And then the conversation began in earnest. We talked about everything. It was just like being with my sisters; we spent far too much time lingering in the spring-like sun, talking about men’s attributes good and bad.
All the daring things my Trio thought I did, these women did too. They were women. If any saw their men as slaves, they did not say. We laughed and talked about things that would scandalize Kharis. I knew these women would follow the path to freedom, and just like our conversation in the grass, if they did not agree with that, they would keep silent and stay out of it.
Too quickly, we mounted our horses and began the last leg of the journey. Slightly drunk and feeling light, we rode across the meadows, down another rocky mountainside, skirting boulders and deep gorges. Hours later, as the sun sank low, we landed at the base of the mountain bordering on another meadow and into a valley below.
With good sightlines all around, I ordered the wagons stopped, and camp made. I would take a few riders on to the meeting place.
Kharis had given excellent directions, but it wasn’t hard to aim at the bright green mountain peaks far in the distance and ride. The road was well-traveled, and even the wagon passed with ease through most places.
“Tralalis and Vonali, you’re with me, leave the wagons,” I said, leaving the others to make camp and care for the animals. With any luck, we would be back and snug in our furs by full dark.
Saying nothing, we rode further. The air was warm here, and I had removed my cloak, leaving it at the camp. Evening sun kissed my skin with its marvelous light, and I felt my tattoos recharge. Kicking our horses into a gallop, we traveled the rest of the way alone.
A show of force would anger the fighters we rode to meet, and should this go sideways, maybe the other warriors could escape the fickle Luchorpán. In the distance, I saw the brilliant blue sparkle of a large pond, surrounded by a mist covered bog. A rainbow curved through the fog into the sky above, and I knew we were in the right spot.
Slowing our horses, we walked to the edge of the wide clearing and waited. A war cry arose, and hooves thundered our way. Beneath us, our horses shifted. Tossing their heads, we fought to keep them from bolting in the face of whatever ran at us headlong through the bog.
“Hold,” I demanded as the women beside me shifted. I crossed my arms over my mare’s mane and leaned into her, relaxing my weight into her. Tralalis took in my casual pose, and her eyes widened. I winked at her.
The hooves approaching us thundered harder, and the ground shook. The horses shifted again, and the women wanted to turn and run, I could feel it.
“Hold!” I demanded, kicking one leg out of the stirrup and draping it over the mare’s neck so I could jump off quickly. Vonali shook her head at me and fought with her mount to stand.
From the mists, riders came. Led by a man dressed in gold and green, they descended upon us. Fifty riders advanced on we three, and still, we stood. I stretched my back and stifled a yawn.
Dropping down from my horse, I handed Tralalis my reins and walked toward the approaching horde. They slid to halt in front of me, and I continued to walk. I did not draw my sword.
As I approached the King, every rider pulled their blades. I stopped at his horse's shoulder, looking up through the veiled sun.
He smirked down at me and dropped from his mount, landing a full rod shorter than I.
“Teagan, my fair Fae consort you would be if Aramea were not such a toad,” he said in the Fae tongue.
Smiling at him, I answered, “Wave your hands about and look terrifying. I have an army to impress,” knowing the women behind me would not understand.
He took his arms and gesticulated wildly, causing the women behind me to take sharp breaths. “Lass, what are you doing with the likes of those cold-hearted bitches behind ye?”
“I was taken by Trolls and delivered to their Queen,” I replied, raising my arms and answering his wildness. “Aramea planned the whole thing, so I could not go back.”
“Ah, lass, make them pay for it,” he chuckled dark and low, showing his black teeth with gold fillings.
“I intend to, Sir.” He laughed out loud, tossing his head back. Wild red curls cascaded over his shoulder, and his soldiers put away their swords.
“Sit on my lap, lass, and learn what you’re missing,” he said, giving me a salty wink.
“That didn’t work all those years ago in Talamh na Sithe, and it won’t work now,” I answered with my own laugh, and we turned and walked to where the women waited.
“You can’t blame a King for trying. I wanted ye bad enough to offer Aramea wagons of gold. Such dark-skinned beauty would look lovely in my bed,” he said, moving his arms and shouting wildly. I saw the warrior's eyes widen and marveled at the fact that they hadn’t run.
“No blame at all, Sir, but you have four lovely wives that would have beat me to a pulp,” I screamed at him, placing my hand on his arm, and he patted it.
“True enough that is, lass, true enough. They’re pissing their pants, so they are,” he chuckled as we approached my horse.
“Undoubtedly.” I stopped at my horse, and he tossed me up onto her, his stature hiding the strength in his body.
“Lead the way then, lass. Let’s see what ye have,” he growled at the women, baring his teeth, laughing when they jerked back.
I turned my mare and kicked her into a gallop.
“What was that?” Tralalis demanded as she ran up beside me.
“Ah, well, he wants to see what we brought before he decides whether or not we live,” I said matter of factly. I kept my face as somber as I could.
Kharis had sent me to die. Had I not known King Fendrel from his many visits to Talamh na Sithe, I may have. Despite their short height and adorable looks, they are vicious. They are also much stronger than they look and can rip a person in half should they choose.
Rumor of this interaction would spread like wildfire and could only help to increase my credibility. Let these warriors worry a bit longer about their safety; that was a small price to pay. Because of my prior relationship with Fendrel, they would leave this place with their lives.
We raced up the knoll to the base of the mountain where the women had made camp. As hoofbeats echoed off the stones around, they raised their glaives higher, holding the line.
Pride flowed through me. For the faults in the system, these women were brave. They would fight to the end, regardless.
“At ease, Warriors,” I shuddered a breath, watching them.
Should they attack, this could still go wrong. I prayed to Dani that they would stay calm.
“The King will assess our goods. Stand down,” I urged, opening a path for the King to our wagons.
“He brings no wagons only the steel in his fighter’s hands,” a warrior stepped forward, blocking my way with her glaive.
“Stand down, Illon,” I demanded. “Do not let your bravery turn into foolishness.” I braced my mare against her weapon, and she dropped it, stepping back.
“This way, your Highness,” I spoke to him in the Eruhini tongue so they would understand.
“Your wagons are light!” he shouted in the same language. “This is an insult. We bring our goods in faith, and Eregion sends nothing!”
Riding around the goods we brought, he scowled, and I worried, knowing that nothing was assumed here.
He switched to the Fae tongue, “She meant for you to die,” he said, narrowing his eyes on me and gesticulating wildly.
“You are not wrong, Fendrel,” I yelled at him, waving my arms.
“And what are your plans to redress this?” He stilled his mount, looking thoughtful.
“I will be Queen,” I said. “I will use our Goddess’s magic and defeat them. Danu has said as much herself. I lowered my voice, keeping it calm and steady.
He measured me for a long time. Silence stretched between us as his fighters and my warriors waited tensely.
“Then I will make a bargain with the new Queen of Eregion,” he said. Hi
s smile spread across his face, taking some of the hard edges from it. “You will be my ally. Not Kharis. When you are Queen, we will align and right some of the wrongs done to these people. Should you fail, I will wage war on Eregion and tear it to dust and snow. Kharis works to grow her brand of society throughout the realms, and such poison cannot be allowed to spread.”
“Agreed.” I reined my horse one-handed and reached across the distance between us, gripping my forearm.
“A bargain is reached!” he shouted, his voice echoed across the mountains and into the valley below. He put magic behind it, and everyone around felt his words settle with a promise into their soul.
I accept Teagan’s word that future dealings with Eregion will be fair and more balanced. You will leave my realm with my goods and your lives,” he said in the Eruhini tongue.
Heavy wagons appeared from the mists below and trundled our way, and I saw how meager our offerings were.
“And now we drink!” he cried in the face of my stunned warriors.
Jumping from his horse, he pulled me from mine and twirled me in a dance. His men dismounted, and a fiddle started playing while the women stood open-mouthed and staring.
I threw my head back, laughing as I danced with the King of Luchorpáns while his men lit fires and made camp next to my warriors.
I felt a little bad for the women. I knew how these men partied. Aramea always trotted The Eight out when they visited, thinking we made her more powerful, so we were witnesses to their ways. The visiting Luchorpáns left the courtesans exhausted, and the casks of alcohol empty.
Eventually, the women relaxed, put down their weapons and joined in the revelry. The bonfires grew higher, and the voices louder. The warriors giggled and danced as the moon rose high over the valley below.
Tables sprang up, and we ate food reminiscent of the dishes from Talamh na Sithe, and for a moment, I felt like I was home. The food, the camaraderie, and the alcohol warmed my blood, chasing the Eregion ice from my veins. Goddess, it felt good.
The air stayed warm, and the enormous yellow moon seemed to settle directly across from us and join our celebration. I danced with the King and his men, drinking his sweet honey mead and enjoying the freedom of a summer night.
After hours of dancing, eating, sparring, and singing, the fires burned low. Fendrel and I moved farther from the sounds of fucking and the shrill cries of pleasure, choosing a spot where we could speak privately.
“How are ye setting about to win this fight, lass?” he asked, his voice hushed.
“My mates are teaching those they trust to fight. The women will have to choose, and I believe they want freedom. Who doesn’t want the freedom to choose who they love and how they love them? That they fell into bed with your dominant males, proves they aren’t happy with the situation at home. The Goddess says we can win this fight, and I believe her.”
“Your women are fucking my men because the Luchorpán fuck like Gods and have cocks disproportionate to their body size. I’m willing to fall on my sword and prove that, if need be, Teagan,” he laughed, tossing his long flame-red curls from his shoulders. Merriment and teasing shown from his green eyes, and I knew he’d no sooner fuck me than I would fuck him. His wives were gorgeous. And deadly. They’d have my head and his balls. He was simply a giant flirt.
I grinned at him, feeling it reach my eyes and make them twinkle. “Of that, I have no doubt, Great King. I am happy with my Trio of mates, even if not all the warriors behind us are. It’s further proof of their dissatisfaction.” I bumped my shoulder to his.
“Bah. Fine. No fucking,” he grumbled, bumping me back. “If they think there was fucking, do not disavow them of the notion,” he countered.
“Deal,” I said, and another pact was born. Shaking my head and laughing, I sighed, feeling the mood grow somber. “It will be hard fought; I have no illusions. Kharis is strong, and her warriors loyal, but they have no magic. My Trio and I do. As more pray to the Goddess, they will gain magic also. I am hopeful.”
“If The Great Goddess of All Things says you will be victorious, you will be victorious. I will call you Queen, and we shall dance in the Great Ice Castle in the north.” He patted my hand, rising to leave me alone with my thoughts. “That will be a magnificent party; I look forward to it,” he finished.
I watched as he went toward his tent, his short legs covering the ground in graceful strides. “As do I,” I whispered. “As do I.”
The moon was high in the sky when I left her warm rays and walked down the hill. Pulling my furs from the tent where warriors and Luchorpáns slept in piles, I laid under the colorful stars. Letting my body be one with the land below, I slept more peacefully than I had in ages.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Syl’ta
Teagan was right. Out from under the watchful eyes of their peers, the remaining warriors shuttered themselves away. It was like they knew a battle loomed and rested up for it. Pameline came to the pens, pretending to guard the men not sequestered with their warriors.
There was no man we did not train. Discontent was widespread, and none of them resisted. Could we trust them? There was no way to be sure, but my brothers and I talked endlessly of a future where we were free. Should another warrior wander through the pens, we assumed our submissive positions. No man spoke up to tell of our treason, and I believed we were safe.
The clash of swords echoed through the halls, and still, no one investigated. No food was delivered, and Pameline herded a hundred men into the slave’s dining hall where a paltry meal was laid. No man fought her.
She joked and laughed with us, eating dried meat on hard bread by our sides, and I knew what Teagan saw in her. We passed around flagons of water and soured wine unfit for a warrior.
Pameline was one of the few warriors that did not currently have a Trio, and other men watched her hopefully. From my experience under her control, I doubted she much interested in men. She’s always been kind, but she’d never been particularly interested in sex.
I thought perhaps other females were more to her liking but, of course, never asked.
Some men snuck off with other men in the pens and never showed an inclination toward females. When they were found out, they were killed so as not to spread the trait to their offspring. It was hard to imagine a land where, no matter what one’s inclinations were, we would be free. With Teagan as our Queen, I believed the choice would be ours.
Would I change my mate? Goddess, no. And I prayed that Teagan would not either.
After our light lunch, we returned to the pens to train with old swords and other rusty weapons. Pameline taught the hammer and gave us every extra she had. We tucked them under the straw and hid them in the latrines.
Some of the men showed signs of acquiring magic, and we worked with that as well. My brothers were careful, not showing the depth of magic we had while still trying to help them. Nevertheless, we got better with it. Magic jumped to our fingers with a thought, and we found we could do many things with it.
The more magic one man displayed, the harder the others prayed. As evening moved into night and overworked muscles tired, Pameline stayed with us. Watching and working together, we discovered each man with magic had different gifts. They practiced with what they had, honing it.
Footsteps signaled the arrival of others, and we dropped to the straw, assuming the expected position. A meal was delivered that was even smaller than our lunch. Moving sluggishly as if weakened, we ate under the watchful eye of new guards.
Not wanting to draw interest in her presence, Pameline disappeared once other guards arrived. After the meal was finished, the new guards left, and Pameline did not return. Left alone, we rested.
The pens were silent, even the quiet whispering stopped. In the distance, a wolf howled, and a snow owl hooted. The stillness of the night was absolute. The furnaces heated the air to boiling, and I missed the softness of Teagan and our bed. I sat with my brothers, thinking that the day had been productive when a shimm
ering light erupted from the middle of the pen.
Sleeping men bolted upright and watched as the shimmer turned solid, and a woman appeared.
The Great Goddess stood before us, resplendent in a sheer gown the color of moonlight and red roses. The men around us fell to their knees, trembling at the sight of her.
“None of that, friends, faces up, please. Do not cower before me; it’s offputting.” She walked through them, touching heads and shoulders as she went.
The stench of the pens was overwhelming, and she walked through it like a mountain meadow filled with flowers.
“You are mistreated, friends. Men as strong and as beautiful as you should be cherished, and I believe you will be. Not long ago, your people called upon me to help them, and I did. The false Queen has stripped my name from the history books and made you forget, but in your hearts, you remember. I am your Goddess, and you are my People.”
“I created you from gold dust, sweet honey, and joy. You were made for sunshine and life, not misery and death. Follow me. Spread my name, and happiness will find you. Your true Queen awaits, and as tempted as you may be to turn all females asunder, do not fall into that trap for pain lies there. Nature is made of all things male and all things female. As a race, you must mirror that, and so you will.”
“Your females have been hard, but that is all they know. Give them a chance. Together, you must build new roads to the way you are supposed to be, keeping what is good about life now and discarding what is not. Those are my words to you. In return for finding real balance, your magic will grow stronger and your land milder. The chill at the heart of this place is Kharis’s heart. Magic and love will warm this place and make you prosper. Heed my words, children.”
Every face riveted to her as she turned among the huddled slaves, taking in their faces. After a pause, she walked to where we stood against the wall.
“Dear friends, you have done well, as has Teagan,” she said, pulling us into quick hugs that were not missed by the men around us. “I know you worry for her, but she will return to you unharmed, be ready. When she gets here, your war will start, for Kharis does not expect her to return and is celebrating the thought of her demise. She doesn’t care that a hundred of her best warriors might have died with her, she just wants Teagan gone.” She stopped, a slow smile spreading across her face. “Unfortunately, her celebrations are premature.” She winked at us and was gone, her cloying scent lingering in the air long after she was gone.
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