JH02. Caravans of Doridia

by Ronald Watkins

  This part of the forest was as forbidding as any in which I had ever been. The trees were particularly large and the undergrowth lush and thick with vines. It was country ready made for ambush and rarely did we come to clearings of any kind. Around midday I brought my men to a stop and in silence had them drink their fill and eat a small amount of dried meat. I believed we would come upon the outlaws soon and wanted my men fresh for the encounter.

  Shortly before we resumed the march, I gave the order for the Commander of One Hundred to send men on point far in advance of us to return with news when they spotted the outlaws we pursued. We had resumed our march only a short time when the runners returned with news that the outlaws had been spotted, camped in a clearing. They reported that the group were bickering among itself and in the short period during which they had observed it one sword fight had broken out ending in the death of one of the outlaws.

  I nodded to the Commander of One Hundred who gave the orders for battle. We divided into two columns and with great stealth surrounded the enemy. The men had been carefully briefed and knew our purpose. The orders were clear and I had every confidence that they would be carried out. The attack could begin only if the outlaws made ready to leave or upon my express order. A Seker with horn was beside me.

  The band looked as if it had survived a difficult winter. All of them were gaunt and unkempt. They were reasonably well armed and from personal experience I knew they would be fierce fighters. I could think of no good reason to delay the attack so I gave the signal.

  The horn rang out in the clear afternoon air and with a mighty roar Sekers descended upon the outlaws from all sides. It was a brief yet furious fight. I observed that according to instructions two or three men were allowed to escape. It was the Urak’s hope, and mine as well, that they would join other outlaw bands and tell them what had befallen their comrades. To the best of my knowledge no outlaw band had ever been pursued so far into the forest end by such great numbers. We hoped that this would create a greater caution on the part of the outlaws of this region and might serve as the cause for these outlaws to move themselves to less dangerous regions, particularly if the same fate befell other bands in this region. This was one of the primary reasons for this caravan.

  The outlaws fought savagely but it was useless. The Sekers formed a solid wall with their bright, round shields, pointed their spears with the oversized bronze tips and advanced relentlessly, slaying all before them. One by one those not allowed escape fell to the ground. Then I heard a group of Sekers cry out in surprise followed by much commotion. I ran to it and there before me on the ground lay a very thin, very dirty woman, dressed as a man. Sekers prefer capturing a woman, especially an attractive one and it was for this reason she still lived. As commander she was mine if I cared to claim her.

  “All right men, let’s get her under control now,” a Leader of Ten ordered. The men were enjoying this unexpected surprise. In attempting to subdue her they, more by design than accident, gradually stripped her of most of her clothing. They had her completely surrounded and she had no possibility of escape yet she still resisted her capture, waving a small dagger about with no effect. She probably expected mass rape followed by death or slavery.

  The Sekers cleared a path for me through their circle and I had the opportunity to see the women outlaw more closely. Beneath the dirt and filth, and despite her undernourished appearance, she was quite beautiful. Her story would be most interesting since I had never heard of a female outlaw before.

  The men stood there taunting as I stopped before her. My sword was already drawn. “Submit or die,” I said, uttering the traditional words. She looked about her wildly but slowly realized that the game playing was over and she truly must now decide. “I will not say it again, submit or die,” I repeated.

  Breathing heavily, her firm breasts rising and falling, she threw her weapon to the ground, fell to her knees and burying her face in her hands began to sob. “Bind her and when we return to the caravan tie her to my wagon,” I ordered. Turning to the Commander I said, “Count the dead and strip them of weapons. Prepare the men to march. I wish to be back to the caravan before nightfall.” Then calling out to my men I shouted, “You have done well this day! I am proud to serve with you.”

  The men cheered me and we forced marched back to the wagons. We arrived at dusk and were greeted by the sight and smell of the evening meal along with the cheers of our compatriots at word of our success. My new slave was tethered to my wagon.

  ~

  “Very nice indeed,” observed Ctesias as he wolfed down the stew and eyed my new captive. “It is said,” he belched then continued, “that a man who shares his new slave with his friends shall have the same done with him when they acquire a new one.”

  “I think you just made that up, Ctesias,” I said.

  “I know he did,” said Koptos. Both had been friends since my first days in Doridia and our friendship had remained unaffected by my rapid rise in rank and position. The only change seemed to be that now I paid for all the wine whenever we went out.

  Ctesias continued eyeing the new slave. “A very nice woman indeed,” he said. “It would be a shame to let her go to waste.”

  “She will not go to waste. I know what to do with a slave girl.”

  “But she will be wasted for us if you don’t share her,” he exclaimed.

  “If I did not know you better I would think that you had become taken with a mere slave and one new to the collar at that,” I said. It is considered unseemly for a Seker or any free men for that matter to become infatuated with a mere slave no matter how desirable or lovely she might be. “And this slave,” I continued, “is skinny, little more than protruding bones. I had her scrubbed but one can find cleanliness with any slave. Perhaps you would care to bid on her?”

  Ctesias, I knew, was not a man to own a slave. He could see no reason to buy that which is so easily available in taverns and at the Great House of Rahdon. He was somewhat offended by my comment as I had thought he might he and left, he said, to check the guards.

  Koptos laughed heartily. Looking at me he said, “You will, no doubt, enjoy bending her to the collar.”

  “No doubt,” I replied. With that he bid me goodnight and departed for his place under a wagon. A short while later I approached my new slave. She looked at me from the ground like a caged animal. She had withstood the march to the caravan stoically and even now made no sound. I saw fear in her eyes as I reached forward and unchained her from the wagon. I opened the rear of the wagon and gestured for her to enter. She did not. “You chose to submit. Enter.”

  She could have elected death earlier that day in the clearing but instead she had accepted slavery. Most likely she was a runaway slave and had chosen a life in the forest preferable to one of chains but when faced with death or slavery, she had selected a return to slavery.

  I now looked at her and knew I would not slay her for refusing to enter. She was my property and it was my right, but I had no wish to kill a defenseless woman. Perhaps in the forest I could have, facing her armed, but not now, chained as she was. It did not matter, of course, whether or not I could kill her; it only mattered that she thought I would.

  We entered the wagon. The Lamp of Love had been lit earlier and the wagon was prepared for me. I removed much of my clothing and all of my weapons which I placed away from my new slave. I did not forget that she had lived in the forest and had at the very least, some small skill with them. She, of course, was naked. She had not been feed since her capture and from the looks of her she had not eaten significantly in some time. I pulled her down beside me on the love furs and continued examining her.

  “Tell me about yourself,” I said. “How did you come to be in the forest?” She remained silent. I noticed that her eyes were fawn-like and the fear was obvious in them. “You must answer me. You are a slave and have no choice. If you continue in your silence I shall whip you or kill you. Now answer me.”

  Instead she cried and soo
n was sobbing. I blew out the Lamp of Love and lay beside her. In many ways I was not suited to be a master of slaves. I took her in my arms and held her to me until she slept. In time, I too slept.

  ~

  We resumed our journey at daybreak. The men were jubilant and the mood was lighthearted. I reminded them that other outlaw bands roamed these same forests and soon the Sekers returned to their usual diligent vigilance. I would have no tragedy befall us when we were so near to triumph. I tethered my new slave behind the wagon and ordered that she be left alone the rest of the journey.

  We arrived on the twelve day in Runah, the magnificent and glorious Runah, its great buildings rising high above the massive walls.

  “Welcome First Officer Hunter,” Counsellor Garhan said as he gestured to what in Doridia passed for a seat. I thanked him as I took my place. I observed that he was a lanky, frail man, of middle years with quick, bright eyes. I had bathed and changed into a fine of set of garments including what I thought was a magnificent cape made of at material that caught and reflected light as I moved.

  “I congratulate you on your recent promotion. The Urak regrets that he cannot meet you personally, but his health has not been good of late and he has turned mostly family matters over to me,” Garhan explained. By “family matters” he actually meant business.

  Drink was brought and after business was conducted, entertainment would be provided. The Doridians are a very practical lot, however, and business was after all business. We would conclude it before anything else.

  I explained what had taken place on the caravan route to Runah from Taslea. I then went on to explain my mission for the Urak Rahdon in Taslea and the Urak for the Great House of Tonalah in Runah. For as long as records were kept outlaws had been the scourge of all caravans in known Doridia. They were accepted as a fact of life, a business risk against which one could only take certain basic precautions such as clustering a great number of wagons and including large numbers of Sekers. The Urak Rahdon proposed that we change the situation and that this be accomplished by arrangement with the Great House of Tonalah and with another Great House in Lathanah. These cities formed the Golden Triangle of trade routes, each of the cities representing a large portion of the others’ trade. Many caravans departed from each of the three cities and throughout the season merely circled among them. Trade was most lucrative for all concerned. The outlaws were the only real threat to good business and the Urak Rahdon proposed a change to all that.

  My journey to Runah had been intended as more than a routine trading excursion. Many wagons had been left empty of trade goods and instead filled with Sekers so that when we were attacked, I would be free to take the action I had against the outlaws and totally eliminate one band as a threat. Enough Sekers had been provided to let me leave the caravan in complete safety. As a result of this plan, fewer trade goods had reached Runah this trip but an entire band of outlaws was destroyed. If this policy continued in time we could effectively drive all outlaws from these parts. No longer could repulsed outlaws by free to attack the next hapless caravan. Now if the wrong caravan were struck, the price the outlaws paid would be death.

  The Urak proposed other measures as well. He wanted each of the Great Houses involved in this enterprise to send Sekers into the forest to seek out and destroy the outlaws where they lived. With luck, perhaps by means of a bounty, we could turn some of the outlaws against each other and have them destroy themselves with no risk of loss of life to our Sekers.

  One problem with the plan was the expense involved. The Urak argued that the greatest part of the expense would be only in the beginning, until such time as the bulk of the outlaws were destroyed or driven away. Thereafter, no great effort would he needed to keep then at bay and under control. Caravans could then be operated at much greater profit without losses to outlaws and with much smaller guard details. It was believed costs would be recoup rapidly and far greater profits would soon follow.

  “What you propose is interesting,” answered Counsellor Garhan, “and I shall consult with the Urak. No one can argue against the success you had on your journey to Runah and we have all long wished for some relief from the incessant raids on our caravans. But surely you recognize that what you ask goes against all tradition in trading matters and such traditions are extremely difficult to alter. I think for now with business matters settled we can proceed with more enjoyable matters. Perhaps you will enjoy the fine slave dancers who will perform for us tonight.”

  He was right, I did.

  3. Return to the Love Nest

  Leaders Ctesias and Koptos were fully prepared to take advantage of all that was available in a cosmopolitan city such as Runah. Taslea was far less readily accessible and its farm land, while rich and fertile, limited and served to restrict the population of the city. For all its grandeur it was not as large as either Runah or Lathanah and most Doridians would not consider it to be one of the major cities of the continent. It was more parochial then Runah but it possessed a dignity and vitality that bespoke of greatness and it was generally free of many of the problems of other cities considered to be more magnificent.

  Upon promotion, I had in turn promoted Ctesias and Koptos to Leaders of Ten. While excellent Sekers, their personal lusty habits could well interfere with their duty, particularly when in a strange and exciting metropolis. I feared that one or both of them might well find themselves reduced in rank before the caravan departed for Lathanah. So I was happy to accept their invitation our second night in Runah when they suggested we view the sites of the city. I thought perhaps with me along there would be no trouble.

  Not surprisingly, they selected a tavern. I knew that a city as immense as Runah offered other forms of entertainment but this was what the two inevitably sought out. I must admit, however, that their taste in taverns was excellent.

  This particular one was called the Love Nest and it was the same one we three had visited the previous fall when I had the Lady Shelba under my protection disguised as my slave. Word of imminent trouble in Taslea had caused us to leave the Love Nest before the entertainment in which it specialized had been presented and before I had an opportunity to truly see the sights of this renowned city. Tonight I hoped would be different.

  My last night here some months previous, slave dancers of the distant Rashmalan were to perform their barbaric, sensuous dance. I had seen it several times before in Taslea and hoped against hope that the dancers were still here or another group of them was engaged but unfortunately such was not the case. I decided to browse about the city the next day and locate slave dancers of Rashmalan if possible.

  This night, Koptos happily explained we were to be entertained by a little known group of acrobats and slave dancers of Sarpedon, a city but little known located near the jungle forest of Tirsenos. lts racial mixture was predominantly black though this was a matter of no significance in Doridia. Runah was a cosmopolitan city and unlike my own Taslea had many representatives of all the racial groups with which I was familiar. Some were slaves, others free men, some poor and a few prosperous. So I was not surprised when Koptos informed me that the entertainers were of Sarpedon, as many of them were of the dark race. I found all to be attractive well-muscled individuals, and the women slaves were as beautiful as any I had ever seen.

  The Love Nest was the largest in Runah and held a great number of men. It had ample seating for everyone in normal circumstances and in the back a large number of alcoves for the use of the patrons where they wished the pleasure of their serving girl, for such were included in the price of a pitcher of wine or even a cup for a nominal extra charge. As was the case with many taverns, this was built mostly of great pieces of exposed wood, some of which had been carved into intricate, erotic figures. The tables were arranged in a semi-circle around a brightly polished stone dancing floor which was now occupied by a musical troupe as well by some acrobats performing impressive feats of tumbling and handstands.

  We occupied a table near the front as I was recogniz
ed to be High Caste and first Officer of a Great House, albeit a foreign one. In Taslea, my two companions were as well High Caste though not officers but only in our city were Sekers of such rank. In all other cities they were Low Caste though the equal of Merchants and was fighters men to be reckoned with.