by Kel Kade
A sharp pain shot through his head, and stars swam before his eyes. Sometimes he envied the dead.
“What is wrong with you,” whispered Uthey.
“I have a hole in my mind,” he mumbled.
“You mean in your head. It’s called your nose, and you’re bleeding from it.”
Tam wiped his nose. Considering the amount of pain, he was surprised there was so little blood. He closed his eyes for a moment, allowing Uthey to pull him along, and concentrated on his breathing. He blocked out the sounds as best he could, and the pain began to subside. It struck again when he opened his eyes, but it was not as strong as before.
As they neared what he thought to be the end of the passage, they were suddenly assailed with streams of cold water. Guards and a few water mages stood atop the wall tossing buckets or casting streams over their heads. Tam shivered but was grateful to get rid of the filth. The water stopped too quickly, though, and he realized that he was still covered in filth, only now it was wet filth. They marched forward again, the passage opening into an appalling market. Instead of carts and stalls filled with goods and food, row upon row of cages filled with men, women, and even children lined the paths. Some of the cages contained dogs or more exotic species. Merchants, traders, and other wealthy sorts strolled down the rows, taking notes and asking questions of the slavers. As Tam and Uthey were shoved into a cage, he realized that these people saw no difference between the prisoners and the animals.
“What happens now?” he said.
“Now, they will wait for someone to buy us,” said Uthey. “If we’re lucky, we’ll go to a plantation. We don’t want to end up on a ship or in the mines.”
“I don’t intend to be a slave for the rest of my life. We need to escape.”
“How do you propose we do that?”
“I can pick the lock on the cage. We can open some of the other cages to create a distraction. If we make it to the docks, we can stow away on a merchant ship or steal some clothes and pretend to be sailors.”
“And what about these,” said Uthey as he lifted the chain attached to their necks.
Tam eyed Uthey’s collar. “Do you think they’re enchanted?”
Uthey narrowed his eyes as he looked at Tam’s. “Don’t see any runes. They’ve got a place for a key.”
“I might be able to pick those, too,” said Tam. “I’ll need a couple of pins. Something thin and sharp but strong.”
They searched the cage for anything of use. The sides and top had bars made of thick iron. The ground was sandy, but more bars lay only a few inches deep. Tam was glad a roof lay over the bars, even it was made of old, rotting boards. One of the slavers walked up and smacked a cane against the bars, eliciting a jarring ring that smacked Tam right behind the eyes.
The slaver said, “Kunduta bundunana. Niheshet kwafugarana.”
Tam looked to Uthey, who shrugged and said, “I don’t speak Verrili.”
The slaver said in Gendishen, “You need not bother. You cannot escape.”
“My people will come,” said Tam. “You have made a mistake in taking us.”
The man laughed, sun-darkened skin stretching tight over his sharp cheekbones. “You Gendishen are all the same. You think too highly of yourselves. You are no one now. Your people, if you have any, will not find you. If they come looking, maybe we will throw them in a cage, too.” He cackled at his own joke as he walked away.
As Tam and Uthey waited out the day, two more pairs of prisoners joined them. One of them was a young woman who looked terrified. The man she was chained to pulled her into his lap as he lounged against the bars. He ran his fingers over the bare flesh of her arms and neck. Her dress had been ripped down the front, and she held it together where it had been hastily tied in knots.
The man looked up at Tam and grinned. “At least they gave me a consolation prize.”
Tam looked at the woman. “Do you know this man?”
She blinked at him, then cried, “I don’t know what you’re saying. I don’t know what anyone is saying.”
“You’re Ashaiian?” he said.
The woman’s face lit, and she smiled for the first time. She struggled to climb out of the man’s lap to get closer to Tam. “Please, tell me what’s happening. Where are we?”
“My name is Tamarin Blackwater. I’m also from Ashai. What is your name?”
“Malena.”
“Malena, I believe we are on the Isle of Sand. They intend to sell us for slaves.”
She shook her head vigorously. “But, I didn’t do anything wrong! I’m not a criminal. I was visiting my sister and her husband in Jerea, and these men came in and took us. I don’t know what happened to her. Why did they take us?”
“Are you aware that King Caydean has started a war?”
“With Jerea?”
“With everyone. Ashaiians are no longer safe in the other kingdoms. We are refugees.”
“They must let us go home,” she cried.
He shook his head. “It is not safe there, either. Caydean has declared war on his own people. He has arrested or killed over half the noble families and their retainers. Most of the commoners have been drafted into the army or forced to work in support of the army.” Seeing her horrified expression, he said, “But, there is hope. The True King of Ashai has established a new kingdom—the Kingdom of Cael. All refugees are welcome there.”
One of the other prisoners laughed. With a Channerían accent, he said, “The True King? The Kingdom of Cael? They are myths. No such place exists. You look for saviors where there are none.”
Tam scowled at the man. “It does exist. I’ve been there, and I serve the True King. He will come for me.”
The man laughed again. “You? This True King, the savior of Ashai, will come for you?” He looked at Malena. “Do not listen to him. He has lost his mind.”
Tam pointed to his head. “I haven’t lost my mind,” he hissed. “There is a hole in it. They put it there while I was on Cael.”
The others shared a knowing look. Malena’s face fell, and tears welled in her eyes. Tam leaned forward to grasp her hand. “I’m not mad, and I’m not lying. When we escape, I will take you there.”
Her smile did not reach her eyes. “Thank you,” she said, as she patted his hand. “That is kind.” By her patronizing tone, Tam knew she did not believe him.
That night, the slavers did not vacate the market. They gathered around fire pits at the intersections, eating and laughing. The prisoners had not been fed that night, and Tam’s stomach burned. Worse than the hunger was the thirst. After weeks in the ship’s hold and another in the dark cave, he knew that if they did not escape soon, he would be too weak to try.
“They do it on purpose, you know.”
Tam rolled his head toward Uthey. “Do what?”
“Keep us hungry and thirsty. Keep us weak.”
Tam wondered if he had spoken his thoughts aloud. “So that we can’t escape?”
“Nah, they’ve got that under control,” Uthey said with a lift of his arm and jingle of the chain. “They think if we’re miserable, we’ll be thankful to our new masters when they feed us. We’re less likely to give them trouble. You can’t be grateful for what you have unless you know how much worse it could be.”
Tam said, “Maybe that works for some, but I remember how much better it can be.”
“Then you’ve lived a blessed life. I guess being a king’s man’ll do it for you. Yeah, I heard your nonsense. I don’t speak Ashaiian, but I understand a bit of the trade language. I got the gist of it. I don’t care if you’re mad, so long as you don’t get me killed.”
“I’m not mad,” said Tam. “I need to find some healers. The mages cast a spell to put a hole in my mind so that I can learn things faster. If they don’t close it soon, I’ll die. It’s probably too late as it is, but I’m not ready to give up.”
“That’d be a neat trick—having things spill into your mind. I don’t believe you, but even if I did, it wouldn’t ma
tter. You’re not going to find any healers. From what I hear, Verril doesn’t have many—only a few for the king and court. No way there’s any around here.”
Tam growled in frustration. “You don’t believe me? A few months ago, I didn’t speak a word of Gendishen.”
Uthey shrugged. “Maybe you did, maybe you didn’t. Maybe you’re a fast learner. Why don’t you do us a favor and learn Verrili. That’d be somewhat useful.”
“That’s the problem. I don’t choose what I learn. It all just flows in—all of it! I didn’t notice at first. The hole was smaller, maybe. Lately, I can feel it. Everything goes in, but it’s a mess. I can’t sort through it. It’s tearing my mind apart. It’s why I get these headaches and nosebleeds.”
“I think you’ve got a tumor. You know what that is? My cousin’s friend’s sister’s mother had one. She went to a healer. He said it’s where a lump grows in your brain that doesn’t belong there. It makes you think all kinds of crazy things. Gives you headaches and nosebleeds, too.”
“It’s not a tumor,” said Tam.
Uthey shrugged again. “Of course, you would say that. You have a tumor.”
The next morning, they were marched through the passage again. After visiting an open pit where they could relieve themselves without privacy, they were lined up for inspection. Men and women peered into their mouths and ears and poked them as nearly every inch of their bodies was examined. Tam was glad they had at least been allowed to wear clothes even if his boots had been taken. The prisoners who resisted were beaten, and those that did not live up to the slavers’ standards were taken away, their partners reassigned. After being thoroughly humiliated, the prisoners were returned to their cages. The others who had shared the space with Uthey and Tam were still there, but an additional set of strangers had been added to the cage that was smaller than a horse stall.
After a while, a commotion erupted farther down the lane. The hoots and hollers moved closer, and Tam peered through the bars to find the source. A couple of men were walking alongside a cart pulled by a donkey. The cart was piled high with slop. Tam’s stomach grumbled, and where before he would never have considered eating what looked like a tavern’s refuse, he was now elated to see such a bounty. The cart stopped in front of their cage, and one of the men used a bucket to scoop out some of the slop. Then, he threw it into their cage through the bars, not even bothering to open the door. The prisoners descended on the rubbish like rabid animals, Tam included. He briefly worried that Malena would go hungry until one man tried to claim her score, and she bit him. Tam sat cross-legged with his stash in his lap, shoving chunks of old cabbage and hard biscuits into his mouth.
Uthey said, “Who’s the woman?”
Tam gave him a questioning glance.
With a nod, Uthey said, “That’s not something a man buys for himself.”
Tam glanced at his wrist. It seemed like a terribly long time ago, but he had once sat outside a horse stall on a ship talking with a beautiful, sweet girl named Netty. She had woven the small bracelet from horse hair and hay. As he looked at it now, he found a few golden strands that must have belonged to her.
He dabbed the crumbs that had fallen on his pants, refusing to lose the tiniest morsel. He said, “It’s a trivial thing, a minor token—a gift from someone I had thought to court. Then, I realized she was far above my station, and it would never happen.”
“So, you fancied a real lady. Can’t imagine one giving out bracelets made of grass and hair. Who was she really? The weaver’s daughter?”
Tam scowled at him. “You’re right. She isn’t a lady. She’s a princess.”
Uthey laughed. “Of course, Kingsman, you would think to marry a princess. Mayhap your princess will sew you a new suit and clean your boots, too. I almost envy you your tumor. You may be crazy, but you dream a pleasant life.”
Tam picked up a small, mushy potato covered in sprouts. He took a large bite and was thankful for the moisture, despite the bitter taste.
Uthey leaned over and whispered, “You need to take more.”
Tam’s chewing was made more difficult by the dryness in his mouth, but he finally swallowed and said, “I took my share. Everyone needs to eat.”
Uthey nodded toward the newcomers. “The skinny ones won’t make it anyway.” He looked back at Tam. “Your eyes are innocent, and you smile too much, but your body is fit. You might be useful in a fight. You need to stay strong.”
“I’ve seen my share of trouble,” said Tam. “Had some run-ins with bandits, took out a few slavers when they came for me, and I was in Skutton at the time of the attack on the King’s Tournament.”
“Hmm, I might’ve caused a stir when they took me, as well,” said Uthey. He nodded toward the others. “I’ve noticed something about the pairings. It doesn’t seem random. The woman and that man—they’re both the good-looking sort, a bit soft. Nobles like that kind of thing around their estates.” He nodded to the next pair. “Those two are scrawny. Not sure what good they’ll be. Those two over there are strong.” He looked back to Tam. “I think they put us together for a reason, and I doubt it’ll be a plush plantation for you and me. We’ll need to keep each other’s backs where we’re going.”
“Where’s that?”
Uthey shrugged. “Don’t know, but it’s sure to be full of men like us.”
One of the larger men, a curly-haired fellow with a flat nose, said, “Hey, what’re you two going on about over there?” He looked to the others for support. “They’re talking about us. They’re plotting something.”
Malena’s partner pulled her into his lap. “Come here, darlin’. Best keep you out of their way.” Malena pushed and kicked at him, but he held strong as his hands started to roam her body.
Tam said, “Stop it! You leave her alone or—”
“Or what?” The man lifted his chin toward where the slavers lurked. “Remember, what happens to me, happens to her.”
“Only if they think we’ve been causing trouble. If you die of natural causes, she gets a new partner.”
“Natural causes?” The man laughed. “You think to starve me to death? Maybe wait ’til I die of old age?”
“Ain’t none of us gonna die of old age,” muttered Uthey.
“All the more reason to have a little fun before I go,” said the man.
Tam stood and looked back at Uthey, who grumbled but followed as he stepped across the cage. The others stood as well, in anticipation of a fight. The woman scrambled out of the man’s lap and backed away the length of her restraint. Tam faced her partner with determination. The big man who had voiced his discontent moments before stepped up to Tam’s left. Tam elbowed him in the stomach and then backhanded his temple, sending the man crashing into his partner, and causing the two of them to fall into the other men. Ducking a swing from the woman’s partner, Tam thrust his open palm in the V below the man’s sternum, just as Rezkin had taught him. He felt the small bone break away, and he knew he had used enough force for it to have punctured something vital. As the man doubled over, Tam backed to his side of the cage. He gave the other men a warning glare, and Malena’s partner slid to the floor holding his abdomen. Tam retook his seat, and Uthey followed.
The gasping man looked at him with fury in his eyes and said, “When I catch my breath, I’m going to make you pay for that. Then, I’m going to make her pay for it, too.”
Tam met the man’s dark gaze. “You’ll be lucky to see the morning. Either way, you’ll not be in the mood to bother her.”
Uthey looked over at him and grinned. “You will do well in a fight, so long as you don’t kick the lion.”
A bubble of laughter broke through Tam’s misery as he thought of how Rezkin might respond. He said, “I am the lion.”
Tam awoke the next morning to a squeal. Malena said, “He’s dead. By the Maker, he’s dead.” She yanked the chain around her neck as if it might fall away with the effort. “Get it off me.” She gripped the bars and screamed for the slavers. “Help m
e! Get him away! He’s dead.” Her frantic gaze darted around the cage. “I can’t be chained to a corpse!
Uthey nudged Tam and said, “You killed him with one strike. I was standing right next to you, and I barely saw it.”
Tam was also a little surprised. Rezkin had told him the technique could kill a man, but he had not truly expected it to work. His muscles began to tighten with anxiety as Malena’s cries finally caught the attention of their captors.
“What is it? I will make you suffer if you waste my time,” said the nearest slaver. He was a gap-toothed man with long, stringy hair gathered into multiple messy braids. Shells and other small trinkets were tied into the locks as well as his plaited beard.
“Please,” said Malena. “My partner is dead. Please take him away.”
The man looked at her, but he did not appear to understand her words. Tam said, “That man is dead. He should be removed before the rest of us succumb to his illness.”
Another man approached, this one bearing a large stick Tam had seen him use to beat people, sometimes even other slavers. “What is happening here? What trouble have you caused now, Fiero?”
Fiero pointed into the cage. “I’ve done nothing, Ipon. One of the prisoners is dead.”
Ipon opened the cage, and dragged the dead man out, pulling Malena with him. He looked the corpse over and said, “No blood. No marks. Did you give them water?”
“Same as the others,” Fiero said, waving to the other cages.
Ipon pointed to Malena. “What is she doing in there?”
“We were holding the two of them for Lady Askiva.”
“I know that, you idiot. Why is she with the men? Lady Askiva will not want her if she arrives with child.” He pointed to the dead man. “I’m holding you responsible for this, Fiero. His price will come out of your pay. You lose nearly as many as you sell. If I didn’t keep constant watch over you, we would have none to sell at all.”
“That’s not true, Ipon. It’s not my fault. These are Barbarus’s slaves.”