Not long could I have been wrapped in darkness. My eyes opened with some pain, to find that I lay upon the brown and green cloth, my weapons gone, my wrists and ankles tightly bound. Not far from me lay Larid, in a heap, not far beyond her one of Pileth’s males, awash in his own blood. Binat still stood and fought; then, even as I watched, another of Pileth’s males came up behind her and struck her with the hilt of his sword, much as I had been struck. Binat staggered at the blow, attempting to keep her feet, but her attempt was in vain. The male struck again, and my warrior came to the cloth, just as Larid and I before her.
Pileth’s males sheathed their weapons, and in a moment, Larid and Binat were bound as was I. There were but three of them remaining, aside from Pileth himself, and Pileth took two of them to the doorway to the narrow place, where they then disappeared from my sight. All about the far walls of the room stood the hunters, none speaking, all staring, shaken, toward my warriors and me. Among them were two of the slavewomen, trembling where they stood, clinging to the males as though something completely untoward had occurred. My head ached with a silent thunder, the cloth beneath my cheek scratched in discomfort, my wrists and ankles slowly grew numb from the leather which bound them, while I attempted to loosen the leather and free myself, for nothing may be accomplished by lying still while one’s enemies live. I strained at the leather, hoping unsuccessfully for some slack, and then Pileth and his males returned. One of the males bore Comir upon his shoulder, she still well taken with renth, her wrists and ankles tightly bound. Pileth and the other male brought Fayan between them; she seemed hard used. Gone was the war leather from her heavy gold hair, her wrists bound before her, her clan covering seemingly hastily replaced. Clouded were her eyes, and her lids drooped heavily, and she appeared disoriented.
Pileth held a length of leather which led to Fayan’s wrists, and stood with her in the midst of the room while his other male fetched two large, wooden pots of water. Over Larid and Binat were the pots emptied, and soon were my warriors awake again, coughing at the water they had swallowed, shaking their heads to clear their sight. No word was spoken among Pileth and his males, while they knotted a long length of leather to Fayan’s throat and freed me about the ankles, pulled me to my feet, and thrust me hard to stand behind her. The leather was brought back to be knotted about my own throat, then were Larid and Binat added to the line behind me. Comir had had two wooden pots of water poured upon her, yet so deep had the renth taken her, that she stirred hardly at all. The males at last ceased spilling water upon her, and one of them raised her to his shoulder again. Pileth looked about the room, noted the bodies of his three dead males, then pulled at the leather which led to Fayan’s wrists. In his wake Fayan stumbled, I after her, and so we went out to the darkness of the city.
Our kand, still tied by the dwelling’s steps, were bypassed by Pileth and his males. Along the cobbles of the now silent way were we led, from one way to the next, through whatever lay upon the way. The pace was rapid and uneven, our step unsure in the darkness, the torches upon the dwellings doing more to blind than illuminate. We stumbled often, and once my neck was nearly snapped when Larid went down. She regained her feet with difficulty, to the accompaniment of kicks from the males, and again we were led, at a faster pace than earlier. Despite the chill of the darkness, I felt overheated, and began to sweat.
Not an easy march was it to the immense dwelling, yet eventually it lay before us, long squares of light floating in the darkness. They led us not to the entrance we had seen earlier but to the rear of the dwelling, to a door which stood guarded by a hand of males. One of the males opened the door, revealing a narrow space much like that of the dwelling of the hunters, save that the length of the space was twice that of the earlier one, and naught save two doors, one well to the left, one far down on the right, appeared to view. Again, males stood before the door to the right, and it, too, was opened for us. A steep, dimly lit flight of steps lay before us, and by it we descended into the very ground itself.
The descent was long, the stone of the steps worn smooth as though by the passage of many feet. Torches hung in sconces upon the wall, and the stones were damp beneath my feet as we were led forward, and my head swirled again at the reek of the place. I took in the odor of human bodies, and of excretion, and of pain and fear as well. The passage was narrow and ill lit, and seemed to crush me with the weight of the stones and heavy air.
We stumbled forward till stopped by a large, metal door, before which no male stood, yet were there two beyond the door, seen through a narrow opening in it. We were carefully inspected, the door then opened with much noise, and again we were taken forward. I had not thought it possible, yet beyond the door the reek worsened, and strange, low sounds were to be heard, sounds which might once have been human. I pulled at the leather which bound me, attempting to leave that terrible place, yet I was drawn forward by the leather about my throat, deeper through that doorway. I then stood firm, refusing to go farther, and one of the males who had stood within the doorway struck at me with heavy leather, causing my back and right shoulder to burn with pain, I did not cry out, and did not move, yet one of Pileth’s males pulled me forward by the neck, deeper into a realm where Midas eyes have never gone.
No torches were there in that realm of darkness, therefore we were led by one of the males of the door, bearing a torch. Many wide, metal doors opened off the stone to either side of the passage now, and far down we halted by one of these. The male with torch opened the door, stepped aside so that he with Comir might enter, then followed within. We waited in darkness, hearing the sound of metal, and then the males returned. Again the door was closed, a heavy bar slid across it, and we moved on to the next door. Fayan was released from the neck leather and taken within, and when the torch returned, I saw that Pileth’s eyes were upon me. He held the leather tied to my throat in his fist, and his broad face showed an expression I was unable to read. He said nothing but seemed to expect words from me. When none were forthcoming, he turned, pulling hard at the leather so that I would follow. At another door, I was released from the leather and thrust toward the doorway.
Inside, by torchlight I could see a windowless room of three paces by three, dirty straw upon the stone of its floor, a trickle of water running near to the corner of the far wall to the left. Buried in the far wall. set firmly in the stone, were heavy metal chains, a hand in number, and to these was I dragged. The males then placed a thick collar of metal about my throat, a collar that allowed my head no downward movement. I attempted to throw the collar off, but could not move it from my throat, and then wide metal cuffs were closed about my ankles. The two males stood as I pulled at the cuffs, and then quickly attached cuffs to my wrists as well, and the sense of confinement nearly drove me insane! Again and again I pulled at the chain which held me, and a snarl like that of the hadat rose up in my throat. Better a thousand times to die quickly and cleanly than to be put in a place such as that!
As I strained at the chain, my eyes fell upon the doorway, and there stood Pileth, the torch in his hand, again staring at me. I snarled the louder and attempted to reach him, and a look of startlement covered his features as he stepped forward.
“I had planned to offer you release, Jalav,” he said very softly, his eyes sad. “Had you pledged yourself to me as slave, and begged my lenience, I would have had you chained in my quarters till you were called before the High Seat. Now I see that you are more savage than woman, and will never beg release. I regret not having killed you when I could have. It would have been kinder.”