Damon.
“M’lord! Please, come in out of the hot sun!”
He entered to a small room. A cold fireplace took up most of
one wall. “I was told you take in travelers,” he said.
“Oh, yes, m’lord. It would be my pleasure! We don’t get many
visitors to Mantaro. Please, come this way.” She waddled down a short corridor
and stepped aside to present a well-furnished room with a single bed.
“I’m sure you’re used to finer accommodations, m’lord. I
hope this will be acceptable for your needs.”
“This will be fine.” He held out a coin—more than the room
was worth, he was sure.
She took it quickly and tucked in into her large bosom
before he could change his mind.
Once he had stowed his gear, he became restless. He returned
to the doctor’s office to see if he could sit next to Jenya’s bed. When he
walked by the carriage, Mardor was still there.
“Sire?”
“Yes, soldier?”
“Um, if you’re going to stay here a couple of suns, I think
I should head toward Blethryn and report in. But I’ll tell them about you and
perhaps they’ll send you a new escort.”
“That’s kind of you, but I’ll probably have left by the time
a new escort arrives. I can find my own way back.”
“Very well, sire. If you’re sure.” He seemed anxious to
leave. Rydah wasn’t about to discourage him.
“I’m sure.”
Mardor saluted and Rydah nodded in return. Only Warriors
saluted each other. Damon leaders just nodded.
He watched as the soldier mounted up and rode out quickly.
Rydah sighed with relief when he was out of sight.
He entered the doctor’s office once again. “Is she still
sleeping?”
“Yes,” he said. “She’ll probably sleep for another hura or more. Sleep is the best way for her to heal.”
Rand’s curse on that! He needed to find out what she knew
and get to the Acolyte before more soldiers came—soldiers who knew he was
Symal’s uncle.
Once Apnar heard that Mardor rode off and left him alone,
he’d probably lose his head.
Chapter Eleven
Jenya dozed fitfully, her wounds disturbing her sleep. She
woke up several times, her body aching. She felt like she’d been assaulted,
only she had done it to herself. When she awoke mid-sun, she was amazed to see
her master, sitting by the bedside, cooling her forehead with a damp rag.
“M-master?”
“It’s all right, Jenya. You needed your rest.”
“Oh, no! We have no time!”
“Of course we do. You’ve been injured. I’m worried about
you.”
Jenya was touched. In the slave pens, she had learned of
masters who would simply return their injured breeders and obtain another
one—unless, of course, they were already carrying their child. They would let
Syminton deal with the cost and time of recovery. Often, the rejected breeders
would no longer be saleable, and instead would be sent down to the breeding
pool.
She glanced around the room. She spotted the doctor, sitting
in the corner observing them. Her eyes told Rydah all he needed to know.
He turned. “Will you excuse us, doctor? I need to examine my
slave.”
“Of course,” Nerat said, rising. “I’ll be outside.”
When he was gone, Rydah turned to Jenya. “By Rand, you took
an incredible risk! I ought to beat you with a strap! I bought you to have my
children, not to jump from carriages!”
“I’m sorry, master, I didn’t know what else to do! Memma
told me how urgent the situation was. I thought if you could get to them first,
you might be able to save Symal.”
Rydah wanted to grab his slave and shake her—and hug her.
That a slave would risk everything just to give her master a chance to slip the
guards? It boggled the mind. How could she have so much faith in him when she’d
only known him a handful of suns?
And what was he going to do to justify her faith?
“All right. We’re alone. What did Memma tell you?”
“Symal has a relative that no one knows about. It’s Memma’s
mother’s illegitimate sister. She lives in Balgari. Her name is
“M’lord! Please, come in out of the hot sun!”
He entered to a small room. A cold fireplace took up most of
one wall. “I was told you take in travelers,” he said.
“Oh, yes, m’lord. It would be my pleasure! We don’t get many
visitors to Mantaro. Please, come this way.” She waddled down a short corridor
and stepped aside to present a well-furnished room with a single bed.
“I’m sure you’re used to finer accommodations, m’lord. I
hope this will be acceptable for your needs.”
“This will be fine.” He held out a coin—more than the room
was worth, he was sure.
She took it quickly and tucked in into her large bosom
before he could change his mind.
Once he had stowed his gear, he became restless. He returned
to the doctor’s office to see if he could sit next to Jenya’s bed. When he
walked by the carriage, Mardor was still there.
“Sire?”
“Yes, soldier?”
“Um, if you’re going to stay here a couple of suns, I think
I should head toward Blethryn and report in. But I’ll tell them about you and
perhaps they’ll send you a new escort.”
“That’s kind of you, but I’ll probably have left by the time
a new escort arrives. I can find my own way back.”
“Very well, sire. If you’re sure.” He seemed anxious to
leave. Rydah wasn’t about to discourage him.
“I’m sure.”
Mardor saluted and Rydah nodded in return. Only Warriors
saluted each other. Damon leaders just nodded.
He watched as the soldier mounted up and rode out quickly.
Rydah sighed with relief when he was out of sight.
He entered the doctor’s office once again. “Is she still
sleeping?”
“Yes,” he said. “She’ll probably sleep for another hura or more. Sleep is the best way for her to heal.”
Rand’s curse on that! He needed to find out what she knew
and get to the Acolyte before more soldiers came—soldiers who knew he was
Symal’s uncle.
Once Apnar heard that Mardor rode off and left him alone,
he’d probably lose his head.
Chapter Eleven
Jenya dozed fitfully, her wounds disturbing her sleep. She
woke up several times, her body aching. She felt like she’d been assaulted,
only she had done it to herself. When she awoke mid-sun, she was amazed to see
her master, sitting by the bedside, cooling her forehead with a damp rag.
“M-master?”
“It’s all right, Jenya. You needed your rest.”
“Oh, no! We have no time!”
“Of course we do. You’ve been injured. I’m worried about
you.”
Jenya was touched. In the slave pens, she had learned of
masters who would simply return their injured breeders and obtain another
one—unless, of course, they were already carrying their child. They would let
Syminton deal with the cost and time of recovery. Often, the rejected breeders
would no longer be saleable, and instead would be sent down to the breeding
pool.
She glanced around the room. She spotted the doctor, sitting
in the corner observing them. Her eyes told Rydah all he needed to know.
He turned. “Will you excuse us, doctor? I need to examine my
slave.”
“Of course,” Nerat said, rising. “I’ll be outside.”
When he was gone, Rydah turned to Jenya. “By Rand, you took
an incredible risk! I ought to beat you with a strap! I bought you to have my
children, not to jump from carriages!”
“I’m sorry, master, I didn’t know what else to do! Memma
told me how urgent the situation was. I thought if you could get to them first,
you might be able to save Symal.”
Rydah wanted to grab his slave and shake her—and hug her.
That a slave would risk everything just to give her master a chance to slip the
guards? It boggled the mind. How could she have so much faith in him when she’d
only known him a handful of suns?
And what was he going to do to justify her faith?
“All right. We’re alone. What did Memma tell you?”
“Symal has a relative that no one knows about. It’s Memma’s
mother’s illegitimate sister. She lives in Balgari. Her name is
Similar Books
