man to kneel in front of Kavio. “You vanquished this enemy, Kavio. You earned him as your personal slave.”
Brena
Brena caught her breath when she saw the man forced to his knees before the stone table. Rthan hardly looked tamed. It took six warriors, two with whips, to hold him down. The pride on his tattooed face was fierce enough to shatter sugar loaves.
“I thank you for your gift, Hertio.” Kavio studied his enemy. “ Prisoner! Your life is worthless now that you are a toy in the hands of your enemies. You will be kept alive only so long as it amuses the tribe of Yellow Bear to torment you.”
Rthan threw back his head, meeting Kavio’s eye challengingly. A slight smile touched Kavio’s lips.
“You do have one other choice,” Kavio continued. “The law of light and shadows mandates that any under the penalty of death, whether criminal or prisoner of war, may opt instead to be offered as a sacrifice to the fae. If you wish, we will take you to the Tor of the Stone Hedge at midnight, and summon the fae. If you are still alive on the third night, you may live free.”
Rthan recoiled. Hate contorted his face. “I’ll not be your blood sacrifice to the demon bears of the Tors. I’m not a babe, to weep in fear of your tortures. I will die like a man.”
“As you decide. Perhaps we should do to you what you would have done.” He gestured to one of the guards with a whip. “Beat him, on my signal . . .”
Brena knew she shouldn’t pity her enemy, but she couldn’t bear to watch. Only when she heard no smack of leather to flesh did she raise her face in surprise. Kavio had converted his signal to the guard into a gesture toward Brena.
“But I do not deserve this slave,” he said smoothly. “It was actually Zavaedi Brena who delivered the victorious blow. I think you should grant this slave to her.”
Brena sat straight up. “What?”
All heads, including Rthan’s glowering one, swiveled to her.
“She’s a widow,” Kavio went on, either oblivious or impervious to her glares, “with no husband to till her fields for her. A slave husband would be a handsome reward for her courage and devotion in defending the Initiates against this vile foe.”
“I don’t need any kind of husband, certainly not a slave!” sputtered Brena.
“Naturally, if you prefer to let someone else avenge you, I’m sure many would be glad to make the prisoner suffer,” Kavio told her. “But after seeing the depth of your fury at this man during the battle, I felt certain that you would prefer to mete out your own punishment. Imagine the numerous ways you could demean him to avenge your own humiliation.”
She glanced at Rthan, worried that in his pride and fury, he would do something stupid. He rumbled like a volcano about to erupt. Their eyes met briefly, and she flinched at the loathing that scorched her. Curse you, Kavio, she thought. Do not do me any favors!
“Perhaps I was wrong,” Kavio said. He raised his hand again, and this time the leather cracked in the air and lashed Rthan across the back. He roared and almost broke free of the six warriors holding him down.
“Wait!” Brena said. “I . . . up until now I have needed no husband, but I forgot that both my daughters, who helped me before, will now be busy with duties of their Tavaedi societies.” Aware of Rthan’s ire, she refused to be intimidated. She kept her tone as callous as possible. “Perhaps a brute would be of use for brute labor.”
Dindi
While Hertio distributed the rest of the Blue Waters prisoners as slaves to various warriors, Dindi and the other handmaidens cleared the remains of the meal and brought more corn beer. Kavio plied his cousin with drink.
“You have no one to blame but yourself that I’m here, cousin,” Kavio said. “But you may watch me train Hertio’s warriors yourself if you’re still suspicious. I’m sure Hertio won’t mind, seeing as how we are all allies, right, Hertio?”
Hertio smiled sourly.
Brena
Brena caught her breath when she saw the man forced to his knees before the stone table. Rthan hardly looked tamed. It took six warriors, two with whips, to hold him down. The pride on his tattooed face was fierce enough to shatter sugar loaves.
“I thank you for your gift, Hertio.” Kavio studied his enemy. “ Prisoner! Your life is worthless now that you are a toy in the hands of your enemies. You will be kept alive only so long as it amuses the tribe of Yellow Bear to torment you.”
Rthan threw back his head, meeting Kavio’s eye challengingly. A slight smile touched Kavio’s lips.
“You do have one other choice,” Kavio continued. “The law of light and shadows mandates that any under the penalty of death, whether criminal or prisoner of war, may opt instead to be offered as a sacrifice to the fae. If you wish, we will take you to the Tor of the Stone Hedge at midnight, and summon the fae. If you are still alive on the third night, you may live free.”
Rthan recoiled. Hate contorted his face. “I’ll not be your blood sacrifice to the demon bears of the Tors. I’m not a babe, to weep in fear of your tortures. I will die like a man.”
“As you decide. Perhaps we should do to you what you would have done.” He gestured to one of the guards with a whip. “Beat him, on my signal . . .”
Brena knew she shouldn’t pity her enemy, but she couldn’t bear to watch. Only when she heard no smack of leather to flesh did she raise her face in surprise. Kavio had converted his signal to the guard into a gesture toward Brena.
“But I do not deserve this slave,” he said smoothly. “It was actually Zavaedi Brena who delivered the victorious blow. I think you should grant this slave to her.”
Brena sat straight up. “What?”
All heads, including Rthan’s glowering one, swiveled to her.
“She’s a widow,” Kavio went on, either oblivious or impervious to her glares, “with no husband to till her fields for her. A slave husband would be a handsome reward for her courage and devotion in defending the Initiates against this vile foe.”
“I don’t need any kind of husband, certainly not a slave!” sputtered Brena.
“Naturally, if you prefer to let someone else avenge you, I’m sure many would be glad to make the prisoner suffer,” Kavio told her. “But after seeing the depth of your fury at this man during the battle, I felt certain that you would prefer to mete out your own punishment. Imagine the numerous ways you could demean him to avenge your own humiliation.”
She glanced at Rthan, worried that in his pride and fury, he would do something stupid. He rumbled like a volcano about to erupt. Their eyes met briefly, and she flinched at the loathing that scorched her. Curse you, Kavio, she thought. Do not do me any favors!
“Perhaps I was wrong,” Kavio said. He raised his hand again, and this time the leather cracked in the air and lashed Rthan across the back. He roared and almost broke free of the six warriors holding him down.
“Wait!” Brena said. “I . . . up until now I have needed no husband, but I forgot that both my daughters, who helped me before, will now be busy with duties of their Tavaedi societies.” Aware of Rthan’s ire, she refused to be intimidated. She kept her tone as callous as possible. “Perhaps a brute would be of use for brute labor.”
Dindi
While Hertio distributed the rest of the Blue Waters prisoners as slaves to various warriors, Dindi and the other handmaidens cleared the remains of the meal and brought more corn beer. Kavio plied his cousin with drink.
“You have no one to blame but yourself that I’m here, cousin,” Kavio said. “But you may watch me train Hertio’s warriors yourself if you’re still suspicious. I’m sure Hertio won’t mind, seeing as how we are all allies, right, Hertio?”
Hertio smiled sourly.
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