11: Slaves

11

SLAVES

 

Disobedience, in the eyes of anyone who has read history, is man's original virtue. It is through disobedience that progress has been made, through disobedience and through rebellion.
- Oscar WIlde

 

 

 

 

            The slaves in the little village that Emma and Telliandra were headed for were some of the most rebellious slaves in history. They fought every chain, battled every whip, put off every bit of work they could. They were a wide variety of Mythics, from Mati, to Pentalangae, to Centaur. But however different they may have been from each other, they fought together, and they would not leave unless they left together.

          The Queen and her apprentice knew nothing of all this, and as they came nearer to the human dwelling Telliandra called her tiny band to a halt.

“I think we’d better wait for the right opportunity to enter. This is a fairly wealthy village and there may be several slaves.”        

“How are we going to get them out?” Emma asked.

“Not sure. It may be easiest if we invade the place when night falls. I have spells that will silence any noise we make.”

Emma stared at her teacher for a moment, expecting her to say something about killing the humans in their sleep, but the words never came.

“Apparently she’s had a change of heart.” Lyulf said.

          Night fell, and Emma crept behind Telli and Rishka, jumping at every cracked twig and cricket chirp. At one point an owl called into the night, and the unexpected sound scared her so badly she bumped into Rishka, who had stopped. She received a nasty glare from the spirit.

          Telliandra carefully opened the door to the first house, looking inside with her magic for any Mythics. She spotted one, a Traok, curled up in a ball in the corner.

“Emma, do you know how to do what I’m doing?”

“Yes.” She whispered.

“Good. You and Rishka go on ahead. We'll be faster that way.”

“But Telli, I don’t know how to break the spell on the chains!”

“Don’t worry about that! Just get them out of there!”

And before Emma could protest any longer Rishka had scooted her along. 

The first house they entered contained a Mati around Alex’s age. Stretched out on the floor Emma could see that her wrists and ankles were bound.

“Hey…” She whispered, and shook her gently.

          The girl’s eyes snapped open, and she was up almost instantly, snarling at Emma like a wild animal. Emma jumped back, her hand going to her sword.

          The other Mati’s expression changed slowly as she realized that Emma was not a human. Emma watched in amazement as the girl’s face shifted from some rabid beast to a very concerned Hemyth, worry etched in every aspect of her expression.

“What are you doing here?” she whispered. “You’ve got to go, quick! Before the humans hear!”

“I’m here to rescue you.” Emma told her, grabbing her hand to help her up; she looked fragile.

But the girl shook her head. “No, I’m sorry, but I can’t go.”

Emma thought she was hearing things. “What do you mean you can’t go?”

“I’m sorry, I can’t. None of the slaves in this village will go with you. We made a pact: none of us leave unless everybody can leave.”

“And what makes you think not everyone is leaving?”

The girl almost laughed. “And how are you going to rescue thirty-seven Mythics all by yourself?”

“You don’t understand! Telliandra Lightsword is here! She’s come to rescue all of you!”

The girl’s eyes grew wide. “The queen of Mati has come to rescue us?!”

“Yes!”

“Then who are you?”

Emma pulled her to her feet. “Can we discuss this after we’re out of here?”

The girl nodded.

“What’s your name?”

“Amber.”

“Mine’s Emma. Do you know where all the slaves are?”

She nodded vigorously.

“Then let’s go!”

 

 

          There really were thirty-seven slaves in that village, and Emma was sure there was at least one of every Hemyth. None of them were in good shape, but it could have been worse. The worst off were the centaurs, who had been treated like regular horses. They were shoed and branded, and you could see welts on their skin were a saddle had been strapped, and on their face where a sick sort of bridle had been used. Emma felt like throwing up when she saw the poor things. 

          Amber was sort of their leader, the queen among rebel slaves. She came from the northern part of England, near Scotland. She was actually younger than Alex, by two years. She was a great healer, once her chains had been removed, and she cared for every one of her companions before she even noticed her own wounds. Emma liked her more and more the longer she was around her.

          So did Telliandra. Emma saw her watching the girl out of the corner of her eye. She approved of her healing, apparently, for she made no comment. Silence was a rare thing for Telliandra.

After the slaves had been released from their chains Telliandra explained the plan. “We have to get a little farther from the village, everyone, before we can really heal your wounds. I know you’re tired, but if we go just a little ways more we’ll be safe.”

          No one listened. It was even difficult to hear her over the racket they were making. The only reason they weren’t discovered was because of the silencing spells Telliandra had put up. Emma was in shock. She had never seen a Mythic that didn’t listen to Telli, let alone a group of them. Apparently Telli was in shock, too. It was the first time she had ever seemed at a loss for words.

“Your Highness, may I try?” Amber said quietly.

Telliandra just stared at her for a moment, then nodded slowly.

“HEY!” She yelled, louder then Emma would have thought possible. Silence.

“We have to get out of here! Do you think it’s safe to stay two feet away from the humans?! We’re all hurting, and we’re all hungry, but you have to trust the Queen and her companions, even if you’ve forgotten how to trust anyone but yourself. If you can’t trust them, then trust me, and follow me as I follow them. NOW GET GOING!!!”

          And they went. They got up and away so fast you would have thought they teleported there. Telliandra said nothing, only glowered silently. Emma wondered if she still liked the girl.

“Funny,” she thought at Lyulf, “that they’ll listen to Amber but not to the Queen of Mati.”

“It makes perfect sense. What Amber spoke of, about them trusting her, was truer than she knows. The people in Tanackniatah don’t question Telliandra because they know her, and they trust her because of that. These people have never met Telli, probably some haven’t even heard of her. In their minds Amber is more trustworthy than Telli. That’s her problem, Emma.”

“Who’s problem?”

“Telliandra’s.”

“What do you mean?”

“She expects everyone to listen to her just because she’s the Queen of Mati. She doesn’t try to talk to them, get to know them, and let them get to know her. She uses fear to rule when she should use trust. She and Merlin are not so different.”

“Lyulf!!” Emma couldn’t believe it. Did her familiar dislike Telli? Why hadn’t he told her?!

“Lyulf, don’t you like Telli?”

“I never said I didn’t like her. I said she was like Merlin.”

“How can you say such a thing!”

“Its not an insult…exactly. It’s just that the two of them both want power, or they like power, I guess is what I’m trying to say. And they both are powerful, and they know it, and they like it, and they’re cocky about it, that’s all.”

“ ‘That’s all’. “ Emma muttered.

“What?” Amber was walking beside her.

“Nothing.” Emma shook her head.

“I hear you’re Telliandra’s apprentice. You must be pretty powerful.”

“Yeah.”

“So what are you doing out here? You’re not just running around freeing people, are you?”

“Well, sort of. I’m looking for my brother, Ty Cyton…”

“Cyton?!” Amber yelped.

“Yes, what’s it to you?”

“You’re cuChulainn’s Heir?”

Emma stopped dead in her tracks. “How would you know the name Cyton?”

“I’m part of cuChulainn’s Army! That’s where I come from!”

“cuChulainn’s what?”

Amber stared, wide-eyed at her. “You don’t know about cuChulainn’s Army?”

“I was only ten when Ujin Hra was burned. My training hadn’t started yet. Besides, I’m not the heir. My brother is.”

“Where’s your brother? With cuChulainn?”

Emma exploded. She was tired, and she was sick of everybody knowing more about her own father than she did.

“He’s DEAD! Ujin Hra was burned more than a year ago and no one survived but me and my brother, and I don’t even know if he’s alive still! The human’s might’ve killed him by now! And you still haven’t told me what in Flora’s name is cuChulainn’s Army!”

Amber was silent for a long time. “Come here.” She said, and sat down under a large tree. Emma sat beside her.

“I’m sorry about your family, I didn’t know.”

Emma stared as the girl actually started crying. Why was she crying?

“cuChulainn’s Army is, well, sort of his band of followers. We pray to the Ancient Ones.”

          Emma had heard her father talk of the Ancient Ones, but only rarely, and only vaguely. She knew that Ty had been taught a little about them, but she had never been included in those lessons.

“We study the old crafts, like weaving, herding, carving, tanning. And most of us learn how to fight, and how to ride a horse in battle, and so on. And when cuChulainn needs us we come to his aide, wherever he may be. We just pick up and go. It’s kind of like a traveling city.” She sniffed deeply and wiped the tears off her cheeks. “I suppose you didn’t know to send word to us. They’ll have to be informed. Was there a proper funeral?”

Emma shook her head. “I was taught the death spell, and I performed it right, but that was all. I’m sorry.”

She smiled sadly. “Don’t apologize to me. They were your family.” She was quiet for a minute. “And you don’t know where the heir is now?”

“No, the humans took him.”

“What’s his name?”

“Ty. Ty Setanta Cyton.”

She smiled. “Setanta. That’s such a lovely name… Oh, Frick!”

“What?”

“There’s no sword to give him! That’s not right at all! cuChulainn should have…”

Emma showed her the sword’s hilt.

“Matathulaz! Oh, you saved it!” And she hugged her. “cuChulainn’s daughter, you are incredible. May I know your whole name?”

“Emma Sarasi Cyton.”

“Sarasi.” She sighed, and smiled. “That’s a lovely name. I like it better than Emma.”

Emma giggled. “Emma was my father’s idea!”

“Hey, just because he’s cuChulainn doesn’t mean he’s always right! I shall call you Sarasi from now on, I think. It suites you, Sarasi.”

 

 

* * * * * * *

 

It was February in Tanackniatah, and it had snowed on Tor’s birthday. He and Alex and Cassidi had had a wonderful time, rolling around in it like children. Of course, as Cassidi had so bluntly put it, “If we’re going to act like children part of the time, we might as well act like children the rest of the time, too, or no one will know what to think about us!”. So they made a pact, that if they wanted to act like children some of the time, they had to do it the rest of the time, too, or else no one would know what to think about them. And anyway, it would get tiring, being a child one minute and an adult the next. “A lot of changing involved.” Tor said.

          Alex smiled as she recalled that morning, headed up the stairs for Tor’s room. She had a shopping bug, and it really was a lot easier to reason with the traders if you had a trader on your side,

“Tor!” She called, and knocked on the door. “It’s Alex!”

          It was quite a while before he answered. He looked terrible. His face was blotchy, his eyes red, and his hair messed up, like he hadn’t brushed it yet.

“Tor, you weren’t asleep were you?”

“No.” His voice was hoarse.

“Are you feeling okay?”

“I feel fine!” He snapped. Alex took a step back. She was starting to get nervous. Was he angry with her?

“What do you want?”

“I wanted to know if you wanted to go down to the market with me, I…”

“No, thanks, Alex. I don’t feel well.” And he shut the door.

Alex stood there for a second, stunned. What had she done wrong? They were best friends! They talked about everything, they did everything together. He’d even flirted with her once or twice, if she hadn’t been mistaken. Maybe Cassidi knows something I don’t, She thought, and went down to the kitchen to ask her.

“Cassidi, is Tor angry with me?”

Cassidi blinked. “I…I don’t think so. Why?”

“I just went to ask him if he wanted to go shopping with me, and he said no before I could hardly get a word out, and shut the door on me! He looked awful, too. I don’t know what’s wrong with him!”

Cassidi bit her lip, looking down at her shoes. “Alex, he lost everything in that attack. Everything.”

“What’s that have to do with anything?”

Cassidi shook her head. “It has to do with everything, Alex.”

“Just get on with it, Cassi.”

“They held him down, Alex. They held him down and made him watch…watch, well, you know. And then they left him, with a horse, alone, the only survivor. Those cuts on his hands? They’re from the glass that spilled on the ground. They’re all over him. When he rode in here, he was half dead from blood loss, and he wouldn’t eat hardly anything for days. Telli called it depression, or somethin’ like that.” She looked up towards his room. “He still has days where he just lays in there and cries, and beats himself up inside for something he didn’t do…”

“Then why doesn’t anyone go up there, and, you know, sit with him or something. Talk to him.” Alex said, shocked.

“He won’t let us, Alex. We tried, me and Telli both. He won’t listen to anybody. “

Alex turned around and bolted for the stairs.

“Where are you going?!” Cassidi yelled.

“He’ll listen to me!” Alex answered.

“Tor!” She called. “Tor, let me in! It’s Alex!” There was no answer. Alex was afraid that he’d hurt himself somehow, so she opened the door.

          Tor was lying on his bed, crying, Maleshen curled up beside him, hopeless. Alex touched his back gently.

“Tor?” Tor didn’t look up.

          Alex sat down on his bed and put his head on her knee, stroking his hair. He lay there for a long time, and neither said a word. In between sobs he told her,  “You don’t have to stay.”

“I know.” She said quietly.

“You have better things to do.”

She smiled. “No, Tor, I don’t.”

          It was a long time before he stopped crying, and once he had settled down somewhat he whispered, “Thank you.”

“For what?” Alex asked him.

“For being here… For not leaving… For coming back.”

“Tor? You don’t have to do it now, but will you tell me about your girlfriend? You never talk about her.” She wanted him to get his past out in the open. She knew that was the only way for him to heal.

“Her name was Sarah.” He said quietly.

“Sarah. That’s a lovely name. What was she like?”

“Simple.”

“Simple?”

“Well, she wasn’t very smart. I mean, she had all the trader sense in the world, but she didn’t really like books, and things like that. I mean, she pretended she was interested in learning, but she only said so to make me happy.”

“What’d she look like?”

“Simple.”

“You’re not making this very simple.”

“Well, that’s how she was: simple. She had auburn hair and blue eyes and a few freckles. She wasn’t all that interesting.”

“Then why did you love her?”

He was quiet for a long time.

“I don’t think I really did love her. “

Alex looked at him to make sure he wasn’t joking. “Then why was she your girlfriend?”

“Well, when you’re a trader you do everything like a trader. You eat trader food and marry trader girls. You never even think about marrying someone who isn’t. I liked Sarah because there was no one else to like. I loved her. She was sweet. But I don’t think I loved her like that.”

          He said this all very quickly, like it was something he had always known, but had never dared to realize. After a while he said,

“Sarah is a pretty name.”

“it is.” Alex agreed.

“I like Alexandria better.” He said, and Alexandria smiled.

 

* * * * * * *

 

“Sarasi!” Amber yelled. Emma looked around to see where she was calling from.

“Sarasi, up here!” Emma looked up at the tree limb above her. There was Amber, perched on the branch like a new kind of bird.

“How did you get up there?” She asked.

“I flew!” Amber told her, and laughed. “Come on! There’s a branch on the other side that you can get up on!”

          Emma ran around to the other side of the tree and found the branch Amber was talking about. She hoisted herself up.

“Here…” Amber had climbed down from her perch, and helped her friend onto a good sitting branch.

“Isn’t it wonderful up here?” She asked her.

“Yeah.” Emma squeaked.

“You okay?”

“I’m afraid of heights.”

“Then why did you get up here, stupid?”

“Well, I wasn’t going to let you have all the fun!”

“You’d better get down. You don’t look so good.”

“No.”

“I thought you were afraid of heights!”

“I am.”

“Then why won’t you get down?”

“I’m too scared.”

“I’ll help you down.”

“Won’t help.”

“Why not?”

“I can’t feel my legs.”

Amber laughed.

“Amber! It’s not funny!”

“I’m sorry, it isn’t funny. ‘Cept it is kind of…”

“Amber!”

“Okay, okay! I’ll get Telli and she’ll get you down.”

“No.”

“Emma, I’m sure she can do something about your legs.”

“No, I want to stay up here.”

“Will you make up your mind!”

“I never said I wanted to get down!”

“Good point.”

“I want to stay up here with you. You’re leaving tomorrow, remember? I’m gonna miss you. Come on, let’s talk.”

          She was going to miss her. Tomorrow was the first day of March, and Amber and the rest of the Rebel Slaves were departing to a town called Weatherton, where each of them could contact their families. Amber would find out where cuChulainn’s Army was at the moment and head for home. They kept saying they would see each other again, since Ty was her leader, but it was a small hope. There was little chance that they would ever meet again. There was little chance that either of them would survive that long.

          It would be nice, though. Emma thought to herself. She’s so… interesting! I bet Tor and Alex and Cassidi would love her.  She told her that, and Amber had never felt so proud of herself.

          However much they wished against it the sun finally did rise. When Weatherton appeared over the crest of the hill the party stopped, and goodbyes were made.

“Well, I’ll see you at Ty’s Crowning.” Amber said quietly.

“Yeah, I’ll see you then.”

“Well, goodbye.”

“Goodbye.”

And she began to walk away.

“Wait!” Emma called, finally deciding on something she had been struggling over.

“Here,” she said, and pulled off her Strayr necklace, the one with her green things on it, “I want you to have this, to remember me by.”

“Oh, Sarasi!” She cried, and wrapped her arms around her. “Are you sure you want to give me this? You talk about the Strayrs so often…”

“I’m sure.” She said, cutting her off.

“Oh, Thank you, Sarasi! I’ll wear it all the time!” She looked at her dear friend one last time. “But I didn’t need anything to remember you by.” Emma grinned.

Amber put the necklace on, and untied a piece of cord that had been around her neck.

“Here, turn around so I can tie this on.”

She turned around and Amber tied it around Emma’s neck.

“What is it?”

“It’s what everyone in cuChulainn’s Army wears. The humans didn’t take it because they didn’t think it was worth anything. I want you to have it. Turn around.”

Emma turned around to let her look at her.

Amber was smiling. “It's perfect. You look just like one of us now!” The girls laughed, and embraced each other once more. “If anyone is cuChulainn’s Army, Sarasi Cyton, it’s you.”

“Thank you, Amber. I shall tell Tor and Alex and Cassidi all about you!”

“And the whole damn Army will hear of you, believe me!”

“Well, goodbye.”

“Let’s not say goodbye. ‘Until then’ sounds so much more cheerful.”

“Alright. Until then!”

Amber smiled once more, blue eyes sparkling, and began walking backwards down the hill.

“Until then, Sarasi!”

Emma waved energetically.

Amber waved back, and turned around and ran towards the village, laughing as she went.

“Until then!!” Emma called once more, but the wind carried away her voice, and brought to her a new one. A voice that giggled and laughed, and beckoned her towards something bright, and beautiful. White gates…

“Emma?” Telliandra asked. The visions vanished

“Are you ready?”

Emma looked one last time at Weatherton, and then she turned around.

“Yes, Telli. I’m ready.”