“As she was punished by you upon previous occasions?” Galiose demanded, his anger not lessened. “Look about yourself, man, and see how effective your punishments have proven to be! She has not obeyed you, nor shall she! The lash, I will wager, she shall obey! In any event, we shall soon see the testing of the matter.” His eyes left Ceralt to come to the males who held me, and he ordered, “Escort the wench to the holding cells in my Palace, and have the guards see to her locking away.”
“Galiose, I will not permit it,” Ceralt growled low, his hand upon the High Seat’s arm. His light eyes, so startling in the dark of his face, had become hard and cold as they never before had been. Galiose’s fist left my hair, and he turned completely to Ceralt.
“Hunter, you presume too far upon my patience,” said he, his voice as hard as Ceralt’s gaze. “The wench shall be lashed for her disobedience, and no further shall be spoken upon the matter.”
Then Galiose walked from Ceralt, his bearing stiff, his head held high. A brief, glaring flash of anger was sent to me by Ceralt, then he followed the High Seat, his wide shoulders set in determination, yet no farther was I able to see, for the males who held me propelled me toward the dwelling of Galiose. Through the sets of Hosta and Silla and Ranistard males was I taken, across the way lined with stones, and up the steps of smooth, pink stone, and within. The fingers of the males went deep into my arms as their anger hastened their pace, and roughly was I taken between them up the flights of steps within the dwelling. No time was there to fully see the blue cloth upon the floor before the entrance, no time was there to frown at the silks upon the walls, no time was there to observe the startlement upon the features of males and city slave-women who stood about in uncertainty, astare at the males and the Hosta held between them. To the first landing above was I hastened, a landing of many rooms for taking repose, to the second landing, a place of polished wood on walls, rooms with strange, unwholesome smells, and the like, to the third landing, a place of no floor coverings, bare stone walls, and rooms doored only with lines of metal. It was there I had once before been placed, and it was there I was placed again, the lined metal being closed firmly upon me once the males had thrust me within a room’s confines. I stood straight with head held high as the males glared upon me, then when they had withdrawn, I walked to a wall of gray stone and sat myself before it.
Truly great was the anger of Galiose, yet I cared naught for the male and his anger. Twice before had I felt the touch of a lash, and still did memory of the flaming touch hold sway within me, yet was Jalav war leader of the Hosta. To no male would she show pain, to no male would she give obedience, for Midanna were warriors, not slave-women of the cities. Galiose would use his lash, and then would Jalav feign great fear and assure the male of future obedience. When once the male’s back turned, Jalav would be gone, over the wall and to the south, to fetch the waiting clans of Midanna. Upon my return would Galiose learn the extent of my obedience, and should he live through the ensuing battle, great pleasure would I take in naming him sthuvad for my warriors’ enjoyment. A use tent would be his dwelling for many feyd, and should he also survive his use, he would then be given to the Harra, sister clan of the Hosta, who hold slaves as the Hosta did not. Ceralt, too, would join Galiose in bondage, and never again would I lay eyes upon the accursed male. The pain came again to my middle, allowing in its distraction a memory of dark, unruly hair above light eyes, yet I thrust the memory from me, placing my shoulder to the gray stone of the wall as I bent to the ache in my middle. No further pain would Jalav be given, had said Ceralt, and Jalav, a fool truly made, had believed. Not again would Jalav heed a male’s false words.
Some few hind passed in the waiting, and I did naught save sit by the stone. A cloth-covered platform was there within the enclosure, of a sort called “bed” by those of the cities, yet would I have naught to do with such. Sleep is properly taken upon sleeping leather or bare ground, a thing unknown to those of the cities, yet were Hosta not of the cities. The enclosure contained no window, therefore I didn’t know what had befallen my warriors, and that disturbed me somewhat. I had given them no word of my intentions, for surely most would have attempted to join me beneath the lash to promote their own escape, and I had no wish to see such. Escape would be brought to them through the pain of their war leader, and their pain was unnecessary to ask. None other had felt the touch of a lash and, Mida willing, none would need to do so.
Then came the sound of male footsteps, heavy upon the bare stone of the floor, and to the lined metal of the enclosure came Telion, his broad face angered, his eyes disturbed. He stood by the metal a moment to study me, then shook his great, red-gold-maned head.
“Never before have I seen so foolish a child,” he growled, looking at me. “Have you any idea of the pass matters have been brought to, girl? Know you the trouble you have caused?”
“Telion may save his words for another,” said I, turning my head from him. “Jalav finds no interest in the babblings of a male. ”
“The babblings of a male!” Telion echoed with outrage, his large hands grasping the metal. “Truly meet would it be for a child such as Jalav to receive a sound hiding at the hands of this male! And so it would go, had Jalav not worse to come to her! Will you never find the good sense to avoid the lash?”
“All is as Mida wished,” I informed him, seeing him only from the corners of my eyes. “Should Mida wish it so, the lash shall be avoided.”
Telion made a sound of disgust, and then removed his hands from the metal. “Your Mida sleeps soundly and does not hear your call, wench,” said he, once more coldly angry. “The lash awaits you now, and shall not be avoided. Galiose has had your wenches bound in leather, till they have witnessed your punishment. Ceralt gave challenge to the High Seat for possession of your overly desirable body, and for that was seized by the High Seat’s guard. Galiose, in unexpected generosity, merely had him beaten somewhat before expelling him from the city in exile. Once you are lashed, you shall be given to anther whom Galiose shall choose.”
“To no male shall Jalav be given!” I snarled, rising to my feet. “Jalav is no city slave-woman, to be given away at the whim of Galiose!”
“Jalav is female!” Telion shouted, lost again to his anger. “A black-haired, black-eyed female child too lovely to long go unclaimed by a man!” With no further words, he removed the metal from before the door, and then took my arm to lead me forth. Silently we passed the males in leather and metal, and the eyes of those males found pleasure in the appearance of Jalav, yet the looks held more than mere pleasure and desire. Jalav was to be given to a male for his use, and the eyes of the males imagined themselves as he to whom she was to be given. These males knew not the true meaning of taking a Hosta war leader, and I held my head high to scorn their foolishness. Let the chosen male of Galiose beware, for I would have none of him.
Beside Telion did I stride, allowing my fury full rein, and therefore was I able to think of Ceralt not at all.
Again were there large numbers gathered before the dwelling of Galiose, yet had the fey grown clouded, Mida’s light grayed cold as it reached us. A murmur arose when Telion led me forth from the entrance, and many were the Midanna and males astare below the height of the steps. Silla stood in great satisfaction, Hosta stood angrily bound in leather, males stood covered with grim approval, all eyes upon Jalav as her hair blew in the chill wind. Galiose and a hand of males stood to the left of the entrance, where a contrivance of wood had been erected, and to this contrivance Telion took me. The dark eyes of Galiose fell upon me as I approached.