But I cannot let everyone be sent away for a life as a slave, away from their children. And I certainly cannot raise these children to be slaves. It is worth risking anything to avoid that.”
“But I thought your husbands and the rest of your village was coming for you?” Ely asked.
“I know they are trying. They will not give up. But we are running out of time. We cannot wait for them,” Bridgit said, her hand stealing down to touch her stomach. “And if we can get back to Gaelland, we are safe. You will love it there. No more slaves. No more fear. You can live free.” Even as she said those words she knew they were not really true. They were tied to their liege lord just as ruthlessly as slaves here were bound to their masters. And they had to work as hard to pay their taxes and feed their families. She pushed those thoughts aside, because they would not help here. And at least no Gaelish lord, not even Meinster, killed men as cruelly as Sean and Seamus had died.
“My mother told me many stories of Gaelland. But I have never been there. Would the people accept me? I don’t look the same as you,” Ely said nervously.
Bridgit reached out and held her hand. “We would accept you. That is all that matters.”
Ely gave her a smile and Bridgit squeezed her hand one more time.
“You have been through the city. You know the way. Can you guide us? Can you help us think of a way to get the rest of our people out?”
“But how are we even going to get out of here ourselves?” Ely persisted.
Bridgit did not even have to glance at her friends to know they were staring at her and questioning what she was doing. But she had to know one way or the other about Ely. Tell her everything and then watch her like a hawk.
“We need to go out to the market again. We saw an apothecary stall where they were making up powders to help the sick. We shall tell them that some of the children are not sleeping and need a sleeping powder. Then we shall mix that up in the juice of some of those oranges to disguise the taste, and give it to the guards.”
“It will not be strong enough. The powders for a child will not be enough to make a man sleep,” Ely objected.
“True. But we shall give it to them in the afternoon, to give it time to work. They will be sleepy and slow, at the very least. So, we are outside: what then?”
“All your friends will be chained up and locked away,” Ely said. “You will never get them out.”
“We need files,” Bridgit said calmly. “Nola here, her husband is a smith, and he uses files to smooth down metal. Where can we get one?”
Now Ely looked really alarmed. “What is a file? Is it a weapon?”
“No.” Nola spoke for the first time, her voice scornful. “It is long and thin metal rod, with a rough surface. It might take them half the night but they can use that to break the chains.”
“We could never get such a thing.” Ely shook her head. “There is no reason for us to have them and no way for your friends to hide them all.”
Bridgit gave Nola a smile. “It was a good idea,” she told her friend.
“Well, we shall need something. Unless there’s somebody else like Brendan who can bend metal,” Nola said grimly.
Bridgit waved her hand at her friend. “Next time they are here, we shall ask them how they are tied up. I am sure we can work out something,” she said.
The three of them turned to face Ely.
“Are you with us? Will you help us get home, and free yourself?”
Bridgit kept her eyes on Ely’s face as she spoke and was relieved to see the young woman meet her gaze evenly.
“Anything is better than life here. I will help you,” she said.
Bridgit winked at her friends. “Good. Because tomorrow night I am getting out of here,” she said. It would be the perfect test for Ely. If the girl went near the guards, it would be the last thing she tried.
*
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Nola asked.
Bridgit glared at her. “Of course I don’t want to
“But I thought your husbands and the rest of your village was coming for you?” Ely asked.
“I know they are trying. They will not give up. But we are running out of time. We cannot wait for them,” Bridgit said, her hand stealing down to touch her stomach. “And if we can get back to Gaelland, we are safe. You will love it there. No more slaves. No more fear. You can live free.” Even as she said those words she knew they were not really true. They were tied to their liege lord just as ruthlessly as slaves here were bound to their masters. And they had to work as hard to pay their taxes and feed their families. She pushed those thoughts aside, because they would not help here. And at least no Gaelish lord, not even Meinster, killed men as cruelly as Sean and Seamus had died.
“My mother told me many stories of Gaelland. But I have never been there. Would the people accept me? I don’t look the same as you,” Ely said nervously.
Bridgit reached out and held her hand. “We would accept you. That is all that matters.”
Ely gave her a smile and Bridgit squeezed her hand one more time.
“You have been through the city. You know the way. Can you guide us? Can you help us think of a way to get the rest of our people out?”
“But how are we even going to get out of here ourselves?” Ely persisted.
Bridgit did not even have to glance at her friends to know they were staring at her and questioning what she was doing. But she had to know one way or the other about Ely. Tell her everything and then watch her like a hawk.
“We need to go out to the market again. We saw an apothecary stall where they were making up powders to help the sick. We shall tell them that some of the children are not sleeping and need a sleeping powder. Then we shall mix that up in the juice of some of those oranges to disguise the taste, and give it to the guards.”
“It will not be strong enough. The powders for a child will not be enough to make a man sleep,” Ely objected.
“True. But we shall give it to them in the afternoon, to give it time to work. They will be sleepy and slow, at the very least. So, we are outside: what then?”
“All your friends will be chained up and locked away,” Ely said. “You will never get them out.”
“We need files,” Bridgit said calmly. “Nola here, her husband is a smith, and he uses files to smooth down metal. Where can we get one?”
Now Ely looked really alarmed. “What is a file? Is it a weapon?”
“No.” Nola spoke for the first time, her voice scornful. “It is long and thin metal rod, with a rough surface. It might take them half the night but they can use that to break the chains.”
“We could never get such a thing.” Ely shook her head. “There is no reason for us to have them and no way for your friends to hide them all.”
Bridgit gave Nola a smile. “It was a good idea,” she told her friend.
“Well, we shall need something. Unless there’s somebody else like Brendan who can bend metal,” Nola said grimly.
Bridgit waved her hand at her friend. “Next time they are here, we shall ask them how they are tied up. I am sure we can work out something,” she said.
The three of them turned to face Ely.
“Are you with us? Will you help us get home, and free yourself?”
Bridgit kept her eyes on Ely’s face as she spoke and was relieved to see the young woman meet her gaze evenly.
“Anything is better than life here. I will help you,” she said.
Bridgit winked at her friends. “Good. Because tomorrow night I am getting out of here,” she said. It would be the perfect test for Ely. If the girl went near the guards, it would be the last thing she tried.
*
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Nola asked.
Bridgit glared at her. “Of course I don’t want to
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