by Andromeda -
The men circled them, their swords drawn, and barked an order, but Rashida held her chin high. She wasn’t going to let them see her cry. They suddenly parted and their leader stepped forward. He was the man from her vision. Rashida knew it, and if she recalled, his name was Gerik.
The man barked something to her, but she didn’t understand what he meant. However, when he nodded to his men and the circle got tighter, she knew what they were doing. They were going to be taken as captives, or slaves.
For a moment, Rashida was conflicted. She didn’t know what was better. To fight, most likely dying in the process, or allow she and her siblings to be taken into captivity and most likely be worked to death. If she were a selfish girl, she would have cut each of their throats now, but in the back of her mind, a voice told her that it was going to be alright. Looking behind her, she saw the statue of Bastet looking down at her, her green eyes boring into her own.
It is going to be alright, my child, the goddess seemed to say to her. You need not be afraid…I am always watching…
Slowly, Rashida lowered the dagger and a man snatched it from her while grabbing her arm painfully tight, pulling her to him. Gerik barked an order to the man, and Rashida was instantly let go. However, an even tighter circle was enclosed around her and her siblings and slowly, they were directed out of their village and onto a large ship.
Rashida stopped and turned around, tears blurring her eyes, in order to get one last look of her home for the past 13 years. Everything was on fire and bodies littered the ground. The sound of wailing women and children filled the air. Everything was ruined. She couldn’t believe it.
The man behind her shoved her forward roughly and she turned around, continuing to walk deeper into the ship, her future unknown.
✯✯✯✯✯✯✯
She didn’t know where they were being taken, nor did she know how long she was on the ship. For what seemed like years, Rashida and the other captives were kept below deck during the night, and at daytime, they were allowed to come aboard in order to get fresh air and sunlight. Daytime didn’t frighten her, however, when the time came at night, it did.
At least once a night, a woman was chosen, and she could be dragged to the top deck and what happened…sent shivers down Rashida’s spine. She could hear the woman’s screams, her pleads for the goddesses to save her. When times like this came, she would hold her siblings close and cover their ears in order to block out terrible sounds.
“The gods have abandoned us!” one woman cried out once. “Ra’s anger is burning against us!”
“The gods have not abandoned us,” Rashida said to the woman. “They are still watching us.”
“You’re not the one being raped!” another woman yelled angrily. “You are untouched because they believe you are some kind of witch, and they want to use your virginity to reach a higher price on the market.”
This brought a strange feeling within Rashida, as she didn’t know what to think. While she was grateful that those savages weren’t forcing themselves upon her, the thought that they were only saving her because of her supposed power confused her. She wasn’t a witch, or what they thought she was.
Yet, didn’t you throw a man into a building, a voice whispered to her.
The door from above opened and two men walked down the stairs.
“Her,” one of the men said, pointing to a girl not far from Rashida.
The girl, who was only a couple of years older than Rashida’s 13, backed up against the wall, pleading to be spared.
“No,” Rashida whispered. “Stop!”
The men turned to her and one walked to her. Grabbing her by the hair, he lifted her up in order to get a better look at her.
“I do not see what Gerik sees in you,” he said hoarsely in his tongue. “You look just like a woman to me.”
Rashida didn’t understand a word he said, but the way he was looking at her unsettled her. His friend, meanwhile, was walking to the girl and when he grabbed her arm, the girl shrieked.
“I said…LET HER GO!” Rashida yelled out.
SNAP!
Both men yelled out in pain as the bones in their legs gave out, their knee bones poked through the skin. They dropped her and the girl as their cries of agony filled the air around them.
“You…bitch…” one of them grunted through gritted teeth. “I’ll make you pay for that.”
Rashida quickly grabbed one of the swords he had at his side and held it up, pointing it at him. She wasn’t one for violence, nor did she understand what had just happened, but she wasn’t going to let these men touch or harm them.
The door opened again, and this time, Gerik came down, attracted by their screams. He looked at the scene before him, and then to Rashida, who held the sword tightly in her clenched fist. Two more men appeared behind him and Rashida took another step back, holding the sword tighter, ready to defend herself.
“Give me the sword, girl,” Gerik said gruffly. “You can’t win. However, I promise you this: we will not hurt you.”
Rashida said nothing. His language sounded strange to her still, but looking into his eyes, she could tell that he wasn’t going to harm her. Slowly, she held out the sword, which Gerik snatched from her quickly. He wasn’t a stupid man. He knew there was something foreboding about this girl and he wasn’t going to risk his gods’ wrath in harming her.
He turned to his men. “None shall touch her,” he said sternly. “Am I understood? Anyone who does will have his hands cut off and fed to him.”
His men nodded, and Rashida watched as they all left with their leader, the girl they were originally going to get, long forgotten.
✯✯✯✯✯✯✯
“Land!” a voice shouted one morning. “I see land!”
Everyone below deck stirred at the voice. Rashida herself rubbed her eyes and sat up to get a better understanding of what was going on. Time had flown on the ship, though she still didn’t have exact measurements of what had passed. After that one incident, the men no longer came down to grab a woman or a girl. In fact, all the men upstairs left them alone. Their food rations, though they weren’t good to begin with, were slightly increased.
Rashida knew what this was, of course. They were fattening them up for presentation for the slave markets. She swore to herself that she wouldn’t ever be separated from her siblings. She didn’t care what it took. The thought of being a slave was terrifying enough, but the thought of being separated from them chilled her to the very bone.
The ship suddenly jerked and everyone was jolted to one side. Most of them had caught themselves before too much damage was done. The door above was suddenly opened and they were ordered to come up. Rashida was the third one in line, and after her eyes adjusted to the bright light, what she saw made her jaw drop.
They were no longer in Egypt, that was very clear. Animals that she had never seen before milled about. People with pink skin wearing strange clothes looked at them curiously. Even the structure of the houses were different.
From what Rashida could tell, they were in a harbor, as several other ships were docked and tied with rope on iron bars that were attached to a thick, wooden plank.
Gerik searched the crowd for his brother, but of course, he wasn’t there. It didn’t really disappoint him. Ever since Henrik became Jarl, he never seemed to have time for his brother. Ever since Henrik became Jarl, he always seemed to be stupid things. Gala being a prime example.
The slaves were ordered to walk, though quite a few had a bit of a problem after being at sea for so long. Rashida held her head high, though she knew that she looked as if she had been rolling around in a pig pen. She refused to seem weak in these people’s eyes. However, she refused for them to think that they had broken her. She would always be strong, as she was a Priestess of Bastet.
They were walked into the village, and every now and then Rashida felt someone poke her cheeks, pinch her arm or even tug hard on her hair, as if they didn’t know if she was real. It took all in h
er to not slap anyone who did so. She knew that if she did, then her life would be forfeit.
A large platform stood in the center of what appeared to be market, and one by one, they were led to the platform and shown off like prized animals. The betting began, with most of the men being sold to work in fields, followed by the women and children who were sold as house hands. The last ones to be sold were Rashida and her siblings, and the moment they were brought up to the platform, everyone gasped in shock.
No one had ever seen anyone who looked like them before. Mainly Rashida, who had red hair and green eyes, while her siblings had black hair and green eyes. Some whispered that she might be a witch and others murmured that the goddess Freya had possessed the girl at birth. Whatever the reason for her appearance, the bidding prices for all three of them were very high.
Meanwhile, in the back, a young girl and her older brother stood, watching this. Slaves like the ones who had just been sold, the girl looked at Rashida with sorry filled eyes.
“We must help them,” she said to her brother. “Surely, the Mistress might be open to three more?”
Her brother looked at the three on the platform and tilted his head. “The Mistress is a religious woman. The one with red hair and green eyes most likely would be of use to her.”
He grabbed his sisters’ hand, and carefully, they pushed themselves forward. Raising his voice, he offered up twice what was being asked for the three siblings. The seller looked at him curiously. He knew that he might get even three-times what they were offering, yet he knew who owned the young man and his sister, and knew he had better not offend. Thus, he nodded in agreement. The young man waved Rashida over, who grabbed her brother and sister’s hands tightly in her own as she hurried to him.
“Takk…skal du ha…” Rashida said slowly, making sure that she got the word right in thanks.
The young man looked at her in amazement. “You speak the language?” he asked. “How…”
“I…quick learner,” Rashida said slowly.
The young man nodded. “My name is Sven,” he said. “This is my sister, Kaya.”
The young girl nodded and smiled nicely. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“We have a lot of work to do if you are going to be presentable,” Sven said.
“Presentable?” Rashida repeated. “To who?”
“The Jarl and his wife, of course,” Kaya said. “They own you now.”
Chapter Three: Friends that Come and Go
SLASH!
The hot water scalded Rashida’s skin as it was thrown upon her, which made her cry out in both pain and shock. Kaya chuckled softly and held out a towel for the girl to dry herself off with.
“I hated my first bath too,” she said to offer words of comfort. “But it was over as soon as it began.”
Rashida wrapped the towel tighter around her body and looked at Kaya in silence. She didn’t know what to say, nor did she truthfully feel like talking. She was angry. After they had been brought to this strange bathhouse, her brother and sister were taken by two elderly women. Though Rashida had protested, they ignored her, and literally dragged the small boy and girl away.
“Come with me,” Kaya said after several moments. “I’ll show you to your chambers.”
Leading her from the bathhouse and into the main house, Rashida’s eyes widened as she looked at the seven-foot torches that lined the path to the house. The air was cold, which made her shiver and draw her towel tighter around her body. She didn’t understand why the bathhouse was separated from the main house. In Egypt, everything was together for better convince.
The wood stairs creaked underfoot, as they entered the back of the house and Rashida could smell the lingering scent of a meal. Her stomach growled, as she hadn’t eaten in what seemed like forever.
Kaya tilted her head and smiled softly. “I will bring you something to eat after you are settled. There should be some food left over from the Mistress’ meal.”
Once again, Rashida said nothing, but she followed Kaya into the house, and down the hallways. It was much bigger than she thought it was, and when they came to a room with strange markings on the door, Kaya pushed it open. Rashida looked around and saw that everything was simple. Two beds on either side of the room, a table with chairs, trunks at the foot of each bed, and a fireplace, which had low embers in it.
“You are sharing a room with me,” Kaya said. “It’s a bit of a rush…as the Mistress doesn’t exactly know that you are here…”
Rashida looked at her in confusion. “What?”
Kaya nervously shifted from foot to foot. “Sven is going to present you and your siblings to the Mistress later today when she returns from hunting with her son. If you have a special talent, I suggest that you offer it in offering then. Until then, I will leave you to be dressed, and then I will bring you something to eat.”
Rashida nodded and when Kaya left the room, she closed the door and then broke down in tears. This was going to be her life now. She was to be a slave for the rest of her days. Maybe she was better off dead than having this fate.
No, a voice whispered into her mind. No, you are a special child. Your fate isn’t to be a slave for your life. You must stand strong…
She exhaled deeply and slowly pulled herself. She had to be strong. She had to find a way to survive this. Some slaves earned their freedom over time. Surely, she thought she might be able to. She wasn’t going to give up. A dress lay out on the bed that was to be hers and she looked at it.
In Egypt, almost everyone wore white. It was a cool color and helped with the heat. They were also normally sleeveless or had short sleeves, as well as being thin, to help with the heat. This dress had long sleeves and was light brown with light red around the edges. It also was thicker than what she was used to, with strings on the back.
It took a bit of work, but Rashida could pull it down her body. The strings she would have to ask Kaya for help with. Her long curls she decided to have loose, as she never was one to have it tamed. When Kaya came back with the food, she placed it on the table and then helped Rashida with the ties of her gown.
“Can I have my siblings back?” Rashida asked, her words still broken as she wasn’t all the way familiar with the language yet.
“Yes, you may have them back soon,” Kaya said. “They are eating now, but when they are done, I will bring them to you.”
Rashida nodded and then turned to the plate of food. It was a thick soup made of meat and rice with vegetables, along with thickly cub bread for dipping and a wooden cup of fresh water. She ate like a starving man. Her body was ravenous and she didn’t stop until she licked the bowl clean. She hadn’t eaten food like this in a very long time, and she was grateful that her owners kept their slaves well fed at least.
The door suddenly burst opened and when Rashida looked up, Nour and Auset rushed inside and to her arms. Tears slid down her cheeks as she hugged them close, as she wept both for joy in seeing them again, but also sadness as she remembered that they were slaves.
“Did they treat you well?” she asked in Egyptian, as she glanced at an elderly woman who watched them critically.
“Yes, they are,” Nour said. “We were bathed, clothed and fed not long ago.”
Rashida nodded and sighed. Her arms pulled them closer for another tight hug. When a throat cleared behind her, she turned around and saw Kaya and Sven, who stood in the doorway.
“The Mistress is back,” Sven said slowly to make sure Rashida understood every word. “She has asked to see you all.”
Slowly, Rashida stood and gripped her siblings’ hands tightly in her own before she nodded to him. Sven, Kaya and the elderly woman led the three new members of the household out of the chamber, down a long hallway and into a large room.
It was relatively simple. The wooden floor was bare, wooden tables were stacked against a fall wall, and a fire crackled in the hearth. Yet, what stood out were two very large, high-backed chairs on a raised dais. Rich furs were draped over the
chairs, and sitting in the left one was a woman.
She had long golden hair, blue eyes and pale skin that was also lightly tanned. Her blue eyes weren’t soft at all. Instead, they were sharp. Her gaze seemed to pierce Rashida to her soul. At her side, on a small chair sat a boy who looked virtually nothing like her, save for his golden hair. Rashida figured that he must favor his father, whoever he may be.
Sven, Kaya and the elderly woman bowed deeply, which prompted Rashida and her siblings to do the same. She bowed low, but when she rose, she held her chin high, not one to cower.
“You are the new servants that were bought?” the woman said, her voice high and clear.
“Yes, Mistress, they are,” Sven said as he kept his head bowed low. “Forgive me for not asking your permission before head.”
The woman rolled her eyes, though it seemed to be in a playful manner, not mean. “Sven, you have served this house since you could walk. I trust your judgments.”
She turned back to Rashida and her siblings before she nodded for them to step forward to be presented to her. Slowly, Rashida stepped forward with her siblings and they bowed again deeply.
Ingrid looked the girl over, impressed by the clear early glances of beauty she saw budding within her. She was interested in her red hair and green cat eyes, which when combined with her brown skin, made her transfixing. She could see a fire behind the girl’s eyes; a fire she had. The two younger children were clearly her brother and sister, but they were plain looking compared to their elder sister.
“What is your name, girl?” Ingrid asked.
“Rashida,” Rashida answered slowly.
Ingrid tilted her head. “You speak our language?”
“I understand enough, Mistress,” Rashida answered back. “I learn quickly.”
“What did you do before you came here?” Ingrid asked.
“I was a priestess,” Rashida said. “I served the goddess Bastet.”
“I have never heard of her before,” Ingrid said. “But while you are under my service, you may worship whatever gods you choose.”