Chapter 3: Chapter III. The Slaver

 

Chapter 3

The two Romans jostled their way through the crowd, throwing punches and pushing traders and beggars aside as they trudged through the mud, fish guts and excrement. Reaching the slave market, they searched around for the slaver who peddled in women. They found him sitting beneath a wooden canopy, breeches pushed down to his ankles and with a girl between his knees. His hands were pushing the girls head down and she gagged as her head moved up and down. His hair, what remained of it was brown and greasy, like his skin, and his mouth was open in pleasure, exposing toothless gums and slobbering like an animal. Aurelius cleared his throat.

‘I hope I’m not interrupting anything?’

The girl stopped and looked up, attempting to move away but gagged again as the greasy slaver pushed her head back down.

‘Yes , you are, now piss off.’

Aurelius shook his head. ‘That’s not very nice, especially as we have gold to spend.’

‘Well why didn’t you say so!’, the slaver pushed the girl away.

As naked as the day she was born she crawled into a large wooden cage, like a tamed, beaten dog, and sat with other young women, some naked, some clothed in rags , all dirty and with a despairing look in their eyes. Aetius watched the girl as she crawled in, feeling pity for her. She sat down and looked at him, not trying to cover up. He looked in her eyes and saw something like defiance, anger there, behind a veil of defeat and constant abuse. Aetius looked away in shame.

‘What you see is what I’m selling.’ the slaver gestured with a sweep of his hand towards the cage, pulling his breeches up with the other.

I don’t buy used goods…’ Aurelius answered, ‘Especially when I can see what has been using them.’

The slaver snorted and coughed, spitting out bloody phlegm. ‘Who isn’t being nice now, I own them, I feed them. I do what I please.’

‘That’s your business..’ Aurelius continued, ‘I have questions…’

‘I don’t have the answers..’

The slaver picked up a clay flagon of wine as he answered and drank from it, most of it spilling out of his mouth along with a loud belch.

‘I’m Just a simple slaver from distant shores, having to travel far from my homeland just to live, what is it you want from me?’

This creature disgusted Aurelius, but he needed answers, and this was the best place to start. ‘Have you sold any women today?’

‘That’s my business!’ the slaver drawled.

Running out of patience, Aurelius grabbed the flagon and smashed it over the slavers head and punched him in the stomach. dropping him to his knees as he tried to catch his breath.

‘Why are you making this hard for yourself? We offered you gold, yet you persist in being a cock!’

‘I guess…it’s the way I was brought…..up..’ the slaver gasped as he tried to answer. ‘I had a quiet day today, obviously no one liked what I had to sell.’

Aetius at this point was ready to kill the slaver, just out of contempt for him. ‘let’s go, we’re wasting our time here.’ He pulled on Aurelius’ arm, just hard enough to get him to move, any harder would have incurred his wrath.

‘Wait!…’ the slaver implored breathlessly, still on his knees. ‘I can tell you something, if your still willing to pay that gold..’

‘Go on..’ Aurelius shrugged Aetius’ hand away and crouched down, face to face with him.

‘A man dressed like you, no, two men came looking. One was interested in a girl, fine looking thing she was, I do not know who she was though, not one of my girls. Too pretty.’  He drooled.

‘And then..’ Aurelius urged him to carry on.

‘They left together, but the men went separate ways, if I remember correctly, obviously don’t like to share.’

Aetius cut in, ‘Is that it?’ and went to kick the slaver.

‘Wait..’ Aurelius held his hand up to stop him. ‘What did this girl look like?’

‘Like I said pretty, eyes dark blue like a stormy sea!  dark hair, Big…’ He cupped his hands in front of his chest, exaggerating. ‘Too good for you!’

Enough was enough, Aurelius grabbed him by what hair remained on the top of his head and pulled him up. ‘I’m done with you, you stinking piece of…’

‘Give me my gold, and piss off then, I never asked you to come here!’

 Aetius drew out a piece of gold and held it in front of the slaver’s eyes. ‘Is this what you want?’

The slaver went to grab it out of his hand, but Aetius was too quick, folding his fingers over it into his palm.

‘We had a deal!’, he complained but Aetius disagreed.

‘I don’t remember making a deal with you..’ then, looking over at the wretched slave girls in the wooden cell, he had an idea. ‘You can have this gold, but you can share it with your precious girls!’ He then tossed the gold token into the cage, but the girls hardly took any notice.

‘Why did you do that?’ the slaver pleaded. ‘Look! gold is no good to them. Pass me the gold, whores! Quickly!’

They didn’t move, but Aurelius, watching the girls, suddenly took hold of the slaver and shoved him into the cage, closing the door behind him, then locked it with a wooden latch. The slaver got up, wrapping his hands around the wooden bars of his prison, and tried to push it open. Aurelius noticed a few good pushes and it would open, but the girls had never realised this in their beaten state.

‘Stay there!’, he said and punched the slaver square on the noise, breaking it. The slaver howled out in agony and tried to stop the blood pouring out.

‘Now we can leave, but one more thing before we go..’ Aurelius  pulled out one of his blades from beneath his cloak and tossed it into the cage. This time the girls took notice, and the girl who was with the slaver picked it up and turned it around in her hand, looking at it as if she had never seen one before, then turned to the slaver.

As the centurions left the market, they could hear the slavers agonised screams, they ignored him and carried on. ‘We have to find Caius.’ Aetius agreed, ‘Do you think he’s alive?’ He asked.

‘We have to assume he is, for now…..but where do we look next?’ Aurelius looked around, hoping for some kind of clue.

‘We should go back to the inn, I don’t think we’ll find him tonight.’ Aetius suggested. Agreement was reached, and they quickly made their way back. They found Gehan the Innkeeper sitting on a stool in a dark corner of the inn, licking his wounds and counting his gold.

‘Has anyone been here looking for us?’, Aurelius demanded.

‘Not as far as I know.’ He replied bluntly.

Placing one hand on the fat man’s shoulder, Aurelius continued. ‘We are missing two of our friends, if you inform me when you hear something, you can keep the gold that I paid for their share of lodgings. Oh, and where can we find your cripple friend?’

‘Small village, not far, usually find him there...’

‘Thanks for the help,’ Aurelius answered sardonically.  He turned to Aetius. ‘We’ll head there at first light, I need to sleep, to think things through.’

***

The two old sisters were huddled around the fire. One of them was ladling hot broth from an iron pot suspended above the fire into a wooden bowl, then passed it to Birge, who was sat opposite them on the other side of the fire. His whole body steamed as his clothes dried out and his chilled body began to warm through. He grabbed it with both hands and eagerly drank from it, ignoring the pain as it scolded his lips. He had told them all that had happened at the port but was too ashamed to reveal what had happened with Faeryn, now he was gratefully receiving his reward.

‘You’ve been very loyal to us over the years.’ Echrad croaked, ‘and we won’t forget it.’ Elbrig finished the sentence.

Birge carried on drinking the broth, nodding his head in agreement, and asked, ‘Got any bread?’ Survival, and filling his stomach, were his priorities in life, that’s all he knew, has known since birth. He took the coarse bread offered to him and proceeded to break it into chunks, dipping it in the broth to soften it then cramming it into his mouth and licking his lips as the broth ran down his chin.

‘We won’t be here forever, Birge. You must know this.’ Echrad warned him.

Obliviously he carried on eating.

‘Birge! ‘ Elbrig raised her voice, and he looked with a dripping chunk of bread  dangling from his mouth.

‘Birge, do you remember where you were born? , do you remember where that tree is?’

He nodded, intent on his food.

‘You have become strong like the oak you were born under, not like a warrior but you have different strengths, which we are sure will help you.’ ‘But,’ she continued, ‘if you’re in trouble, go to the tree, and hide beneath the tree, amongst its roots where you used to play as a child.’

He stopped eating, thinking back to when he was a child, playing amongst the trees, some happy memories, some not so good.

‘You must listen to us, carefully’, Echrad pleaded with him, then the sisters warned him together. ‘There is danger out there, to us, to you.’

He paid attention now, snapping out of his reverie. ‘We don’t just mean the Romans. Our way of life, our lands…’ they continued as one, two voices together giving solemnity to their sermon.

‘There are forces gathering…young and strong, twisted, and evil. We will not be able to stop this when it happens.’ They both shivered and huddled up closer to the fire, placing another log on for more warmth, as the flames engulfed the wood, the three of them moved closer to each other for comfort and stared into the flames, as if they could see the future in there.

***

 

Caius slowly became aware that he was awake. He was not dead, but almost wished he was. His insides burned from his gut to his tongue, and his head felt like it had a thousand drums banging inside. He tried to open his eyes, but the merest glint of light hurt like hell.

‘You should be dead’, a soft voice informed him.

He tried to speak but the pain prevented him, his mouth and throat parched, like rough papyrus. A thousand questions ran through his mind, but he managed one word for now.

‘Water..’ barely a whisper but acknowledged.

‘I can give you a drop or two, but anymore will increase your discomfort.’

That soft voice again, motherly, kind, almost loving. He sensed movement in front of his eyes, felt his head being lifted slightly and felt moisture on his lips as his would-be carer slowly dripped water from a damp rag, letting it fall into his mouth. Gingerly he licked his lips and took the liquid into his mouth, attempting to wet his desiccated tongue, then eagerly tried to take more in but immediately began to cough and splutter uncontrollably as the water hit the back of his throat, already sore from vomiting. He managed to calm his coughing, and through the pain uttered another word.

‘Why?’ he croaked.

‘Why are you alive? Why did we try to kill you? Why are you here?

The soft voice was welcoming almost, warm and reassuring. Was it lulling him into a false sense of security? He needed to be on guard he reminded himself.

‘You are here because you didn’t die, we tried to kill you because we don’t want you here, and, why are you alive? Well, I think you have been spared by the gods, for now’.

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He managed one more word. ‘Who?’ but slipped back into a deep sleep before he could get an answer.

As Caius felt himself awakening again, he sensed the woman’s presence. The pain had receded some and the little bit of moisture he took in had managed to alleviate some of the dryness from his mouth. Involuntarily he licked his dry, cracked lips, and felt droplets of water fall into his mouth. This time he just let the water flow around his mouth, wetting the back of his throat. He took a bit more and was able to swallow without coughing. His insides were still raw from the effects of the poison but the water cooled and eased the discomfort slightly. His stomach rumbled like thunder as water hit it, and he could not remember the last time he ate. Something touch his lips and he tasted it with the tip of his tongue, it felt wet but had a sweet taste to it. He opened his lips slightly to let the morsel into his mouth and let it sit on his tongue, the sweet taste from it making  his mouth to water. He realised he was eating an apple, and it had never tasted so good. The woman proceeded to feed him bits of apple that she had chopped into small cubes. Once the apple had gone she left the bowl of water by his side and silently left.

The crackle and roar from the fire woke him. This time Caius could see much clearer, felt much stronger. He could clearly make out the flames, and the light cast from it illuminated his small cell, if that’s what it was. Was he even being held prisoner? Since the attempt on his life, his captor had done all she could to keep him alive it seemed. He decided to stay put and gather more information on his surroundings before making any decision. His cell was not much longer than him, a small circular hut made from wood and lined with animal furs. He sat up and realized that there was not much room above his head, but it kept the warmth in, and that’s all Caius cared about right now. He heard a noise outside, footsteps crunching on the icy ground, heading this way. Quickly Caius lay back down as if he was still asleep, while his captor cast aside the animal skin door and crawled in, carrying food and water.

‘You can sit up, I know you are awake.’

Caius sat up sheepishly, looking at the woman before him, instantly recognizing her.

‘You’re.. you were…’

‘Yes’, she answered, ‘I was there, do you know who I am?’

He took in her features, the long Golden Hair, green eyes, the beauty of a goddess but dressed like a peasant now.

‘Aurora..’ he whispered but then corrected himself. ‘You are the Senator’s missing daughter, you are who we are looking for.’

She laughed at being called a Goddess, ‘I am no Goddess, but thank you for the compliment, Centurion. Yes, I am the daughter, but not missing as you can clearly see.’

‘What are you doing in Britannia?’ Caius asked ,’Were you abducted?’

‘You may call me Tulia, Centurion, and no I was not abducted, I came of my own free will in fact.’

Clearly taken aback by this comment, Caius looked at Tulia accusingly.

‘I was sent over by the senate, my father, as an envoy…with other duties, shall we say, in other words a spy.’

‘Then why are we looking for you?’ Caius demanded’

‘I will not return to Rome.’ She burst out inexplicably,  and leaving the food and water next to Caius, left him alone again.

***

 

 

 

 

Aurelius and Aetius  sat on their bunks at the tavern, chewing on some meat and bread that the maid had brought them.

‘Can we still fulfil our mission? Just us?’ Aetius asked.

‘We need to find Caius, my gut tells me he’s still alive. I have a feeling that events so far are all connected.’ Aurelius went on. ‘I think it’s crucial that we find the cripple, remember what the maid said? If we need to know anything, then ask him.’

Aetius agreed. ‘We need to find this woman, if only to get revenge for Justus.’

Nodding his head in agreement, Aurelius continued. ‘True enough, But, if it weren’t for him, we’d still be four.’

Aetius disagreed. ‘You don’t know that for sure and he did not deserve to die like that. We’ve been through a lot together for Rome, we don’t forget our brothers in arms, Dead or alive.’

‘You are correct…’Aurelius agreed again, ‘I think we are in dangerous waters here, in this tavern, in this port. Too many eyes.’

They both agreed and  Aurelius turned over on his bunk to sleep, while Aetius stayed awake to keep watch.

***

The Romans had set out before sunrise and met a cold hard frost on the ground, winter was moving in rapidly.  They found the village after a mornings walk at a fast pace, and even for hardened warriors like Aurelius and Aetius it was cold and they walked fast to try and stay warm.

They were welcomed, not as warmly as they wished but welcomed, nonetheless. The village  also happened to be the home of the Tribal Chieftain, who ruled over the lands for miles around. Aurelius and Aetius had been there a few days and there was still no sign of the cripple they were after. Days had passed when they were invited one cold night to dine with the chief and his subordinates. They were wary to accept at first but decided they could not refuse and were now inside an ancient, domed roundhouse, with wood and stone pillars holding up a high ceiling made from Deer skins and wooden poles, standing as high as 3 men. Everyone was sat on bearskin rugs encircling a great fire, shoulder to shoulder with the clan elders. A wild boar carcass was cooking over the fire, being turned slowly on a large spit suspended between two A frames. The mood seemed jovial enough, and as Aurelius looked around he could see everyone talking between themselves while eating, the Chieftain busy having conversations with someone to his right, and his wife trying to get his attention on his left. Then he saw a familiar face, sitting next to the chieftain’s wife, on her left, was the maid from the Port Tavern.

She saw Aurelius at the same time he saw her, Or was she already watching him?  She showed now surprise in seeing him and merely acknowledged him with a nod, tightening her mouth as if she were trying to suppress a smile. He had never noticed her mouth before, and the redness of her full lips and eyes the same emerald green as her mother. He felt a smile forming on his face but felt a nudge in the ribs and was brought back to reality as Aetius passed him a platter full of Roast Wild boar meat, hot, juicy and tender to eat, with Honey mead to wash it down. As the evening drew on, he kept glancing across to the maid, if she were a maid, but she never returned his gaze, too busy eating and laughing and fending off attention from would be suitors.

Most of the boar had been finished off and conversation had died down in the hall, there were greasy faces and full bellies all around, while people had started to leave as the fire died down, although the ashes still glowed red hot. The  Romans got up to leave, giving their thanks to the Chieftain and his wife for the excellent food, but the Chieftain beckoned for them to stay,

‘No need to leave yet, we still have matters to discuss I believe!’

Aetius And Aurelius gave a single nod in unison and sat back down. They sat talking between themselves as everyone left, leaving just the Chieftain and an aide, his wife and daughter had left at some point, Aurelius did not notice when and was slightly aggrieved that the maid did not say goodbye.  Then, interrupting his chain of thought, the Chieftain spoke, not too loud, but with authority.

‘So, Romans, why are you here?’

Aurelius began. ‘We are here, on behalf of Caesar, to befriend Chiefs and nobles, such as yourself…’ Aurelius gave a small bow as he went on, ‘..with a view to enabling dialogue and encouraging good relations that would be mutually beneficial.’

The Chieftain sat silently then whispered something to his Aide, who then got up and left them.

‘My warriors will be outside waiting for you, when you step out you will be killed, unless you tell me the truth. I know of your leader’s plan, and political games do not interest me. What will happen will happen, but…’ he paused, to emphasize his point. ‘…I will not be lied to, under my roof, on my land, so, why are you hear?’

Aurelius swallowed, despite the mead his mouth was suddenly dry, it was not often that someone got to him, but the Chieftain had presence, he wasn’t the Chieftain for nothing.

‘If I tell you, can you help us?’

‘Help you?’ the Chieftain spat out a mouthful of boar he was chewing on. ‘ What makes you think I want to help you?’

Aurelius continued, ‘You have power, that is obvious. I’m sure nothing happens on your lands without you knowing about it.’ Supplicating, he carried on. ‘I do not like to say this, but we need your help, I have a friend who is missing, and one who died horribly, Will you help us?’

‘I have no reason to help you, but I think we can reach a mutually beneficial agreement.’

The chieftain sat silently thinking over what he had to say next,.

‘I know what the Romans are capable of, and I think it would be in my tribe’s better interest to….work with the Roman Empire.’

Aurelius agreed, ‘Wise words, Lord.’

The Chieftain held up his right hand to interrupt him. ‘I can and will help you, but I have something that you must do for me though firstly. Call it a favour, for the Hospitality we have shown you.’

***

Faeryn sat in front of the fire, warming herself. Next to her sat Aeronwen, sipping broth from a wooden bowl, handed to her by Echrad, who sat opposite to them, behind the fire. It seemed that the sisters hadn’t moved out of their hovel since winter had set in. Faeryn took a bowl of  hot broth herself and they all sat in silence, except for the sound of slurping as they all drank to keep warm.

Echrad broke the silence. ‘ Where did you learn, Faeryn, your cruel ways?’

Faeryn looked up from her bowl, over the steam, not seeming to understand the question.

‘We have always taught you, all of you, to be peaceful, not to hate. If you need to hunt rabbit you don’t make it suffer, kill it quickly.’ Elbrig continued for her sister..

‘How you killed that man was callous, unnecessary Faeryn.’ Echrad finished the sentence.

Faeryn defended her actions.

‘The Goddess demands sacrifice. Do you not see that if we fail to give her what she needs, our way of life, our land, will be overrun by these outsiders, and their Gods will replace ours?’

Aeronwen defended her.

‘Faeryn speaks the truth, for too long you have ignored the Goddess’ needs and took from her without giving.’

‘What do you know of Our Goddess?’ Echrad demanded. ‘You were never initiated into the sacred realm. The Goddess Mother is a peaceful spirit, all life comes from her.’

Aeronwen opened her mouth to say something, but Faeryn placed a hand on her knee.

‘Aeronwen dwelled in the high mountains, and swam in the cold rivers far from here, she learnt of the ways of the Goddess Mother, the true ways, through suffering and pain. Agonies you or I could not bear to stand opened her eyes to the other worlds in which the Gods and Goddess’ walk. Her tribe understood what Goddess Mother needed to ensure they were fed and could make it through another winter.’

The old sisters shook their heads and whispered to each other in unknown tongues. Elbrig had a tear running down her eye as she spoke again to Faeryn.

‘We had such hope for you Faeryn, you were always so loving and kind as a child.’

She had to pause before her voice broke, pained by the betrayal.

‘We showed you the ancient places, you were to be a priestess.’

Echrad continued for her sister. ‘Do you see how you have hurt us? Betrayed us and your Goddess?’

Faeryn did not flinch from this accusation, only glancing down fleetingly as Aeronwen took her hand.

‘You have tried to control me for as long as I can remember, yes, you have been as Mothers to me.’

She felt Aeronwen squeeze her hand gently, for strength. ‘But my own path has been made clear to me, and I will not allow you to control me.’

The sisters sat silently for what seemed like an eternity, then Echrad spoke.

‘You have truly broken our hearts, Faeryn, you and Aeronwen are no longer welcome amongst us. Go to these far-off places you speak of and do not return here.’

 

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