Tedra got to see Sha-Ka-Ra from a distance, for it was visible as soon as they left the forest, flat cultivated land stretching for several miles before it. She could judge its size, which was impressive, and the types of buildings, all only one or two stories high, except for one. Smack in the center of the town was a white stone castle, for Stars’ sake, with some round sections, some square or rectangular, but all seeming to be of different heights and shapes, as if each room inside had to be unique unto itself. A square tower in the center was the tallest section, spiral-roofed with a crenelated walkway at the top. It likely commanded a view of the entire countryside clear to the Bolcar Range, and maybe even beyond.
Tedra had seen computer-simulated castles, created from the Ancients’ detailed descriptions of such dwellings from their own times, but nothing like this magnificent barbarian structure that towered over the town like a benevolent guardian. Likely it was cold, gloomy, and dreadfully primitive inside, but that white stone gave it an impression of warmth and welcome from a distance.
It could only be the residence of the town’s shodan, so Tedra was delighted by the expectation that eventually she would get to see inside this primitive marvel, for surely she would meet with the lordly leader to discuss trade and the hiring of his warriors. But right now, as they approached the first buildings at the entrance of Sha-Ka-Ra, she was feeling nothing but nervous dread to be facing people again, to have them see her as she was, her wrists bound before her, her hair in wild disarray, her feet and legs bare, wearing only a farden scrap of fur. This was not how she had envisioned entering her first town on her first discovered planet, though she had to admit she was going to make an impression anyway, just not the right one.
The warriors who had returned before them must have given notice that something of interest would be coming along soon, for it seemed the whole town was turning out to watch Challen ride slowly down the wide main street. In windows, in doorways, in small and large groups standing about, there were barbarians everywhere. And if she had thought Challen’s small band of warriors was unique in height and brawn, she was now shown otherwise. All the men of Sha-Ka-Ra were the same, give or take a half foot in height, and the same golden-to-brown coloring prevailed, too, in both hair and eyes, and this in both men and women.
Her first sight of the women she found of particular interest. She didn’t know what she had expected, but it wasn’t quite such blatant femininity portraying an image of softness, shyness, helplessness, their thin, scarflike gowns and cloaks floating around them in sections only adding to this image. Many of them might have the height for a Sec, but there wasn’t a firm muscle or aggressive bone among them. And children! Stars, it had been so long since Tedra had seen children-in fact, not since she herself was a child. Yet here she saw dozens, of all ages, some held in women’s arms, some holding the hands of warriors, some older boys even sporting swords. She stared with as much curiosity as they did at seeing a black-haired, aqua-eyed foreigner.
“What think you of Sha-Ka-Ra, woman?” She wished he hadn’t asked. She saw clean streets lined with trees and gaali stone posts, orderly marketplaces where goods and foods were sold or traded, a lovely green park dotted with shade trees and a small pond where children cavorted. Houses bore beautifully carved arches, large glass windows of different shapes and sizes, some with railed balconies or roof decks open to the sun, and each had its own grass yard, its own garden and stable.
The town was civilized but still primitive, the golden-skinned people handsome, wearing beautiful materials and jewels, yet also still primitive. Every man wore a sword, be he merchant, craftsman, or warrior; every woman and child were accompanied by a man, not allowed to venture forth alone even in the safety of their own town. So how did Tedra answer him, a man who had shown these people’s attitudes to be the most primitive of all? Next to Kystran, this was the dark ages.
“Your town is… well, it’s lovely, of course, open, sanitary, much more than I expected.”
“Why do I sense constraint in your answer?”
“That’s merely surprise. Remember, I was expecting caves. And at least your women aren’t running around in animal skins like you men.”
That was unfair. The zaalskin leather of his tight black bracs was so expertly conditioned, it could have come out of a factory. The men in town wore the same, but with shirts, or to be more precise, a vest-like garment that was sleeveless in deference to the weather, fell just below the hips, and was merely wrapped and belted closed so that a deep V was left to show off the large round medallions they all seemed to favor. Which brought to mind…
“What is it, a warrior thing, that you men go out to face danger nearly naked, but wear more clothes at home?”
“The less restriction the better.”
Didn’t she know it, but she said, “You might not buy this, but most warriors, soldiers, or whatever you care to call fighters prefer a little protection in the way of armor or long-range weapons. It tends to increase life expectancy somewhat.”
He chuckled at her dry tone. “Such warriors must then be lacking in skill.”
“Oh, great. Conceit before preservation. I should have known.”
He ignored her sarcasm this time. “We carry shields to war or raid. That is enough.”
“You people war on each other?” But she answered her own question. “Yes, of course you must. How else would you gain the captives you mentioned, those poor creatures that your rules demand you bind up like you have me?” The bitterness was back, but she couldn’t seem to help it. “I should be grateful,” she added. “At least the rule doesn’t say naked and chained. Our own Ancients used to do that, drag the defeated through the towns in such an ignoble fashion.”
“So too do we.”
The color drained from her face as her eyes scanned the crowds so avidly watching her arrival. “Are-are you going to do that?”
“If such had been my thought, kerima, it would have been done already.”
She swung around to look at him in surprise. “You’re breaking that rule for me?”
“You are not a normal challenger loser. Never before has a woman been such.”
Now if that didn’t beat all. “So you couldn’t break two rules to let me arrive free of restraints?”
“And leave the Sha-Ka-Ran in doubt of what you are to me?” he replied.
“Oh, sure,” she said in disgust. “We certainly wouldn’t want to leave anyone in doubt. They might think I’m from another planet, after all, here to improve the quality of their lives if they’re interested.”
“What they would think is that you are a claimed woman-mine. No other thing would occur to them.”
“Not even that I’m a free woman under your protection?” she demanded.
She thought she had him there, but he disabused her quickly of that notion. “A free woman would not be seen in public dressed as you are. She would insist I supply her with the chauri of my household before she was brought into town.”
And he’d do it, too, which showed her more clearly than anything else could the difference between a free woman of this world and a claimed one, who couldn’t get away with making demands like that any more than a captive could, and she was lower than them all.
Chagrined, she heard her tone turn surly. “Have you people never heard of public announcements? A single statement from you would clarify what I am.”