by James Fuller
“Hey, you!” A sharp voice called. Barnaby regained himself and glanced down at the pock-faced man. “You care to tell me what you are doing here?”
“What do you think I am doing here, you dolt!” Barnaby snapped and then quickly wondered if that had been wise. The merchant he was posing as had been arrogant and quick to anger, but that did not mean he would be such in this place.
The man eyed him coldly. “Which group you with?”
Barnaby cursed to himself. “I am not with any of these filthy mongrels. I am merely here to purchase slaves for my amusement and possibly win some coin on the fights.”
The guard eyed him suspiciously. “Who are you then?”
“I am Gallimere, a glass merchant from city of Telaco, several days west of here,” he lied glibly with a supercilious smile.
The man nodded. “You came alone? Or do you have men still coming?”
“I left my escort camped back a few miles.” He straightened in his saddle. “They are a foolish bunch and I do not need them wasting coin they have not earned yet. Nor gambling wares not yet paid for.”
The man grinned. “Happens here often enough. How long you planning on staying?”
“I shall not linger long. I have a large order of glass wares to move, so I will likely be leaving on the morrow,” Barnaby replied, beginning to ease into his new role.
“Fine, go and talk to Mitch over there and see if he has got an extra room for you in the hostel. They will not be as lavish as you are used to, but it will be better than sleeping on the damp dirt.”
Barnaby smiled weakly. “Yes, well I am sure I can grin and bear it for a single night if I must.” He spurred his horse towards the stable.
He rode through the encampment, almost surprised by the lack of attention he seemed to draw. But then why would he? He was just a merchant here to do what everyone else was here to do. He grinned to himself. This might prove to be easier than he had hoped.
Shania nuzzled closer against Dahak’s strong chest. She knew their time together would be coming to an end soon and wanted to be as close to him as she could, for as long as possible. She listened to the sound of his heart beating against her ear, and took in the sweet smell of passion from their lovemaking. The warmth of his breath upon her neck and rise and fall of his chest - she wanted to remember every detail of this moment in case it was their last. Dahak’s life could be forfeit the next time he was forced to fight in the pit. She stifled a tear at the thought of him losing. In the months that they had been prisoners, Dahak had become a feral creature of the pits, losing himself to bloodlust every time he descended into the earthen cage. The only time a spark of the true Dahak showed through the cold killer he had become was when they were alone. But even then he was different; the innocent, meek Dahak was dead, and Shania doubted he would ever be revived - not now, not after all he has seen and been through. But she would love him always, he needed her now more than ever before and she him.
Dahak’s firm, gentle hand caressed down her hair and trailed down the small of her back, drawing her from her thoughts.
“I shall win again this afternoon and again tonight, Lance may even allow you to spend the night once more,” Dahak whispered, kissing the top of her ear.
Shania pushed herself up and looked down into his blue eyes. A pang of regret flowed through her. She did not want to talk about what she was about to bring up, but it needed to be discussed. “Once the camp settles down again, we must consider a method of finally escaping.”
Dahak’s muscles tensed and he shifted uneasily. “There is no escape… you should know that by now.”
“How can you say that? We have not yet tried,” Shania retorted.
“Have you seen where we are and how many of them there are?” Dahak said. “We would be killed; I will not risk your life like that.”
“Risk my life like that?” Shania snapped back. “I would rather die trying to escape than what will inevitably happen if we stay. Sooner or later ,my love, you will fall within the pit and they will sell me to whoever comes by.”
“I will not fall!” Dahak growled in defiance. “No one will ever touch you again!”
Shania sighed. “What about Nicolette?”
Dahak’s eyes shifted away. “What of her?”
“She is your queen - it is your duty to protect her and see her to safety.”
Dahak was shaking his head. “I am not a soldier any more. My life is to protect you, not her.”
Shania pulled herself away her eyes betraying her disgusted shock. “Queen or not, she is your friend! They are going to sell her into slavery to some sick pig that will do only the Keeper knows what.”
“I do not care,” he replied flatly. “I cannot concern myself with that anymore.”
Shania slapped him hard across the face. “How dare you turn your back on your friends and your life!” She growled getting to her feet. “Do you not wish for freedom? To return to the life you once knew?”
“My life was no better than it is now,” his tone was void.
“How can you even think that?” She gasped in surprise. “You were free!”
His cold blue eyes locked with hers. “Was I really?”
Shania was about to protest further when she heard footsteps outside. “When the camp settles down again, we are going to try and escape with or without you. I can only pray you are with us.”
The door opened and sunlight poured through the musty room. Three men stepped in, two armed and another with a ring of keys.
“Play time is over,” the man muttered grumpily as he watched Shania dress and unlocked the cell door, pulling her out.
Shania did not even turn back to glance at Dahak as she was pushed out the door, into the light of day. She could hardly contain herself as she was escorted back toward the slave barn. Shania was so caught up in her thoughts that she nearly walked straight into someone.
“Watch where you are going slave!” Her escort barked.
Shania lifted her eyes from the ground and glared at the man in front of her. She nearly gasped in surprise as she noticed who it really was.
“Apologies,” her escort mumbled to the man who moved to the side. “Come on slave, get moving!” He shoved Shania forward again.
Shania looked back over her shoulder, a glimmer of hope formed in her chest as her eyes locked on Barnaby’s.
“Barnaby is here!” Shania whispered loudly as the door to the slave barn was closed.
“What!” Nicolette hissed excitedly.
“I saw him just a moment ago, dressed up as a merchant,” Shania confirmed.
“I knew my brother would come!” Keisha exclaimed, her eyes lighting up. “Give him some time and we all will be out of here!”
Nina shifted closer to the bars. “What is all this about?”
Shania and Nicolette exchanged worried looks. Neither was sure if they could fully trust Nina, yet to deny her now would be to bring about her betrayal. “Do you want to truly want to escape this place Nina?”
“Of course I do!” Nina replied. “But escape is impossible - you should know that by now.”
“Well, my brother does the impossible,” Keisha smiled. “He will get us out, just you wait and see.”
“I want to escape!” whimpered the other woman that had come in with Keisha. “I do not belong here!”
Nina rolled her eyes. “No one does, yet here we all are.”
The woman ignored her. “How are we to escape? When?”
“I do not know yet, I did not get chance to talk to him,” Shania said. “But he is here among them. He is cunning and crafty - he will get us out.”
“Does he have an army? Or is he a skilled fighter?” Nina asked, her tone bordering on condescending. “Or in the very least, does he have the coin to buy us?”
“I doubt my brother has anything…yet,” Keisha admitted. “But he does not need them, you will see.”
“So he had none of these things, yet is still going to help us escape?” N
ina rolled her eyes once more and moved back to her cot. “For a moment, I almost had my hopes up.”
“You can stay here and rot then!” Keisha hissed.
“As we all will,” Nina replied, “until we are sold to some sick bastard for his pleasure.”
The other woman crawled back into the corner of her cell and began to cry once more.
“Do not lose hope so easily,” Nicolette called to her. “He will find a way to get us out of here. We must be ready to act when the time comes.”
“Whatever you say,” Nina’s cold reply floated out of her cell.
Nicolette ignored her. “How is Dahak faring?”
Shania’s expression turned wistful and sad. “He will be fine…once we leave this place.”
Nicolette could tell there was something else but did not press the issue. “When Dahak wins tonight, if you are allowed to go to him again, make sure he tells Zehava to be ready.”
Shania nodded grimly.
Barnaby paced the small room franticly, his mind a whirl of scattered thoughts and foolhardy plans. He could not leave Shania is such a place. He owed her a debt for her help in getting him out of Dragon Cove’s dungeon so many months ago. A debt that he had promised himself he would repay if he ever got the chance. He would have laughed at the irony and similarities of their situations, but there was nothing funny about it.
He pulled the coin purse from his pocket and poured its contents onto his bed and cursed. He did not know much about the slave market but he doubt four gold, seven silver and half dozen copper coins would afford him much. It might have been enough to buy his sister, but not to buy Shania too. He slumped to the floor and ran his hands through his long, dark hair in frustration. He had hoped for a simple transaction and a quick departure but knew now that would not be the case. If he could not afford them, he would have to free them. He cursed again, nothing was ever easy.
He pulled himself from the floor and looked out the window to the slave barn Shania taken to. “I will do my best to honor my debt, Shania, but my sister will always come first.” He gathered up his coin. “Well now, let me go and see what kind of impossible I am up against.”
Barnaby has seen enough pompous merchants to know their demeanor and his short stay as Master of the thief’s guild in Dragon’s Cove had helped him perfect such a character.
He strolled idly around the camp, his chin held high, wrinkling his nose in distaste frequently. He held a small fan in one hand and fluttered it in front of his nose every so often, to keep the offensive stink of the camp away, as he had noticed a few others do.
His eyes missed nothing around him; thirty-seven buildings, four different slaver groups, a score of merchant bands and over a hundred and forty armed men. Few people paid him much attention - the odd nod, or gruff greeting a handful of exchanged words and that was all and it suited him just fine.
He stopped and inspected several of the fighter cages and the grimed faced fighters within. Most of them were nothing more than simple men who had been captured by slavers and would not last more than a handful of heartbeats in a true fight. Others were hardened men who had likely killed dozens of men.
Finally, he worked his way closer to the slave barn where he had seen Shania taken. He had taken his time getting there in case hidden eyes had been watching.
From what he could see only two men indolently guarded it from the outside - they were busy talking with another man and paying no mind to their charges. And why would they, Barnaby thought to himself, who would be foolish enough to attempt stealing a slave. He grinned - sometimes the impossible was made possible by the overconfidence of others. A trait he had often exploited.
Barnaby swiftly ascended the few steps and slipped through the door. He pressed himself against the door and waited several moments, knowing if he had been noticed, someone would have called out an alarm.
“Brother!” Keisha cried out, nearly throwing herself at the bars with her arm out stretched.
“By the Creator’s mercy.” Barnaby ran to his sister and hugged her through the bars.
“I knew you would come for me, I just knew it.”
“Of course I would, no matter what - do not ever doubt that,” Barnaby replied, pulling away and examining his sister. “Are you okay?” Keisha nodded. “Good now, where is Shania?” He turned around and spotted her. “How did you manage to get yourself...” he started to ask when he noticed who was beside her. “Oh by the Keeper’s ill luck, not you too!” He cried.
“You need to get us out of here!” Nicolette said.
“But how?” He exclaimed. “I am not even sure I have the coin to get my sister out of here, let alone all three of you!”
Nina rose from her cot and pressed herself against the bars to get a better look. “What of me? You cannot just leave me here!”
“Thought you had no faith in escape and wanted to rot here until you were sold,” Keisha shot back.
“Words spoken from past experiences,” Nina countered snidely. “If he can do it you will have my sincerest apologies.”
“What of me and the girl?” The other woman asked pointing to the young mute girl in the far cell. “You cannot just leave us here!”
Barnaby’s eyes bulged. “You cannot all be serious! There is no way I can free you all - I am but one man!”
“Do not consider leaving us!” Nina said, eyeing everyone menacingly, her eyes landing on Barnaby’s. “I will tell Lance and the guards, I swear it!”
All eyes went to Nina in utter horror.
“How could you say such a thing?” Nicolette gasped.
Nina eyed her coldly. “If escape is possible, I refuse to be left behind! It is all of us or none of us!” She turned her attention to Barnaby. “I want your word that you will free me too.”
Barnaby’s head was swimming. “I... I cannot make that promise... I...”
“Then I will scream at the top of my lungs right now. The guards will be in here within moments and you will be a dead man!”
“You are a heartless bitch,” the other woman muttered.
Nina ignored her. “Well, what is it going to be?”
Barnaby raked his hands through his hair. “How did I know this was going to get complicated? You have my word; I will do whatever I can.”
“What is your plan?” Nicolette asked.
“Just pick the locks and we will run for it!” Keisha said.
Barnaby was shaking his head. “No, we would not make it more than a dozen steps out that door before we were caught or killed.”
“Then what, brother?” Keisha cried out.
“I do not know yet!” He roared as he began to pace. “Let me think! I just need time to think. This is just too much, there is too many of you... I just need... time.”
“Time you do not have, trouble’s coming!” Nina cried out, looking through one of the cracks in the wall. “It is Lance and a few others and they are coming hastily.”
“Barnaby!” Shania snapped drawing his full attention. “You are going to have to bet on the fights.”
“I do not know anything about fighting!”
“You do not have to. Bet on Dahak and Zehava, they have never lost!” Shania replied feverishly, her eyes looking at the door.
“By my endless bad luck!” He cursed. “They are here too?”
“Win enough coin to buy your sister and Nicolette and get them out of here and to safety.”
“What about you and the others? I cannot just leave you behind.”
“Shania, no!” Nicolette protested. “I will not leave without you!”
Shania ignored her. “Get them out of here Barnaby and find help!”
“You cannot leave without me!” Nina hissed. “I will tell Lance everything!”
Shania snapped a glare at her. “Do you not see he cannot save us all? But if he saves them an army will come for us!”
“And why would an army come for us?” Nina growled. “We are nothing - we hold no worth.”
“I do,
” Nicolette asked reluctantly.
“And of what worth are you?”
“Enough to get an army and get us out of here, I swear it to you!” Nicolette replied. “Just keep silent, I beg you, and I will tell you everything!”
The door burst open and Lance stalked in dagger in hand flanked by three armed others. “You had better have a very good reason for being in here, stranger.” He growled.
Barnaby swallowed back his fear and turned around to face Lance. “Ah Lance, it is so good to see you again my friend.” He smiled widely, with a slight bow of his head.
Lance’s dagger lowered only slightly. “I do not recognize you, who are you?”
“I suppose it has been a long time since we met and with your line of work you meet so many people, my face would have been easily forgotten,” Barnaby replied. “I am Gallimere, the finest glass merchant in Telaco city.” He bowed once again.
Lance eyed him suspiciously. “Well Gallimere…what are you doing in here without permission?”
“My apologies, I was only taking a peek at your beautiful wares before anyone else got a chance. As I am here to make purchase of some new girls for my...” he smiled, “amusement. And I hate the thought of getting,” he paused, “shall we say ‘leftovers’.”
Lance sheathed his dagger be grudgingly. “I shall let this incident pass, but do not let me find you within here again without my permission.”
“My apologies, once more,” Barnaby nodded. “When will it be best to discuss such purchase?”
“Tomorrow we can talk of such transactions.” Lance waved him to the door. “Tonight is all about the fights.” He grinned.
“I have heard much of them from friends, yet this will be the first time I get to witness them with my own eyes,” Barnaby replied, as he descended the stairs and was back under the heat of the sun.
“Then you are in for a spectacle, Gallimere and if you are lucky enough you might even win some coin.”
“I am afraid I do not know the first thing about picking a fighter,” he admitted.