“Executed?” said he upon the seat, his brows raised high. Then did he laugh and shake his head. “No, no, good Captain, they are not to be executed. The jewels that they carried have been confiscated, and the jewels that they are shall not be cast aside. They shall be sold in the public market, at a price to match that which should have been given the High Seat as his proper due. They reek of the dungeons, yet their beauty may easily be seen. The High Seat shall have their price to add to his coffers.”
“Blessed One, hear me,” said Pileth, his voice even, though seeming a bit strained. His left hand gripped the hilt of his sword, as though drawing strength from it. “Blessed One, these females are savages, unfit to be slaves in your glorious city! They slew your Guardsmen with swords, showing how great a danger they may be! I think only of the safety of the High Seat when I beg that their lives be ended!”
“How foolish of you, Captain,” laughed he upon the seat, gesturing with one ringed hand. “Savages or no, they are only female, and the High Seat fears no female.” His eyes filled with laughter, and he inspected my warriors and myself, and then pointed toward me. “You, girl,” he said. “I shall ask you. Has the High Seat aught to fear from a slave such as you?”
“No male need fear a slave,” said I, in a voice which cracked from long disuse. “Yet Jalav is no slave, and never shall she be. Sleep light, foolish male, for the dagger of Jalav comes swiftly.”
A great noise arose from the males about the room, and Pileth seemed pleased by my response. The eyes of him upon the platform, however, were not as pleased as those of Pileth, and all amusement seemed to have vanished from them.
“A savage indeed,” said he. “I had thought to take her to serve the needs of the High Seat, yet shall she now be sent with the others. Remove them to the public pens for display and twenty lashes for her who knows not how to address the High Seat.”
We were pulled roughly again to our feet, and quickly removed from the room of him who sat upon the platform. Knots of males stood about and murmured, and perturbation had entered the eyes of many who looked upon us. Pileth, though, had gazed upon me sadly, and then had looked away. Again did we move from way to way, a veritable city within a dwelling, and they who led us continued to say not a word. I had looked upon my warriors as we stood before him of the platform, and each, though weary, had returned my gaze as of old. As quickly as the metal should be removed from us, that quickly would we be free.
At last we came upon a room which was nearly of a size with that which held the platform, yet this room held enclosures of metal, chains upon walls, contrivances of metal and wood, and a large number of males and females. Many of the males and females were within the enclosures, the females with only a metal collar about their throats, the males heavily chained. Those who walked about the room were largely male, yet certain uncollared slavewomen were to be seen as well, speaking to the males, or hurrying about various tasks. At the entrance to this odd room we were halted, and waited till approached by a male and a female, each seemingly pleased to note our arrival. Tall and broad was the male, his hair touched with gray as was that of Maranu, and the female stood but a finger less than the height of Fayan, her hair a deep, rich black like mine. Her eyes, of a sharp and piercing blue, examined each of us with care, then looked to the males who had led us there.
“They are to be sold at forty silver pieces each,” said he who held the chain, and then he gave the chain to the room’s male. “They are to be secured as though they were men, and she of the black hair is to receive twenty lashes.”
The female’s brows rose at that, and again she inspected me. “So many!” she said in surprise. “For what reason is she to be lashed?”
“She knows not how to address the High Seat,” responded the male. “Have a care with them, Karil, for they be savage and as yet unbroken. Also, they are to be exhibited.”
“I see,” said the female quietly. “The High Seat is displeased to a great extent. At the fast price of forty silver pieces each, it shall be long that they are exhibited. Inform the High Seat that all shall be seen to.”
The male nodded, then he and the two others returned as we had come. The female then gestured toward a far corner of the room which contained only circles and chains upon the wall.
“Secure them there, Bariose,” she directed the male who now held the chain. “Rinse the dungeon stink from them, then we shall see to other matters.”
“An excellent thought, Karil,” said he called Bariose, regarding my warriors and myself with distaste. “They shall be displayed as they are, of course, yet none shall miss that distinctive aroma.”
“I certainly shall not,” she called Karil agreed, her hands clasped before her. “Nor am I used to such. It is normally your male slaves who arrive so, not my females. We shall have to work together upon this.”
“I foresee little difficulty,” said Bariose, examining us yet again. “I shall see to their confinement and punishment, you to their positioning and presentation. A simple matter.”
The female turned from Bariose, and stepped to me to stare with troubled eyes. “Must it truly be twenty?” she asked, speaking to the male though her gaze was for me. “She is little more than a girl, Bariose, and never have I seen a girl punished so!”
“The High Seat is to be obeyed,” the male answered. “It may not be a stroke less than twenty, yet shall I have a care that she is not permanently marked. I would not make her sale more difficult.”
“You are a good man, Bariose.” The female smiled, turning from me. “Together, we shall find her a master as kind as you. I shall have a cage prepared for them.”
The female moved away toward the metal enclosures, and the male pulled us toward the corner of the large room. Many eyes were upon us, most especially those of the males who were chained within the enclosures. Their need was strong upon them, yet were they unable to see to it, chained and pent as they were, and that was truly a waste. Many of them would have been acceptable in the home tents of the Hosta.
In the corner the male attached the chain to a circle upon the wall. He then walked to where Binat stood, drawing her closer to the wall, so that he might take a chain already set upon the wall and secure it to a small circle on the collar about her throat. Binat glanced toward me as she was taken and I shook my head very slightly. It was not the proper time to show what might befall a male who touched a Midanna warrior unbidden.
My warriors and I stood facing toward the wall, held in place by the chain to which our collars clung, our wrists still firmly closed behind us. I knew not whether the time was of light or of darkness, for there were no windows. I knew not where we were, I knew not of the presence nor lack of light; I knew only that we would again be free, or dead in the attempt.
A short while we stood in inspection of the wall, then there were steps behind us. A moment later, large wooden pots of water were emptied upon us, cold water which first shocked the body, then caused it to waken and tingle. I shook the water from my eyes, feeling nearly as refreshed as though I had stepped beneath a falls, and my warriors sighed in contentment at the touch of Midas-blessed wetness upon their bodies. Three times further were we treated so, but the last time was unwelcome. The water had been fouled with that which gave it a scent not unlike her of the orange and pink tent, and my warriors and I did not care for it. Angrily we stood, with hair and clan coverings dripping to the floor, much outraged that such a thing would be done to us. The Hosta, too, have at times taken prisoners, yet never have the Hosta subjected even blood enemies to such.
For perhaps two hind we were left to stand as we were, then we heard the approach of footsteps. The female known as Karil briefly touched the clan coverings and hair of each of us, then came her voice from behind.