girl appeared to be ten yet there was a steel in her eyes that made her look older. Sleek and tall for her age, she looked at Jack with a mixture of anger and curiosity. He smirked at her, guessing her anger came from his previous words.
“Don't worry, little one,” he said. “I don't care one whit for your beliefs.”
She flushed and turned to Forlana. “Why did you rescue me?” she repeated.
“Jaguela doesn't want a war with your tribe,” Forlana said. “They paid for us to retrieve you from Suya.”
“Jaguela is our ally?”
“That's for you to sort out,” Forlana said. “But we should get moving.”
Jack and Gordon stepped away to change, and then the group turned northeast. The next day they reached a village of Jaguela, and Forlana ordered them to remain at the tree line. Advancing toward the guards with the girl, she waited near the gate until a chief appeared. A moment later gold changed hands and Forlana returned alone.
“It's not often we make more on the assignment than we get from the benefactor,” she said with a pleased smile.
“The gold was for me,” Jack said.
“Yet it was paid to me,” Forlana said with a smile. “And according to guild rules I don't have to share it unless I want to divide it among those who carried out the assignment.”
She cast him an appraising look. Irritated, Jack replied, “I told you I'm no fool. You taught a lesson and I learned it.”
Forlana regarded him for a moment until she gave a satisfied nod. “The Guildmaster takes half,
and we'll share the rest. Since Jack was the bait, I'll give him my share.”
It was more than generous, and Jack saw that she wanted him to realize the benefit of working as a team. As he counted out his portion of the payment, he realized he'd earned more in less time than he ever had before.
Then he realized it had been days since he'd thought of his mother. Instead of guilt it was curiosity he felt. Had she enjoyed the guild as much? He’d never considered what assignments she’d done or who had been her friends.
He cast surreptitious glances at his companions. He may have entered the Thieves Guild for revenge, but it was disturbing how comfortable he felt within its ranks. He shied away from the emotion, his time on the streets telling him to distrust it. Comfort would rob him of caution, and that was not something he could afford.
As the boat slid into the dock at the guildhall, Gordon invited them to share a pitcher of ale. After a moment's hesitation Jack declined, as did Forlana. As he watched Ursana and Gordon stride away, Forlana stepped to his side.
“Friendship is a difficult beast to wrangle,” she murmured. “But it can be the most rewarding.”
“I don't need your advice on life,” Jack said.
“Who says I was talking about you?” she said, and strode away.
Left to his thoughts, Jack trudged to his room and collapsed on the bed. In spite of his fatigue, sleep came slowly, and eventually he rose and stepped into the hall. Several minutes later he was slipping into the hall of records for the second time. It didn’t take him long to find the records on Morissa and read what he could before a roving guard forced his retreat. The following night he returned, and the next. The fourth night he slipped into the library and came to an abrupt halt.
Someone was already there.
Chapter 13: Thera’s Secret
Jack let the shadows swallow him and froze, watching the other intruder. The figure sat on one of the catwalks three levels above him, reading a book by lightstone. The seconds passed and the figure glanced down the turret but the shadows obscured their features. When they looked away Jack activated his muffling charm and eased from the darkness.