I wore fine clothes with the tunic of my House and weapons of the finest bronze. I had affixed to my weapons the logo of a hunter. I wore the short Doridian sword on my right hip as was customary and on my left a knife with a small protective hilt. These were the common weapons within the city for all Sekers. A third blade, a dagger, lay at the small of my back nearly parallel to the ground, the handle pointed to my left. The weapons was concealed by my crimson robe.
I had continued to put on weight in service to the Urak Rahdon and l estimated I weighed over two hundred thirty pounds and stood at six and a half feet. The Master of Arms, Tonak, had trained me well in the use of my weapons and his attention to detail had proved itself when I had defeated the upstart Zagos in fair combat on the roof of the Great Tower of the High Caste of Taslea. He had been considered the finest swordsman in Taslea until the moment I had driven my dagger into his throat. I had since then trained with even greater vigor and now considered myself to be much improved.
My friends and I downed several pitchers of wine and swapped stories, most of which I suspected were not true. Sekers of Runah, not uncommon in the tavern, and Ctesias told the story of the Seker uprising in Taslea many times. There was considerable support for similar action in Runah and I believed there would be support for it in all the cities of known Doridia. The Sekers of Taslea had gained a station envied by all Sekers and I believed it would not long remain the only city with Sekers in the High Caste. I had, however, no intention of playing any role in such an uprising in Runah. My purpose here was business and I intended on carrying out the good Urak’s instructions as he wished.
Ctesias soon grew tired of talk and I watched him escort a lovely young silken skinned slave off to the alcoves. Koptos was involved in telling of my battle with Zagos to an eager group of Sekers. Then with considerable fanfare, the slave dancers of Sarpedon ran through the crowd onto the dance floor. I found their dancing to be skilled and exciting. The lovely young slaves emphasized much movement of hips and abdomen along the graceful sway of their arms and gestures of the hand. They moved in a seductive manner and fixed their eyes upon the crowd. I had seen dancing of a much greater sexual power by the dancers of Rashmalan but I had learned that much of their effect was drug induced. These woman were greatly skilled and performed a wide range of interesting, graceful, and continuous dancing throughout the night. As dancers cleared the floor to be replaced by others many were taken to alcoves but, of course, they would charge an extra fee for such services. I continued to enjoy the evening as each group of performers was replaced by the next. Ctesias had returned from the alcoves but Koptos, selecting a slave for himself, soon took his place.
As the night turned more towards dawn, I decided to return to my quarters at the Great House of Tonalah and retire within my furs. I had determined to leave once Koptos returned. He rarely spent much time with a slave girl in a tavern I had noted on previous occasions. A drunken officer staggered to my table and threw himself uninvited into an empty seat. He was short and heavy set and appeared to be in poor condition. His eyes were bloodshot and I noted surface veins exposed on his reddened nose and checks. His manner was belligerent, hostile and loud.
“Greetings, upstart,” he slurred at me, pushing a pitcher of wine to the side. “So, you are the one who thinks any simpleton guard should be High Caste and the one who dared to hold the Council of the High Caste hostage to accomplish it.” I looked him over and remained silent. “Don’t want to talk, heh? Well, considering the trouble you have started for all born of the High Caste I should think you would have nothing to say. I’m surprised that you dare show your face outside of the walls of the mud hovel you Tasleans call a city.”
It was apparent that he wished to fight with me. No one insults another’s city and avoids it. Ctesias looked over quickly but I motioned for him to remain as he was.
“Still afraid to talk, heh? Well, troublemakers like you can only buy an officership in some dump like Taslea where the High Caste love the smell of gold above their honor.” He grinned over at his companions who cheered him on.
I remained silent.
“Ignore me, will you,” he said rising to his feet, unsteadily. “When I finish with you,” he continued loudly, “no one will even think of copying your actions in Runah.” With that he drew his sword and swung at me. I dodged the blow to my left and rose silently from my seat.
I did not drew my weapons but he continued his attack without hesitation as I dodged his blows and was content to remain on the defensive. This was after all his city and I would have no one accuse me of taking advantage of a drunken, though insulting, fool. I continued to dodge his blows with relative ease until he fell to the floor in a drunken stupor.
The crowd roared in laughter and the officer’s companions rather red faced took him to their table with them. I returned to finish my wine. I could not now leave for a time. I could not have it appear that I had been run out a tavern. Nonchalantly I ordered another pitcher of wine and in a popular gesture bought several more for the surrounding tables. If the drunken officers refused to let the matter lie, so to speak, I would need all the allies I could get.
Shortly, at sober friend of the fallen officer approached me with his sword drawn. I rose to my feet and faced him. Stopping a short distance from me, this potbellied son of the High Caste shouted, “Play my brother for the fool will you. Let’s see if you dare to face me.”
Smiling, I drew my sword and knife then abruptly gave them to Ctesias. With that, and amid the approving cheers of the drunken throng, I faced my opponent, apparently defenseless. I knew of the dagger at the small of my back but I dared not use it except to save my life. All thought me weaponless and it was best they continue to think of me as so.
My new opponent was infuriated by my actions and attacked with great enthusiasm, slashing savagely at me with his blade. I dodged him but only just managed to avoid cold bronze. I hoped that he would soon exhaust himself for I was uncertain how long I could keep this up. The moment he let up in his attack I struck him in the chest with my foot, causing him to fall violently onto the floor. He dropped his weapon and clutched at his chest. Then snatching his sword from the polished floor he lunged to his feet and viciously confronted me. With cold determination he assaulted me in a series of strokes intended on bringing me to my death. I continued to dodge both him and his blade and now decided that one of us must die to end the fray. When he thrust again I moved quickly inside the stroke and savagely struck his extended arm which snapped loudly at the elbow. His weapon clattered to the floor as I gripped the startled officer about the throat and lifting him into the air wrung the life from him. When he ceased to move I heaved him like a sack of produce towards his compatriots. His lifeless body slid across finely polished stone and came to rest against the leg of the drunken brother who was the instigator of this whole affair.
Doridian custom prevents intervention in a fight such as this but only the attentiveness of Ctesias and now Koptos at my table had prevented the dead man’s friends from striking me when I had held the fool above my head as I crushed the life from him. These men had shown themselves to be without honor.
In continued silence, I faced their table. No one stirred to avenge the man as crowd cheered me enthusiastically as I returned to my table. Just as I reached it, I saw Ctesias’s eyes widened and he partially rose from his chair looking directly behind me. I spun about and caught the first man, now awakened from his stupor as he drove his sword at my back. The roar of the crowd had prevented me from hearing his approach. I had no time to think and what I did next was purely instinct. I narrowly evaded the thrust and as my opponent passed me in his violent charge I snatched his knife from his hip. Grabbing him by his overly long hair I jerked his head back, exposing his throat and with a quick slash slit the coward’s throat. The drunken dolt toppled to the floor and attempted to draw air for a moment before dying in a growing pool of crimson. The throng went wild clamoring their approval.
Those
at his table removed the body without comment or a look towards me. Many pitchers of cold heady wine were brought to our table by flushed faced servants and in time I became highly intoxicated. It can be like a narcotic, some say, this close brush with death. Only afterward can one how it feels to be truly alive. Every sound, every color was now livid, burned in my mind, and in time I took a lovely golden skinned serving girl back to an alcove and lost myself within the flesh of a warm giving woman.
4. A Bargain is Sealed and a Slave Speaks
I slept most of the morning. When I awoke I learned that a messenger from Counselor Garhan had arrived informing me that I would be granted an interview that afternoon before the evening meal. In the meanwhile I dressed in a simple nondescript tunic, wearing only my dagger and ordered the slave girl be brought to me.
I examined my new slave approvingly. I had given instructions that she not be used by anyone but that otherwise she be treated as a slave. In the days since her capture she had filled out pleasantly and I could see that once she’d returned to her proper weight she would be beautiful indeed. She now stood before me in the garments of a slave, with her head bowed and eyes averted to the floor. Her small, delicate hands were clasped before her.
“Follow,” I instructed walked directly to my room. She entered behind me. I closed and bolted the door. My intention was only to remain undisturbed as I questioned her. She had lived in the forest as an outlaw and should she choose to talk could provide me with valuable information which would greatly advance our cause if the Urak Tonalah accepted my Urak’s proposal.
“How did you come to be in the forest and with a band of outlaws,” I asked. She said nothing. I was becoming annoyed at her refusal to speak and my patience was at an end. “Girl, I could have slain you in the forest or much used by my men and then slain. But I did not. You have not been mistreated and you have been well fed. I wish to know about you and how you came to be in the forest. I will not ask again.”
I stood glowering at her. At last she spoke. “I come from Lathanah.” It came as a surprise, first that she spoke, second that she came from Lathanah as it was the next stop of the caravan and was not that distant from where she had been captured. In good weather she could have walked to her city in ten days. “I was born free to a Great House. I was one of many daughters and rarely saw my father.”
She was describing a rather atypical situation for most children in Doridia. Parents usually doted on their children and until they left home lavished attention and love on them.
“When I reached age, my father arranged to marry me to the son of a Great House which desperately needed money. My marriage was to bring the House under my father’s control. I had, unfortunately, already met my husband to be and knew him to be a vile, loathsome rogue. Accordingly, I refused the match. I had heard he was cruel to his slaves. Why would he treat his wife any differently? On the day of my wedding l left Lathanah, armed for the forest and prepared, I thought, to hide for a few months and then return before winter. By that time the wedding plans would have been destroyed. My father would have been enraged with me but I would have been free of evil bondage to a cruel mate and in time I believed my father would forgive me.”
“Alas the band of outlaws you found me with captured me. I was much used by all of them but in time the leader, Evaldor, refused to allow the men to sell me and instead kept me as his own. No one was allowed to touch me, unless he wished to reward some outlaw the use of me for a night. I was beaten if I did not please the man to whom I was given.
“I spent two winters with Evaldor and his hand of cutthroats before your men captured me. They gave me weapons and had me take part in their murderous attacks. I could not escape for they would have hunted me down and slain me and when armed I was only one against many.
“I took part in many raids and knew in time I would die. I was an outlaw and even if captured I would only be raped and sold into slavery or slain on the spot. In the end, I sought to use what advantage my womanhood gave me to control Evaldor. He was well pleased with me and in recent months has refused to give me to others, though I usually found the other men gentler with me than he.”
She looked boldly into my eyes now. Her’s had been, as I thought it would be, an interesting story. She was a courageous if foolish woman to have gone alone into the forest. Few Sekers would have done so.
I bid her sit and pushing of bowl of fruit towards her. I sipped water as she told me of life in the band of Evaldor who she said was one of these we had allowed to escape. I found her to be bright and observant. Surely her father had been a fool to push so rare a woman off on some ill-advised marriage intended only to increase his already great wealth. This slave was the equal of any man and the fact that she had survived with a band of cutthroats for nearly two years only served to prove it.
When she finished I instructed her to remain in my quarters from now on. She could leave to eat with the slaves. She would tend my things and sleep in my room with me. I wanted her available when I was free to learn more of the forest and life there. She seemed pleased with the arrangement.
“Master, you have been much kinder then I expected. I will seek to please you in any way I can,” she said to me. This was a woman who had learned to survive as she must and now that she no longer feared for her life she had transferred her survival skills to her new master. She was, however, not a slave by nature and not take the collar well. Custom on Doridia dictated that such should not be kept in slavery. They must be slain or given the opportunity to become free. I did not intend to force her into pleasuring me for only a disturbed man could take pleaser in such acts. And to allow her to serve me in these circumstances was forcing her, for she did not take well to her collar and did only what she must to survive, not because she took any pleasure in it.
“You will remain here but you will not serve me in me love furs unless I specifically command.”
“Yes master.” She was surprised by my instructions, but no doubt assumed that I did not wish to be approached by a slave. Many masters prefer to always take the initiative.
I lay on my furs and slept until roused for my appointment.
~
“We have given your Urak’s plan much thought,” Counsellor Garhan said after seeing to my comfort, “and we have decided with some reservations to join in this enterprise. We believe that it would well serve the best interests of all who use the caravan routes. We assume that your Urak has no objection if we in Runah seek allies among the other Houses in fulfilling our part of the agreement?’ I indicated we did not. “We also wish to know the name of the Great House in Lathanah which you shall seek to join us in this noble endeavor.”
“I shall approach the Urak of the Great House of Kabatoh,” I replied.
“It is as we thought. Should they chose to join us they would be most capable. We have found the Urak Kabatoh to be scrupulous in his dealings and he has many competent Sekers who could carry out his part of the plan. You may find, however, that he will be reluctant to join us. He is traditional and generally does not hold with change, for any reason. He upholds the customs of Doridia with great dignity, and, I may say, with great rigidity. Outlaws have always been a part of doing business, just as are the floods and other natural calamities, and he will most likely resist any plan to change matters.
“Business, though, is business and perhaps you will be successful in your efforts. We have two other Great Houses in Lathanah which might be willing to jointly enter into this enterprise should you not succeed with the Great House of Kabatoh.” He paused before proceeding. “There is another matter which I hesitate to brooch with you since I have known you such a short while.”
I encouraged him to continue, by all means.
“As I say, the Urak Kabatoh is very traditional. He might, perhaps, be reluctant to deal with you personally. If what is told is true, you played a part in the events of last fall which led to the Seker’s uprising in Taslea. You may well find your effectiveness as a negotiator gr
eatly reduced because of this.” I could understand how this might be. “One final matter,” he continued, “the good Urak of the Great House of Tonalah has a special request of you and your Urak. As we understand you intent to journey to Lathanah and hope for attack by another band which you will then pursue and destroy. This will further serve to convince the Urak Kabatoh of the effectiveness of these tactics as well as riding the route of a few more cutthroats.”
I nodded.
“Several months ago, during the last caravan season, my Urak sent some members of his family to Lathanah. The caravan was attacked by outlaws, reputedly led by the treacherous Kanchoh, once a Commander of One Hundred in this very House, banished upon charges brought by our fine Urak. This Kanchoh had sexually assaulted a virgin niece of the Urak. Testimony was entered supporting his claim that she had willingly gone to his furs but she was of a tender age and Kanchoh preyed upon her as well as violating the trust of his Urak.
“Upon banishment he took control of a large band of outlaws and concentrated his attacks on the caravans of his former Urak. Before we realized that, he had already captured members of the Urak’s immediate family. In front of witnesses he personally slew the male members and then turned the elderly escort of the Urak’s daughter over to his men who raped her until she mercifully died. He announced to the surviving witnesses that the Urak’s daughter would be permitted to live, but only as his personal slave. Her name is Sofeeah.
JH02. Caravans of Doridia Page 3