The travel from Lupa was quiet. Jess had planned on it.
The fall sales were three months away, and would be held in Toren
this year. She hoped to have some of the Dark Lord's girls to
put on the block. Oh, to get that sharp-tongued bitch Alyne in
her coffle. She hated the Dark Lord's younger sister with a
surprising passion. She clicked the reins on the cart, chafing
that it moved so slowly. The tired horses moved a little faster
for a few paces and then returned to their somber shuffle.
Janesse rode beside her on the seat of the cart, and Jessica
glanced at her daughter with pride. Janesse was fifty now, and
Jess was ninety. They both looked as though they were in their
late thirties. Janesse was a daughter to be proud of. She had
learned the trade from her father, Malak, after he and Jess had
parted ways. She had taken over when he retired and had made
contact with her mother; with their combined skills, their
operations had been more successful than ever. Jess was proud of
her daughter's abilities in procurement and bargaining, and she
was pleased that the girl was so pretty. The first bloom of her
youth was fading, but she was lovely, and her face held a sort of
wisdom that only those of elven blood could attain so young.
The city of Tavect was growing larger in the distance. They
would make it by sundown. Jess had often visited the city with
Malak during the Time of Darkness and knew that the royal palace
was much the same as ever. More ornamentation had been added
over the years, sometimes unwisely, but still much the same. She
planned to arrived after supper and leave, with the princess,
before midnight, so that Brianna would not be missed until the
next morning. By then she would be in Lupa, the Dark Lord's
plans to the contrary.
She still did not trust the lad. He was a hope. Perhaps he
would bring back the old days. She had done commissions for him,
and she knew she stood high in his favor, because of the
unlimited travel pass, but she still could not bring herself to
trust him. She had stayed alive by not trusting anyone too far,
and was too set in her ways to change now. Part of it was his
sisters, she supposed. Alyne was a saucy little brat, but of no
real influence. Zara, on the other hand, made the slaver's blood
run cold. There was an ice maiden with no question, and she was
his favorite into the bargain. The way the witch-bitch had
looked when her husband was poisoned sent a chill up Jess's
spine. Magic made her nervous anyway. A sword was a better
defense any day in her mind. But she had not discouraged
Janesse's dabbling in the art. She had considered warning the
Dark Lord to be careful, but realized he probably already knew.
She was his twin sister, after all, and if some of the rumors one
heard in Guhrya were true, she loved him better than life itself.
Jess put the thought from her mind.
She thought about the coming fall sales. A few of the Dark
Lord's slaves would keep her in luxury all winter and she would
not have to take to the roads until late spring. The price he
had agreed on for Brianna was not exorbitant, but it was high.
She had kept her travel expenses to a minimum, sleeping on the
roads, and only taking to the inns when the weather was
uncooperative. Most of the hundred gold he had given her for
expenses had remained untouched. The weather had been oddly warm
and terribly dry all year, and was doing nothing to motivate the
horses to move any faster than they had to. Crops in un-irrigated
regions outside the empire were likely to be poor, and grass and
brush fires would soon be dangerously common everywhere. Behind
the cart, she could see the dust kicked up by the wheels.
Tavect drew ever nearer and finally, before sunset, they
entered the city. The palace was in the heart of town, about
equal distance from the four walls. Tavect was a peaceful city
and had not even heard rumors of war since the Time of Darkness.
The palace had no gates, and was covered with ornamental stone
work. Jessica scoffed silently. Dark Hold, although impressive,
was not quite impregnable. This palace, on the other hand,
seemed to be built to aid the entry of thieves.
They pulled into the courtyard and brought the wagon to a
stop. A guard stepped out of the gatehouse, buckling his sword
around his waist as he exited. Inside, Jess noted two more
leaning nonchalantly against a wall, with no weapons visible
anywhere near them, regarding her with only casual interest.
Years of peace had made Tavect's soldiery soft and complacent, it
seemed, while the size of the military remained the most
impressive in the region.
As the lone guard approached, Jess suddenly focused her full
attention on him; she recognized him from somewhere. The
reference was obscure and distant and she could not place him,
but she never forgot a face. She knew him, just as the tingling
down her spine warned her that he was out of place here and
something was subtly wrong. She eyed him suspiciously, then
quickly averted her gaze to avoid staring and drawing attention
to herself. There was the chance he would recognize her first,
and do a better job of placing a name and occupation with the
face. For once, she was glad she had left her trademark belt of
coins back at the Inn of the Hippogriff's Egg in Lupa. The
proprietor had been paid well to guard it. Should the guard
manage to identify her, she and Janesse would be leaving Tavect
sooner than expected.
"Name and business, please," he requested, stopping before
the cart and scrutinizing it and the occupants, letting his
glance linger longer than necessary on Janesse's attractive
features.
"My name, sahr, is Virna Minkoil and this is my sister,
Virsha. We have traveled far to see if any of our meager wares
might interest your glorious
princess," Janesse whined ingratiatingly in a northern accent,
while taking quick notice of her mother's stealthy hand signal
for danger out of the corner of her eye. The people north of
Tavect on the river were trappers and hunters. They spoke
through their noses and Jess found the accent grating.
The guardsman looked into the wagon at the furs. "They just
might. Take a couple of bundles in, and talk to the
chamberlain."
"Thank you, sahr." Janesse did a pantomime of picking up
the furs. "My sister, she is deaf and dumb. But she is strong
and a help." Jess heard her cue and moved to the back of the
wagon to shoulder a bundle of furs, making sure the white fox was
in it. Janess climbed down from her seat, ignoring the offered
hand of the guard, Janesse followed her into the castle. "We
pulled that off. Deaf and dumb, all right?"
"Fine," Jess hissed back, "but watch our backs. I know I've
seen that man before. When I remember who he is, I'll tell you,
but mark him as an enemy." Jess knew her low, gravelly voice was
not the voice of a fur trapper and trader from the far north,
where the women, although more barbaric than the civilized south,
were very soft spoken. It was a voice used to yelling commands
over the crack of a whip and screams of despairing captives. The
guard sent one of his people to escort them and he led them to
the throne room. Jess was glad to see that the security was not
entirely lax.
King Fionn and his court were nearly ready to leave for
supper. "We weren't expecting anyone else," he said, half
apologizing as he removed his robe and sat back down.
"No, go eat. We wait. You bargain better when not hungry,"
Janesse said in a barbaric accent. Jess smiled at her daughter
when the court had left, leaving only a small complement of
palace guards to watch the strangers. Janesse's many voices
would cover their identities and keep the search parties going in
circles for days, if they were lucky.
They waited patiently for the king's return. The white fox
pelts had been horribly expensive, but they were rare. Jess had
had them made into a sheath dress and a cloak, again more
expense, but necessary. They conferred quietly over the plan,
Jess maintaining her act by reacting only in sign language and
nods, while they were under observation of the bored guards.
Soon enough, the court returned. Brianna walked near her
father. Jess had pinpointed her from the Dark Lord's
description. Not a bad looking wench, but stubborn, she thought.
She might be worth the five hundred.
"Yes, now what do you ladies have to offer us?" King Fionn
asked, seating himself.
"Virna Minkoil," Janesse gestured to herself. "Sister,
Virsha. Many pelts, some clothes. Interest?"
"Barbarians, Poppa. We can practically take the furs,"
whispered Brianna, too loudly. "Everyone knows how stupid
barbarians are."
"Hush, child. Be polite," Fionn whispered back. "Show us
what you have," he instructed Janesse.
Jessica and her daughter displayed the furs for nearly an
hour. Then came the white fox. Brianna looked at it hungrily.
She had been interested in the other furs, but the white caught
her attention, and immediate favor.
"Poppa, I want that set. The white one," she whispered.
"Very well. I was wanting some of the ermine for a new
robe. I'll ask." Turning back to the merchants, he smiled, with
the face of a merchant instead of a monarch. "How much for all
of the ermine pelts and the white fur?"
"Ermine, five gold a pelt," Janesse said, naming a price
that was not unreasonable. "Princess try on white fox before she
buy. Be sure fits."
Jess pulled out the ten ermine pelts and the white fox.
Accepting the fifty gold, she handed the white fox to Janesse.
"Try it on in your room, Precious," the king doted, "and if
it fits come back. Agnes, accompany her."
"Sire, not her fur yet. Still mine. I go," Janesse put
in.
"Very well. Go with them." King Fionn gestured them out
and looked at Jessica. The one-eyed woman made him uneasy but he
wasn't sure why.
"Virsha, take money and pelts. Wait in wagon," Janesse
said, sticking her head back in. She went through a complicated
series of gestures. Jess watched and then nodded. Making a bow
to King Fionn, who looked puzzled at Janesse's pantomime, she
covered her ears and then her mouth with her hands, explaining
she was deaf and dumb. She picked up the furs and the money and
left with only a single guard following her in escort. The
security here was nothing compared to Dark Hold; these people
were far too trusting.
The princess chambers were at the top of the eastern tower,
and Janesse followed Brianna and Agnes up the stairs. She
prepared the components of the spell in her belt pouch and
rehearsed the words once more. Agnes opened the door on a lovely
pink and gold room, daintily decorated in a manner befitting a
princess. Janesse followed, feigning amazement.
"Where's the dress and cloak, Barbarian? I haven't got all
night." As she handed the white furs over, Janesse mumbled
something under her breath and powdered the spell components
between her fingers and touched them on Agnes' exposed arm as if
by accident.
"I am your most trusted friend," Janesse quietly informed
the princess' lady in waiting. "You trust me completely and will
do whatever I ask."
Agnes turned to regard Janesse with star-struck eyes as the
spell took control of her will. "I will do whatever you ask,"
she repeated dreamily. "You are my most trusted friend."
Janesse nodded and gestured to the princess. "Your lady
requires assistance. Go to her before she must call you." Agnes
turned back to the princess as if nothing had happened. Smiling
smugly, Janesse prepared the components for the same spell again.
As Brianna struggled with the white fox dress, which Jessica
had subtly altered with needle and thread the night before to
make it especially difficult to get into, Janesse moved forward
as if to help.
"What is the matter with this Celestra-forsaken dress!"
Brianna whined, in frustration. "I cannot get into it. Agnes!
My arm is stuck! Help me with this!" She turned to Janesse with
scorn. "Can you barbarians not even make a simple lady's garment
correctly?"
"Garment fine," Janesse grumbled. "Princess just get into
it wrong. Here, I show. Princess hold still." Brianna ceased
her struggling and permitted Janesse to touch her. The slaver
powdered the spell components, mumbled the words to the spell,
and brushed the princess' cheek with her fingers. "Brianna,
would you like to have an adventure?" she asked in her normal
voice.
"Yes, that sounds like fun," Brianna said, again renewing
her feeble attempts to wriggle into the fur. Her voice had lost
its whine, and she decided she liked this woman.
"Here's the plan. I'll sneak you, and Agnes too, of course,
out of the castle, and show you an adventure; perfectly safe, but
exciting too. You have brothers. They must surely talk about
the wonderful inns and taverns. Would you like to see them?"
"Yes, I'd like that very much. How will you get me out of
the castle? I don't think this fits," she added, giving up the
fight with the dress and handing it back to Janesse.
"Drink this and hold Agnes's hand. I'll leave by the front
gate and Agnes can show me out. We'll hide you in our wagon."
Janesse slid a crystal vial from an inner pocket of her shirt.
The azure liquid within bubbled and sparkled. As the light in
the room struck it, it became transparent.
"What is this?" Brianna asked, sniffing it with interest and
then turning her nose up at its pungent odor.
"A potion of invisibility. It won't taste very good, but
think of all the fun you can have while you're invisible, after
we get you out of the castle. Drink. It's perfectly safe.
Trust me, but you must be quiet."
Brianna quaffed the potion, and began to fade with a
childlike giggle of amusement and surprise as she reached for
Agnes's hand. Beckoning to Agnes, Janesse led them down the
stairs and back to the throne room. She had no idea just how
long Brianna would stay charmed, but she wanted to take no
chances and get out as soon as possible--her mother's earlier
warning still haunted her mind. As they entered the throne room,
they drew the attention of the assembled court, but Janesse
quickly answered for her return before any questions could be
asked.
"Sire, no fit. Princess in room pouting, sleeping," she
told King Fionn.
"I'll show her to the gate, Your Majesty," Agnes said,
moving to lead Janesse out. She could still feel Brianna's hand
in hers as they walked to the waiting wagon.
"The night can be chill. Snuggle into the furs," Janesse
told them as they climbed aboard and Jess started the wagon
moving. The guards at the gate motioned them through without
even bothering to stop them, and Jess again caught sight of the
one guard she knew from somewhere else. He grinned and waved at
her and Janesse as they departed, in a manner that was friendly
enough but not to her liking.
They left the palace and drove through Tavect. The town was
quieting as the taverns began to open. Brianna stayed quiet and
hidden. Agnes was beginning to become puzzled as they drove out
of the city. She left Brianna and moved to the front.
"Where are you taking us?" she asked.
Seeing no reason to lie, Jess answered, "Dark Hold. You're
both to be sold to the Dark Lord. It shouldn't be too bad for
you, since you're not pretty. Brianna abuses you, doesn't she?"
"Well, she's not always kind," Agnes admitted.
"Now's your chance to get revenge. The Dark Lord may put
you over her while she's there. Even if he doesn't, what have
you lost?"
"Go back to the princess, Agnes," Janesse broke in with a
sidelong wink at her mother. "Don't worry yourself. We're
friends and I won't let anything ill befall you."
Agnes thought for a moment and then returned to Brianna.
The Princess was starting to reappear. She had fallen asleep
upon leaving the city. Jess drove south-west through the night,
paralleling the Handel River.
Reaching a point along the river, the slaver stopped the
wagon. She and Janesse got down and began uncovering a punt,
hidden in the underbrush. Waking Brianna and Agnes, they got
their charges aboard and loaded the furs. The horses were
skittish about stepping on to the flat-bottomed boat, but some
tugging and swearing got them aboard.
As the cart was emptied, several holes were revealed lining
the bottom. They about the size of a man's fist and not large
enough to let anything slip through them. Tying a rope to the
wagon hitch, Jess and Janesse pushed the punt off from the shore,
with the rope tied to the wagon tied securely to an oarlock. As
the punt slipped out into the river, the wagon followed it.
Poling hard for deeper water, fighting the weight of the
water that had begun filling the holes in the cart, the two
slavers worked furiously for a moment and then cut the
floundering cart adrift. In less than a minute, it sank from
sight and was gone. It was unlikely to be found, covering their
tracks well.
Stealthily poling their way across the river, Jess pointed
the punt upriver toward the city of Lupa, some thirty-seven miles
away. The Dark Lord's bounty on the Princess Brianna was as good
as won and with minimal effort. Jess was extremely satisfied,
especially since the little whiner was still charmed by Janesse's
spell and was blissfully oblivious to anything but the lovely
midnight boat ride. Even with the current against them and the
weight of the horses, Jess calculated they should be safely in
Lupa by sunrise at the latest. She would strip and chain the
princess there on the docks, where every soldier and merchant
marine could watch...but no, that was a bad idea, given the
princess' notoriety in the area. It would be better to wait
until they had safely crossed into Xatr and were on Imperial
soil. The princess' modesty and self-esteem would have to be
spared until then, but Jess figured it would be worth the wait,
if only Janesse's spell held out and spared them her insufferable
whining.
As the lights of Lupa drew closer, large, dark shapes began
to take form on the waters. Ships, Jessica noted, and quite an
impressive convoy to boot. All headed downriver from the look of
things. As the ships moved closer, she realized that the numbers
were inordinately large, and she motioned to Janesse to help her
pole the punt out of the way.
Not a single one of the ships was sailing with lights, not
only unusual but dangerous for smaller craft. Only river pirates
made a habit of sailing without lights, and Jess would ordinarily
avoid the ships for that reason alone, but the great number of
this convoy--which looked more and more like a fleet with each
passing moment--put that concern from her mind. No river pirate
band was large enough to put together the impressive flotilla
materializing before her.
Straining to move her craft to one side, to permit the
flotilla bearing down on her easy passage, she strained with her
elven night eyes to catch sight of some manner of flag or banner
to identify the fleet's origin. Finally a banner fluttered into
view from one of the lead ships, a small merchant vessel by the
cut of its jib. The fleet belonged to the Dark Empire! More and
more banners came into view; they were all imperial ships.
Jess pricked up her sharp ears and heard the cry of "Small
vessel to starboard!" She relaxed and Janesse pulled her pole
from the water to rest. They had been sighted by a lookout, and,
although the flotilla was running without lights, at least the
helmsman would know they were there and not ram them. The danger
was past.
Suddenly, a large object dropped on to the punt, punching a
hole in the bottom. Cursing several gods for the mishap, Jess
dropped her pole and reached for the princess. It was doubtful
she knew how to swim.
"Hey!" she yelled. A rope was dropped down the side of the
ship that drew alongside her stricken punt as the water lapped at
her knees. She saw that the horses were swimming for the other
shore. Janesse and Agnes were also swimming, following the
horses. Brianna clutched at Jessica frantically and began
screaming, confirming Jess's suspicions that she could not swim,
as Jess caught hold of the rope with her free hand, watching her
punt and furs sink to the river bottom.
"Surrender and come aboard," the same voice yelled. "You
are prisoners of the Dark Empire. If you continue to swim, you
will be shot. We have orcish archers and they can see you."
Janesse, stopped, treading water as she weighed her options
and reversed her course to swim back to the ship. Agnes did the
same. Unable to climb with Brianna clambering all over her, Jess
held tight to the knotted rope and shouted for another line,
loudly informing the crew standing at the rails of her charge's
plight and what she thought of them in no uncertain or polite
terms.
Another line was dropped, this one with a large loop and
slip knot in the end, which Jess managed to work and pull around
the frantic Brianna with great difficulty. She swallowed more
river water than she cared to as Brianna's floundering dunked her
more than once. Secured, Brianna was pulled from the water, and
a near exhausted and greatly miffed Jessica Harveld began
climbing out of the Handel River herself, with Janesse and Agnes
following her. The princess fussed the whole way. The charm
spell had worn off.
Strong hands helped Jess aboard, handing her a towel and
wrapping her in a blanket. A few seemed interested in groping
for more, and while she was distracted fending them off, others
deftly removed the belt that held her sword and daggers. She did
not notice they were missing for almost half a minute.
Looking about herself with disgust and barely subdued rage,
Jess noticed that the deck was crowded, and not just with
sailors. An incredible number of fully armed imperial soldiers
in full battle dress stood with them. To the bow of the ship, a
light catapult on a pivoting base stood ready, with a supply of
stones beside it, identical to the one that had sunk her punt.
The catapult's three man crew looked pleased with themselves as
they leaned proudly against it; sinking such a small target with
one shot and no lights was an impressive feat. Jess fumed
silently as she briskly dried her hair.
When they were all aboard, the sailor looked at them and
said, "Welcome aboard the Imperial ship, The Gryphon. You are
all prisoners of the Dark Empire. As prisoners of war, you will
remain with us until we can transfer you to a slave transport."
"War? What war?" demanded Jess. "I am Jessica Harveld. I
am on Imperial Business as a member of the Imperial Merchant's
Guild, Slaver's Division. By delaying me, you are committing a
grave error. I travel on the authority of the Emperor himself.
I have a pass."
Taken aback, the sailor stepped aside to permit another man,
dressed as a ship's officer, to move closer to the prisoners.
Bowing, the officer drew himself up formally. "I am the first
mate of this ship, and I speak for my captain," he announced
firmly. "Show me your pass, and mayhap apologies will be in
order afterward."
"You will owe me more than apologies," Jess grumbled as she
fumbled for the pass she kept tucked well down in her high boots
and slapped it into the waiting hand of the first mate. As he
opened the pass and looked at it, Jess pressed him with her
earlier question as Agnes tried to quiet the princess. "What war
were we to have been made prisoners of?"
The first mate did not answer her, but concentrated on
perusing the pass. At length, he looked back at the small woman
standing before him. "Well," he stated, "we certainly don't see
many of these floating about: an unlimited imperial travel pass
and legitimate into the bargain." Jess held out her hand for it
expectantly. "No, it is not going to work like that," the mate
stated, shaking his head as he rolled the pass into a tube.
"This pass gives you no right to be in this area at--"
"Ship to starboard!" called a voice from the front. "Tavect
warship!" Instantly the crew and soldiers scrambled and the mate
tucked Jess's pass into his shirt.
"Take your positions!" he bellowed. "Man the catapult!
Mind the sails! Soldiers aft! Let's move it!" As the men moved
to obey, and other officers began giving orders of their own, the
mate turned to the men who had remained around Jess and her
party. "Strip them and take them below. Secure them in the brig
until this is over, then report to your positions."
"Over my dead body!" Jess declared, reaching instinctively
for the sword and dagger she no longer possessed.
"My Lady," the mate said as he turned to leave, "the Empire
has declared war on Tavect and we are about to sail into battle
in the name of our Emperor. We haven't the time to search you
now; as you are an imperial slaver, you will understand this and
cooperate. The captain will likely release you when we come out
of this and I show him your credentials, but for now you are in
the wrong place at the wrong time. We will give you clothes to
wear while you are here, but we cannot take chances with you now.
Understand?" He turned and was gone before Jess could answer and
the sailors behind her pushed her in the direction of an open
hatch. Resistance was useless, and she moved to the hatch; she'd
cooperate until someone tried to take her clothing, soaked though
it was.
As her party was herded down into the lower decks, the
thought of exchanging her cold, wet clothes for warm, dry ones
began to appeal and by the time they were directed to the brig
and ordered to strip by the men who had followed them down, Jess
and Janesse did just that, ignoring their presence. Jess had
bivouacked with hired guards many times and a long succession of
lovers had made Janesse impervious to male scrutiny. Brianna
protested loudly, especially when she saw the dirty commoner's
clothes that were to replace her regal garb, but gruff hands and
voices coerced her into a waiting cell and cooperation. Agnes,
although modest, reluctantly stripped without a word. All
belongings were placed in an empty chest, which was promised to
be returned after the captain had approved. After a quick once
over by one of the crew, during which Brianna screamed and threw
a tantrum as one of the men entered her cell to collect her
things, the promised change of clothing was handed over and the
party was locked into their cells.
Four armed guards were posted at the doors, while the others
hurried up to rejoin the battle. Jess flopped angrily onto the
floor and examined the shackle that secured her left ankle to the
wall. Brianna wore one too, and as fate would have it, in the
chaos of situating the prisoners, Jess had drawn the princess as
her cell mate, while Janesse got the more agreeable and
considerably quieter Agnes. Drawing the stiletto from where she
had concealed it between her hand and forearm when the soldier
had looked her over before giving her the dry clothes, she tucked
it behind her so that Brianna would not see it and alert a guard.
Settling in for what promised to be a rough ride, and
pondering the curious coincidence surrounding the Dark Empire
going to war with Tavect on the eve of her abduction of the
princess, Jessica permitted Brianna some time to wear out her
voice as she grumbled about everything from being manhandled and
almost drowned to the terrible accommodations and quality of
clothing the ship had afforded her--with all of it being
ultimately Jessica's fault. It was then that she began to swear
at Jess sending the slaver over the edge of her short temper.
"Shut your mouth, bitch," Jess snarled. "Or by the
Destroyer, I'll shut it for you. And you won't like what I put
in before the gag. It's your fault I'm in this mess, and I'm not
happy. Do not push me. Go to sleep. Things will be different
in the morning."
"Ugly witch!" Brianna returned. "You and your partner
ensorcelled me. When Royal Poppa finds me, I'll have your other
eye gouged out, and your hands cut off and your tongue cut out
and...and then I'll have you boiled in oil!" She sneered
triumphantly at the slaver at the thought of such action. Jess
shrugged.
"Bloodthirsty child. I've had more powerful rulers than
your `royal poppa' wanting my head; far more powerful. I escaped
the wrath of the Tiensor of Ontra. He had resources, scouts and
a cruel turn of mind." She raised her hands to touch her missing
eye and the scars on her face. "Your father doesn't even have a
court torturer. He is probably far too squeamish to even own a
boiling kettle. Now go to sleep, slave girl."
"I am not a slave. I am Princess Brianna of Tavect. I--"
"Give it a rest. The Dark Lord says you are to be a slave
girl, and he paid me to make you one. Besides, I wouldn't be
throwing my identity around so casually if I were you. We will
be traveling through territory hostile to Tavect. Some folks
would like nothing better than to get their hands on the missing
princess, hold her for ransom and deliver a raped, mutilated
corpse to the drop. Tomorrow we'll be off of this ship and
you'll be on your way to an iron collar. That big bitch in
charge of the harem will like you a lot. Too much for your own
good maybe."
"What do you mean?" Brianna asked, a little nervous. Jess's
words had summoned up the image of the Dark Lord's harem. She
couldn't remember which one had been in charge. Only two of the
girls had seemed very large: the one with the stripes on her back
and the aloof one.
"She likes them young and soft," Jess leered, trying to
frighten Brianna into silence, "or so I hear tell from the girls
I have sold from the castle. After the Dark Lord takes you, it's
her turn." Leaving Brianna to digest this new information, Jess
turned onto her side and got as comfortable as her chains would
allow.
It was not long before the clash of battle from above
filtered down to the brig. Brianna listened fearfully to the
unfamiliar sound of great numbers of weapons clashing and men
screaming in terror and triumph. Jessica noted the princess'
posture and smiled solemnly up at the clamor. Brianna shuddered
as she saw the edges of the scars on her captor's face spread
open. "Ah..." Jess mused, deliberately trying to frighten the
princess further, "the sound of imperial forces at play..." The
princess stared wide-eyed at her cellmate, then shut her eyes
tightly and covered her ears.
Brianna, far from home and frightened by the events of the
day, as well as the new information she had received from this
strange and hateful woman, curled up in a ball. She was
determined not to let the slaver see her cry.
The next morning came and the prisoners could hear the
troops on the deck above. Brianna got more and more fractious as
the day wore on. Boredom was not a thing she was familiar with.
The first half hour had been a change of pace, but now she was
well and truly bored and was roundly cursing the slaver, the
ship, the captain, her guards, Agnes, the gods and her fate. She
kept her voice low, knowing that Jess would not appreciate being
awakened. She was afraid of the woman, but was not letting it
show. The slaver had awakened, and eaten the porridge that had
been given to the prisoners. She had thrown the empty iron bowl
at Brianna when the princess declared herself unable to eat it
without honey. After that she had lain back down and gone to
sleep. Now Brianna was bored, hungry and had to be quiet about
her irritation for her own safety.
In truth, Jess was not asleep. She was in the half-dream
phase where her mind made its most fruitful connections. She
could hear Brianna cursing, but it came from a long way off. The
escape plan was not forming. She was confident that her papers
would be discovered and they would be on their way by that night.
She only hoped Janesse was being sensible enough to sleep in
preparation for travel.
At some point during the night, the ship had off-loaded its
cargo of soldiers on the shore of Tavect and had put back out
onto the river, where it had clashed in an number of engagements
with other vessels. Jess had heard the sound of bodies hitting
the deck above and not getting up again more than a few times,
and had listened with the princess as the dying screamed their
last. Twice, the Gryphon had been rudely jostled and thumped on
its starboard side, and had listed unevenly for some time after
each bump, indicating that the ship had grappled and boarded two
other ships during the night. Since no one came below decks to
look in on them or free them, the Gryphon had apparently not
changed hands during the fighting. More than once Brianna had
wished that the scarred woman across the cell was Agnes. She
felt trapped and alone in this nightmare and a warm body to cling
to would have been most comforting during the worst of the
fighting above.
The ship's mate had said they were at war with Tavect. Who
were the brave young men dying on the decks above? She wondered
if any of her suitors had fallen. But, of course! The answer
was there all along. The slavers had fooled no one, and her
royal poppa had sent the men to find her! She tried to shout
that she was here, here in the brig, but a sharp glare from her
cellmate silenced her, as she remembered that the imperial forces
might still be winning above decks.
The day passed and night came again. Jess, having slept a
good deal, was unable to sleep that night. It was a quiet night.
Brianna was exhausted from the sheer boredom and hunger. Jess
wondered why the captain was taking so long to approve her
papers. Detaining imperial agents on official business was
punished harshly in the Empire, and no one should know it better
than an imperial officer. Jess found the delay intolerable; even
more so at the the thought of having to spend another day with
Brianna.
The next morning brought a blinding light into the dark
cell, as the door was opened and keys were turned in the locks of
their shackles by large, rough hands. "Out you come, ladies," a
voice said. They were taken above-decks. Blinking against the
sun, Jess saw that another vessel had pulled up alongside of the
war-ravaged Gryphon. This one called itself the Iron Chain. She
heard the clink of money being exchanged and the third mate
authorized the transfer of prisoners.
"Wait!" she snapped. "I am Jessica Harveld, a registered
member of the Slavers' Division of the Merchants' Guild. Under
imperial law, I cannot be sold."
Determined to have her say, Brianna added, "And I am
Princess Brianna Anastasia Theresa Fiona, only daughter of King
Fionn V, the Just, of Tavect, My father will reward you well for
returning me, and capturing my abductors."
"And I'm Nicholas Elfbane," the captain of the slave ship
sneered. "Do you have papers to prove who you are?" he asked
Jess.
"They were taken from me the night my boat was sunk. I had
a pass, as well as identification. You're not Nicholas Elfbane;
I worked with his brother. Sold the little runt once, too."
"She did have papers," the third mate of the Gryphon put in,
"but they were on the person of our first mate, and we lost him
overboard in the fighting last night. I was below decks when we
captured these four and never got a chance to see them; most of
the crew is dead or missing and the captain lies wounded at
Death's door in his cabin and cannot be disturbed while he makes
peace with the Black-robed One. The one-eyed bitch talks a good
line, but you know how women are."
"Aye, not a one of 'em but'll lie if pushed, and there exist
no passes to a battle-field; her papers were probably faked.
Let's go." He collared the four women and attached small
numbered metal tags to the collars. Jess fought and balked all
the way aboard the ship. It took four of the slaver's crew to
hold her while her clothes were removed. Brianna looked superior
at the sight of Jess's almost cureless body and tiny breasts.
Upon seeing the scars that covered her body, the captain looked
disgusted.
"You'll not sell high with all those marks on you. Let's
see what that eye patch hides." He lifted the black patch and
looked. The scar that ran up her cheek also slit her eyelid.
The eye socket was empty. "Aye, you'll keep that. You're no
beauty, but the gladiator school doesn't much care as long as you
can fight." Noting the hairlessness of her body, he took a
closer look at her ears. "Elven breed, are you?"
Jess spat in his face. The captain struck her. "Listen,
slave," he snarled, "I own you now and I don't take that
treatment from anyone, free or slave. You be good and I'll sell
you to the gladiator school. You give me trouble, I'll cut you
up alive for fish bait." He made a motion to a nearby sailor,
who disappeared. "Take her over to the mast." Jess fought every
step of the way, losing the stiletto she had managed to conceal
tied in her hair.
"Sneaking weapons aboard my ship now, are you?" the captain
noted casually, as he stooped to pick up her fallen blade.
Examining the quality of the knife, he slipped it into his belt
as he stood. "Looks as if I'll have to teach you more of a
lesson than I thought."
The sailor who had disappeared, returned with a bag. "This
is a reminder, slave," the captain told her as he brought the
whip down on her back. Jess flinched and clenched her teeth,
holding in her scream. Two sailors pressed her to the mast by
her arms. "Brave and strong, too," the captain noted, drawing
back for another stroke. "Good, but a few more scars aren't
going to affect your price. Let's see just what it takes to pull
a scream from your stinking half-blood throat." Five strokes and
Jess was taken below decks. She had given in easily and
permitted herself to cry out after the fifth blow. She knew that
if she had taken all of the lashes needed to truly break her, she
would be lucky to be alive and in no condition to make an escape.
The captain's mocking laughter at how soon she had yelled stung
her more than her back.
The hold of the slave ship was a dismal affair and she
sniffed. Her own ship, back in the days when she and Malak had
this run had been a lean, trim craft, and the hold far better
organized. Brackets were set in the hull, and a chain attached
to the collar of the slave passed through it and on to the next.
The men locked the chain to her collar and fastened her wrists to
the collar. She was seated in front of a bracket. By craning
her neck, she caught a glimpse of the number. Thirteen, of
course. With the luck on this run, she would be put in the
troublemaker's spot.
Janesse had drawn approval from the sailors. She had
voluntarily stripped, knowing it would be easier, and her slender
form was now under perusal. "Are you a virgin?" the captain
asked.
"Not since I was twenty," she replied.
"A late bloomer," one of the crew whispered, with a chuckle.
Having caught his remark, she answered, "No sir, merely an
elven quarter-blood. Unlike my mother, I am not ashamed of my
heritage." The captain drew back her unbound hair. The ears
were pointed.
"Aye, a good price for this pretty. She's on the older
side, but there are those who like experienced women." The
implication was clear.
"Yes, sir," Janesse replied, seeing a possible way to avoid
his attentions, "and I'm one."
The captain looked at her for a moment and laughed. "We'll
cure you of that, love. Take her down." Janesse was locked to
bracket fourteen, a good place on the line-up. Number fourteen
was what was called the influence spot. This was one of the
better behaved slaves who had been put next to the troublemaker
in hopes of having a good influence.
Brianna had fought being stripped and when her clothing was
off, the captain saw why. The lass was on the heavy side, and
not as well-formed as he had thought. Her clothing had been
tailored to deceive, and she wore an iron and cloth contraption
to hold in the bulges, which the sailor who had inspected her in
the cell before giving her the new clothes had decided to let her
keep to expedite getting the prisoners secured. Brianna wept and
wailed bitterly as her precious secret about her flawless body
was revealed. Holding her down, a pair of laughing slavers
sliced the leather fastening straps with their knives instead of
working with all the buckles and hasps, and peeled it off of her.
They ceremoniously chucked it over the side into the river amid a
sarcastic hailing salute and much jeering from the other slavers
and sailors. "She says she's Princess Brianna. Put her with the
other two `Princess Briannas at least those two have bodies
becoming of royalty and will have some chance of selling at a
royal profit. Spot Twenty."
Agnes, being nondescript, was questioned about her part in
this. Being wiser than her mistress, Agnes gave a brief summary
of her life and meeting Jess and Janesse, but left out all the
details that might reveal any true identities. Upon learning she
was a servant, she was put in the fifties, with several other
servants whose masters or mistresses had been unfortunate enough
to fall into the hands of slavers. Breaking with the Gryphon,
which headed upriver to Lupa and much-needed repairs, the Iron
Chain headed downriver for the northern ports of the Dark Empire
and the Kish-Kar Mountains.
The travel downriver lasted several days. Jess and Janesse
plotted together, until the officer in charge of the slave hold
heard them. Angered upon being informed, the captain ordered
Jessica hauled out of the hold and chained to the mast.
Giving only token resistance, Jess was chained to the mast
so that the chains on her shackles ran behind the smooth spar of
wood. She could not kick, even if she had been foolish enough to
try it, and her arms were caught back so that she could not even
touch her own body. A bucket was placed on a stool between her
legs to catch her wastes and the captain personally fitted her
with a feeder gag. The device buckled over and behind her head,
wrenching her jaws open with the insertion of a metal funnel that
depressed her tongue. The gag permitted feeding and watering of
the slave who wore it, but made speech impossible and life in
general miserable. Swallowing was difficult and the taste of
metal was foul on her tongue.
The captain stepped back after affixing the gag and, hands
on his hips, laughed uproariously. "Sold the great Nicholas
Elfbane once, indeed!" he sneered. "You'll keep that gag now,
slave girl, until you are sold. I hope you don't have an
aversion to sunburns, because you're staying right here where we
can keep an eye on you. Cause me any more trouble and I'll make
good my promise to cut you up for fish bait. Are there any
questions?" The captain laughed again and left her to the sun
and elements.
Infuriated, humiliated and miserable, Jessica Harveld stood
at the mast in the blazing late summer sun and fumed. She was
thankful that her summer's tan was moderately deep but wished it
covered more than her face, arms and hands. The days were
cloudy, for the most part, and on a few, the sun never burned
through the fog. She wondered often what would have happened had
she followed the Dark Lord's plan for her escape. Certainly his
plan would not have led her and her partner to this unseemly
fate. At night, the stool and bucket were removed so that she
could kneel on the deck to sleep, but each morning, she was
ordered back to her feet and they were replaced. The occasional
sun only added to her discomfort as it heated the metal chains,
and the food was no better. Once a day, the slaver's apprentice
assigned to tending her forced a tasteless paste of oats and
water down the funnel, usually in choking globs, and washed them
through with a deluge of water. Jess swore she would remember
this ship and its captain when she regained her freedom, and to
repay them for their kindness in turn.
On the seventh day, the ship put into the first port to
conduct business. Slavers were let on board, one at a time, to
select their purchases--ten to a customer--and paid before
leaving. Jess had been cleaned up some for this first port, and
the stool and bucket had been removed so as not to repulse
prospective buyers, but no one gave her a second look. The ship
moved on. At least she had the comfort of knowing that all of
her people were still aboard; none had left in another slaver's
coffle, but that would not last.
The second port admitted an even larger number of slavers
aboard ship, several of whom Jess recognized. None recognized
her, try as she did to get their attention. The ever-watchful
captain disregarded her efforts as a slave's pathetic attempts to
sell herself with no auctioneer. A number of slavers looked at
her from a distance with no recognition. Her hair had been cut
short in anticipation of her sale to a gladiatorial arena, and
without her hair, clothing, belt and ever-present weaponry, few
gave her a second look, even if they could recognize her through
the metal and leather on her face. None bothered to approach for
a better look at the scarred and unattractive female chained to
the mast. None, that is, save one.
Varge One-Ear, a muscle-bound mound of quarter-blood ogre--
if reports on his ancestry were accurate--came over for a better
look. His attitude and reputation matched his appearance and he
was a long-time rival of Jess's who bore her no love whatsoever.
He constantly trod the fine line that would result in his being
barred from the Slaver's Division, and Jess, a member in
excellent standing, had tried to begin procedures to do just that
on a number of occasions.
He swaggered up to her, chewing on an apple and sneered, his
ugly mouth oozing with food. He looked her up and down
appraisingly, the sneer never leaving his face, and spat an apple
seed into her hair as he came full circle around the mast after a
quick survey of her back side. Jess clenched her fists and met
his sneer with a blood-chilling gaze as she shook off the apple
seed.
"Well, well, well..." Varge finally managed as he swallowed
the lump of pulped fruit. "What cat drag in here? Living
scar...." Jess maintained her grim countenance and made no
sound. Varge ran a rough hand up her arm to her shoulder and
flicked her ear with his finger. "Been getting some sun, hmmm?
Elf breed." Jess stood immobile, refusing to be goaded by his
insults and give him the satisfaction of responding. Ordinarily,
the ogre-breed would never be so bold, knowing what she could do
to him if she regained her freedom. She reasoned he must have
been drinking before coming aboard; rum gave him courage and
worsened his already foul disposition.
Varge pressed himself close against her. "Maybe I buy you,
eh?" he breathed at her in as sensual a tone as he could manage.
"Take you in my bed and make a real woman out of you..." The rum
on his breath sickened her almost as much as the thought,
although she knew as well as he did that if he tried it--though
it might cost her life--he would never again force his loathsome
bulk on another slave. Varge pushed himself away and flicked at
her left nipple with his index finger until it stiffened against
her will, and chuckled gruffly.
"No," he stated, "I no buy you today. Got no need for ugly
slave girl like you when there be other pretties to play with. I
wonder..." Varge looked back at the open hatch into the hold,
where other slavers were emerging with their prizes. "Maybe you
no travel alone when they catch you. Maybe you get caught with
other long-ears." Varge looked back at Jess and grinned. "Maybe
I go down and see, eh?" Giving her nipple a final painful flick,
followed by a hard pinching twist, he drew a long, notched dagger
from his belt and held it menacingly before her. "But first,
maybe I settle old score with you, eh? Make you pay for what you
do to Varge One-Ear...make you pay good!"
"Not unless you buy her first, friend," the ship's captain
stated from behind him, his hand resting firmly on the pommel of
his sword. "Make me an offer, and maybe you can have her to do
with as you please, but it had best match what the arena scouts
downriver will pay, or you needn't bother. She's not much to
look at, I'll grant you, but she can fight."
Varge turned to face the captain, noted the captain's sword
and a few crewmen standing behind him, ready to back him up, and
returned his dagger to his belt.
"No buy ugly elf breeds," Varge announced. "Too much
trouble, but maybe you let me take a whip to her and see how she
fare up, then you name your price, eh?" Jess cringed a bit at
the idea and bit at the metal in her mouth until new pain shot
through her aching jaws.
Varge, you are as good as dead if I ever find you again on
more favorable terms. Being barred from the Guild will be the
least of your worries and I'm going to do you real slow, Jess
swore.
The captain regarded Jess for a moment and considered
Varge's offer, then answered. "No deal, my big friend. Make a
flat offer, check the merchandise in the hold or leave my ship."
Varge growled, sneered once more at Jess after spitting another
seed at her, then sauntered down into the hold.
Sometime later, he emerged, leading a coffle of slave girls
behind him. Jess's heart sank when she saw that Janesse and
Brianna were among them. He tossed the apple core overboard and
led his purchases down the gangplank with one last triumphant
look over his shoulder at his rival. He was the last to leave
the ship, and after taking on supplies and water, the Iron Chain
weighed anchor and proceeded downriver.
The next port came and more were sold. Again, Jess was
passed over. A fourth port, and yet more familiar faces. Jess
knelt gloomily staring at the deck. She thought of the times she
had made purchases from imperial ships like this. How many times
had she passed up a female with scars for a soft, untrained
kitten who would bring an easier profit? Feeling melancholy, she
sternly reminded herself that her job had been making a profit,
not making people happy. Then the last of the slavers came
through.
"I want her," he said suddenly, pointing to Jess.
"Sir," the captain protested, "she has battle scars."
"I said I want her. I don't care about the scars."
"Sir, she has only one eye, and she is in the trouble-maker
spot."
"I would expect nothing less of her. Now are you willing to
sell her or not?"
"Yes, of course. I was planning on selling her to a
gladiator school, but...I'd say sixty gold would put her in your
coffle. If you're sure you want her, that is."
"Oh, yes, I want her. Sixty, huh? A bargain for Jessica
Harveld." The young man looked down and winked at her. "Unchain
her for me."
Jess was unlocked and the young man put a lead on her and
led her down with him into the hold. "Jess, any you want me to
get? You had to have been on a run, else you wouldn't be here."
"That one," she said softly, pointing to Agnes, then
continuing to rub her aching wrists and jaw. The hated gag had
been removed with the chains, but she could scarcely speak for
the pain and it hurt to close her mouth, but she was determined
not to look like the village idiot with her mouth hanging open.
"She's part of my commission. Varge One-Ear has the rest."
The young slaver purchased Agnes and several others. After
paying his bill, he took them to the inn where he was staying,
allowing Jess to massage her jaw on the way, while the others
kept their hands at their sides. The rubbing felt good, and was
easing away the soreness. By the time they reached the inn, her
mouth was only comfortably numb. The overcast skies in
combination with being on the water had greatly contributed to
the flaring sunburn that covered most of her body, but there was
noting to be done about that. Chaining the new purchases in the
stable with the rest of his coffle--making a nice round number of
thirty slaves, most female--and tossing the men he had hired as
guards a sack of silver pieces to add to their dice pot, he took
Jess with him into the inn.
Stretching out in a chair, he watched her wash from the
basin. "You owe me for this, Harveld." He had ordered up wine
and a bowl of vinegar and made her stand still while he swabbed
down her sunburn. It was slightly humiliating, but Jess admitted
that the sting did go out of it when he was finished.
"No, boy, you still owe me," she managed, her voice not
fully returned and her mouth still numb. "I saved your life
twice, remember, and that cute ass of yours at least once.
You've paid back the latter."
"Jessica, Saroncha, I owe you many things." His light eyes
smiled as he called her by the lycanthropic word for teacher. He
ran a hand through his flaming red hair.
"Red Jared, I thank you," she began formally. "You
recognized a fellow Guild member in distress and came to my aid.
I am grateful for your purchase of me, and my patron will repay
your loss."
"Who is your patron, Jess? Please, drop the formality.
Besides," he grinned mischievously, "look at your throat, slave."
"I see an iron collar that my Guild-brother has yet to
remove. If he would be so kind?"
Red Jared laughed. "I always wondered what you would be
like as a slave. Now I know. You are as arrogant as when you
were free. Every slaver should have the experience of being sold
once, don't you think?"
"Remember who bought you over Lord Rothstein on the block in
Pergamum. Remember who freed you, and taught you what you know
now. Think about that and then unlock the collar."
Red Jared pondered her words. They did have merit. She had
outbid Lord Rothstein for him. He had known what Lord Rothstein
wanted, and, yes, literally speaking, Jess had saved his
posterior, keeping it both un-reamed and attached to his body.
She had bought the young lycanthrope as a pet and possible
apprentice. She felt she wanted company on the road after she
had broke with Malak Raintree. His lynx form appealed to her,
and she had trained him. He had admired the half-elf. She was
everything he wanted to be: strong, efficient, decisive and
ruthless. He had hoped he might prove a worthy student to all
her teaching.
Reluctantly, discarding the dreams he had treasured, he
unlocked her collar. Jess rubbed the chafed spot on her neck and
turned around to face him.
"I know what you are thinking, lad. It would never work,"
she said softly. "I am less than proficient in all of the
womanly arts, especially that one. But if you want that as the
price of my freedom, I'll pay it. You asked who my patron is.
I'm working for the emperor himself. I was sent out to grab
Princess Brianna of Tavect."
"Tavect is under attack by imperial troops! What were you
doing there?"
"I was in the attack, rather unintentionally. It seems our
young friend out by Letzthoffnung used me as a diversion for his
invasion. If I had followed his escape plans, illogical as they
were, I might not have gotten into this mess. He wanted me to
run east."
"That makes no sense with Lupa just across the river. Who
was the wench I bought for you?"
"Agnes, the Princess's lady-in-waiting. Varge One-Ear
bought Brianna and Janesse."
"Janesse?" Red Jared asked.
"My daughter. My partner. She joined me after you left.
Have you learned to control the Change yet?" she asked, casually.
"Other than the full moon, yes. None of us Control on the
full. It is the will of Viurre that all of her people should
display their form and give her homage on that night. But you
know the religion of my people."
"Well do I know it, having seen you live it for nigh on
three years. I need to find Varge. There's five hundred plus
expenses riding on it."
"Do you have a pass?"
"No. An incompetent first mate separated me from it and my
other papers. He apparently didn't realize the power they gave
me, and then he got himself killed before he could show them to
the captain. Not that it would have done any good, since the
captain was cut up pretty bad and dying before I was brought
above decks again. That is the only reason I was sold. Can you
help me?"
"Jess, I will buy your partner and pretty back, and take you
to Dark Hold on my pass. I owe you that much. After that we can
part as friends."
"Janesse is good enough to solo, if you want a job as my
partner," she offered. "I made more money with you than her."
"Ah, my old teacher. `Ever did the clank of gold the
delicate sound of heartstrings drown.' I'd like that. I don't
make as much solo as I did with you." He held out his hand. She
took it and they shook on the bargain. Now about the price of
your freedom..."
"I understand," she said, moving into his open arms. "If
you really find this battered body desirable, I guess I shouldn't
complain. I think you'd find one of those lovely toys in your
coffle more enjoyable though. Do be careful."
"It is not the body I find desirable. It is the woman who
inhabits it. Those toys are not a tenth of the woman you are, my
Saroncha. I will be careful. They used you badly, love. Your
hair, your earring, everything is gone, but you they couldn't
break." He quietly blew out the lamp and pulled her closer in
the dark. Careful to let her dictate all the motion, so as not
to hurt her sunburn, he rolled onto his back, pulling her on top.
Jess had not underestimated her skill, Red Jared noticed
after a frustrating effort to arouse her. She was not very
satisfying, and seemed less than interested in the whole event.
He held her to him afterward.
"Now you understand why you are only the second in a
century. I apologize."
"No, I apologize. I should not have required it of you.
You are not a toy. But will you share my bed this night, since I
have made no other accommodation arrangements?"
"Since you ask, I take it I am free. I will share your bed
this night, and any other you would like, for expenses sake. But
do not require the use of my body; use your toys. Tomorrow, we
begin our travels?"
"Yes. In the morning, partner."
"You know that the ogre is going to rob us. He hates me."
"Yes, I know. I have had a good year. I can afford quite a
bit. Why does he hate you, Jess?"
"Who do you think gave him the name One-Ear? The other one,
I sold for a gold Tiensor back in Ontra around A.L. 47. Back
when Tazreth the Proud Tiensor that year. His face looked better
on the coin than it did atop a pole six months later." Red Jared
laughed quietly beside her, and kissed her scarred cheek.
The travel was difficult, as Jess quickly learned that not
only Tavect, but every civilized province to the east and west of
it, clear north to the Kish-Kars, had been conquered. Imperial
occupational forces were everywhere, and martial law was being
enforced. News from Tavect across the Handel was hard to come
by, but as they traveled, Jess pieced together what had happened
during her confinement on the Iron Chain.
The west had fallen quickly and the Dark Lord was besieging
Fe'En and Ontra as well as Tavect. He was running into
resistance there. Although difficult, news about Tavect was
still easier to come by than about the other kingdoms, although
all of it was old, and it seemed Tavect had fallen after less
than a week. The main forc
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