Moving southeast along the Danube River, Under the Carpathian Mountains towards the Black Sea, Europe
Mari looked up at the sound of familiar voices and came across Valeria's painted eyes staring at her. She was lost in thought and nodded slightly at what Aerius was saying to her, but Mari could see the boredom and regret in her eyes clearly. The lieutenant looked drained also but was alert to his surroundings nevertheless. He seldom liked to be seen in Valeria's company for too long and looked ill at ease talking to her in broad daylight; however, it was no secret to anyone that they had a long-standing relationship.
Mari sighed tiredly and drew her legs up. The leg irons that held her feet together were heavy to pull around, but she needed to stay tucked into herself if she was to stay warm. Resting her chin on her up drawn knees, Mari stared at the two and tried to discern what was being said. In the four weeks that the convoy had followed the river, she had learned some key words in Latin, mostly for commands, but nearly all of the language and its puzzling `s' sounds still remained pretty much a mystery.
Mari thought of her Uncle Cloarin, who was very adept at everything. He was a brilliant man and even knew how to decipher carved symbols, something no one else in Battavia could do. Mari was sure he would have understood the Roman's speech by now and idly wondered if his body was still pinned to his watchtower or if someone cut him down.
Perhaps Danea and Geterian would have seen to it. They'd return when it was safe to and incinerate both him and their father with many offerings, clutching their long swords to their chests like tradition dictated for great warriors. Mari sighed heavily at the thought and figured that's what would have happened. Mari had not cried for them since she promised herself that she wouldn't anymore, but it still hurt deep in her chest to think of them. Willing herself to swallow the emotion that threatened to choke her, Mari focused again on the couple speaking a short distance away.
Aerius bent over as a fit of coughing overtook him. Valeria snapped out of her haze long enough to pat his back, but he quickly straightened out and stepped out of her reach in embarrassment. Looking to see if anyone had seen, he regarded her with a reproachful look and continued spewing out commands. Mari smiled faintly at that. She knew from his coughing that he was sick with a cold and it ran deep in his body. No matter how many fine cloaks they wore, she had learned rather quickly that the Romans were not well suited for cold weather. As winter progressed and the cold closed over them all, they collectively looked worse and worse. Skins and a better diet was what they needed, but she figured it was just that he suffered a little for all the trouble he caused them, Valeria included.
In the time they had spent traveling, Valeria had proven herself to be very compassionate person and Mari liked her immensely. It was true that she was the keeper of slaves, but she did not hurt them or make things harder than they had to be. On the contrary, she occasionally negotiated better food for them when kills were made and even extended their breaks to allow for a little walking. And the greatest prizes of all were the blankets that she acquired the week before from the general himself. Mari refused hers and gave it to one of the younger, sicker girls, not wanting to take something that Valeria had to earn in that way, but she was thankful nevertheless.
It became clear that even though she was only a woman, Valeria held a degree of power with the Romans and Mari knew that her dealings with the general was the reason Aerius resented her so much at times. Because she was hitched closest by her tent, Mari heard things, and although she couldn't make out the words they spoke, Aerius always screamed and carried on when Valeria surpassed his authority and went to see the old general herself.
She later learned from Valeria that Aerius had initially ordered her to be left behind, but she had gone to the general and gotten permission to nurse her back to health. The thought saddened Mari beyond words, but she was grateful and learned her first words in Latin to tell her so. She supposed that was one of the reasons Aerius hated her so much too. That and the fact that Valeria liked her so much, but Mari knew it was something else as well. She had almost escaped when her father and Geterian rescued her and Danea and that was something that hurt his pride. Seeing him snap his head around to see what Valeria was looking at, Mari quickly looked down to avoid drawing his attention. He had seen her however, and offered a few curt words to Valeria before stomping off with her in tow.
Still looking down at her knees, Mari didn't move until she was sure they were gone. Confirming this with a cautious peek through her choppy bangs, she let her legs fall again in the small wooden cage. By accident she nudged her cellmate and moving her legs away quickly, mumbled an apology.
"Ohh, I'm sorry."
Her cellmate moaned half heartedly and pulled tighter into herself. Mari sighed sadly and debated whether or not to touch her. It was hard to deal with her cellmate and she had found it best to just let her be.
For the first three weeks of their trek up alongside the river, Mari was alone in her tiny cage. Then she was brought in. At first she tried speaking to the girl, telling her of herself and asking questions, but the girl was silent and just huddled in a corner all day. Worried that she was not eating, Mari eventually asked Valeria what was wrong with her and got a chilling response. No one knew her name and she couldn't eat because her tongue had been cut off for spitting at a soldier. They had little hopes of her surviving, but brought her along just in case.
Determined to help her, Mari took to giving her a little water here and there, eventually moving on to more solid things while she healed, but the girl remained dazed and withdrawn. Having known of a woman in Battavia that behaved the same way after her son and husband were lost in battle had killed herself, Mari wondered just how far into despair her cellmate would disappear into. About to touch her to see if she was all right, Mari gasped as the cage hitched forward.
Their rest was over as the stuck wagon in front was pulled out of the mud and slowly, all the interconnected cages lurched forward, propelled by giant ox and a few of the younger male slaves chained to the axel beams further up ahead. The procession was a slow one that bumped and jostled everyone in the cages as it rolled over a muddy trail littered with stones, ruts and protruding tree roots. Mari tightened her hold on the cage bars and eased over to her cellmate, who lay listlessly on the opposite end, and stuffed her hood so that her head didn't band against the floorboards whenever they bounced up and down. Retreating to her own side, Mari eased down and prepared for what was sure to be a very long day.
Watching the cold expanse of the river peak out through the trees on occasion, Mari tried to fathom where she was heading. The river was so wide, she couldn't see the other side most times and she was sure she had never even heard of it before. It occurred to her that she knew only one place well and that was gone and that it had been a very, very small little corner of the world.
When she awoke four weeks ago, they were still in areas she could recognize. The evergreens were tall and the air was crisp. Then as they began to move into higher elevations, the air thinned out and the trees receded to being bushes and shrubs. Eventually, the land evened out again and they reentered the forest, although it was a markedly different forest than she was used to. The trees were leaf bearing and low. The forest floor was littered with saplings and smaller treelings, making it harder to move.
And in all that time, the chill in the air had steadily increased. There was no doubt that winter had arrived. It had snowed heavily a few days back and huddled outside in the numbing cold, two girls and five of the men that walked alongside them interconnected at the ankles with heavy chains, did not wake up the next morning. Mari watched them pull the bodies out of their chains and leave them by the wayside with a cold type of indifference that bothered her. She had always been a very empathic soul and to not shed a tear for the dead now bothered her. She reasoned that it was necessary in order to remain sane, part of her pact never to cry over her lost family even, but guilt gnawed at her nevertheless.
Looking over at the huddled figure of her cellmate, who after two weeks still remained nameless to her, Mari suppressed a shiver. She did not want to turn that cold, that unfeeling, but how could she when everything she was surrounded in was dipped in misery? Gritting her teeth together so that they did not cut into her tongue when the wooden cage skipped, Mari closed her eyes to clear her thoughts and then opened them a minute later, trying hard to focus on the scenery they were crossing and not the wretched humanity that accompanied her.
She remained that way for hours, wondering just how much land there was to see in the world, until the sky darkened and the cold picked up again. Only this time, it was much darker than the usual. They typically stopped in huge clearings along the trail at night. It was clear by the way the land was flattened out and the few structures, that the trail was utilized often, but the delay in freeing the wagon earlier that day had cost them at least a few hours and by the time they reached the next designated clearing on the trail, it was considerably darker than it normally was. The men moved quickly under Aerius' orders and wondered if they were going to be allowed a break that day. Mari watched the stirrings carefully.
When things didn't go according to plan, it meant opportunity, and Mari was always looking for opportunity. Unlike the other girls, Mari had a reason to escape. She was in a bind now but she was certain that when the time came, she would run. She had studied the land carefully, memorizing landmarks and features all along the way, confident that she could cross it faster and better than any of the Romans ever could. She wasn't sure how long she would have to wait, but the fact that it was dark and the soldiers that normally accompanied them were busy setting a last minute camp could provide the opportunity she was looking for.
Mari waited for a sign that they would be released in quiet anticipation until she saw a soldier with keys approaching. She recognized him instantly. He was a deplorable character, who volunteered in the duty just to see the girls in their business, but Mari's heart absolutely jumped in elation when she saw him approaching. He approached with a smirk and unlatched her cage first and waited until Mari gathered her cellmate and inched out into the ground. Stretching her feet after so many hours of confinement hurt even more with the added need to support the other girl, but Mari trudged forward and walked to the next cage with downcast eyes.
["Stay there, barbarian.]
Mari nodded timidly and held her cellmate up as the soldier went ahead and opened the next cage. When the other two girls came out, he bent over and connected them to Mari and her cellmate by the leg chains, making sure he took considerable time doing so. Mari looked away in order to resist the temptation to kick him and waited. When he was done, he straightened out again and grinned at Mari.
["Let's go."]
Knowing her cue, Mari stepped forward slowly. Being the first in the chain, she always had to wait until the others caught up to her before moving again, so the going was slow. She headed towards the nearest tree cover in the distance, knowing that this particular soldier liked privacy as well.
["That's it! Turn around."]
Turning at the command, Mari waited. The soldier came up to her first and raising her arms to him like she was taught to do, watched him carefully. They were supposed to be let loose one at a time, so they could crouch and take care of their necessities, but this particular soldier never let them do it on their own.
["Not today. I'll do it for you."]
Mari tightened her jaw as she heard one of the other three girls start to cry quietly and the soldier moved his hands to open her coat. Looming over her, he stepped in real close and started to feel along her chest. Closing her eyes tight, Mari gathered all her strength and courage and crushed her knee up into his crotch. To her genuine surprise the move worked and the Roman fell to his knees before her. Ignoring the gasps from her fellow prisoners, she moved forward and looped the chain still connecting her two hands around his neck. The movement yanked all three girls to the ground, but Mari didn't relent on her attack. The soldier gurgled and gasped as his air supply was cut. Unfortunately, Mari didn't have the strength to hold on much longer as his fingers dug into the chain and began pulling counter her. In spurts of breath, he cried out futilely.
"Help me! Help!"
Mari flexed frantically, trying desperately to still the man kneeling before her. With a grunt, she looked at the other girls but none of them budged from their wide eyed terror. Eventually, the soldier got his fingers under the chain and flung Mari around to slam her body against a tree and actually managed to take a gulp of air as her hold lessened.
Feeling her dominance slipping, Mari whimpered in frustration, trying hard to think of how to fell the man that stood between her and freedom. Remembering what her uncle always said about using her brain instead of her brawn, Mari brought up a deerskin boot to the man's back and pushed with all her might. To her surprise, the man arched his back sharply before withering down to the ground. Grinning triumphantly, Mari looked over at the chain of girls she was still connected to.
"We're free, com'on!"
Two looked at her mutely while her cellmate stared at the fallen soldier in fascination. It was more emotion than Mari had ever seen on the girl's lifeless face, but she was too conscious of time to really make something of it. Falling to her knees, Mari felt along the soldier's cloak for keys. Finding them, she went through several before finding the right one. With trembling hands, she unlatched her hands and was working on her feet, when she heard rustling. The girl that had been crying, whimpered and Mari held out her hands for them to stay silent. Someone was coming and struggling to see in the dark, Mari fought with the lock and key connecting her feet frantically. Finally hearing it click open just as someone broke through the brush, Mari looked up at the frightened faces of her fellow prisoners and threw the closest one the keys.
"Run!"
The hoarse whisper hung in the air as Mari scampered to her feet and took off. Her legs were sore from inactivity but heading straight into the cluster of trees opposite the camp, she ran as fast as she could until a familiar voice called after her and she skidded to a stop.
"Mari, wait!! Please, stop!!"
Mari didn't turn around, debating whether or not to keep running. The air was cold and her breath left puffs of vapor in front of her. Sensing her indecision, Valeria ran out to meet her, eyes wide and fingers cold.
"Please listen, if you run, you'll be killing us both!"
Mari swung around, her chest heaving and her fists tight. She looked beyond her keeper to see if there were guards, but she saw none.
"I cannot live like this, this is my chance to go back."
Valeria shook her head sadly, not knowing how to say it.
"There's nothing left, they leave nothing behind, Mari."
"No! My sister is alive. She got away and I have to see her again."
Valeria snorted and looked deep into the younger woman's eyes.
"There is a legion two days behind us and another behind them. They will catch you and you don't even know the way. You will starve and freeze to death."
Mari closed her eyes to hold back the tears that were building. Her voice was still low in case someone else showed up, but her whisper was harsh and angry.
"I can do it and I will. I am already starving and freezing and I'd rather do it free than in a cage!"
Mari looked for Valeria's reaction in nervous apprehension. She had so much faith that she could make it and this conversation was only draining it away. Mari was a second away from turning and running again, but the most unexpected thing happened. Her heart almost stopped when a huge tear rolled down Valeria's tattooed cheek and fell on her purple wrap. Mari stared at the huge, round wet mark it left in the beautiful fabric, mesmerized by the fact that her keeper could cry and the fact that she could not move. Deep in her soul, Mari knew the woman hadn't cried in years.
"If you leave, you will not make it and it will mean that I failed. I offered my word to the general so that you could live and Aerius will see to it that I am executed if you escape……although……."
Mari looked back up to Valeria's watery eyes with a growing lump in her throat. She suddenly looked tired and worn and Mari could see all the hardships her keeper had endured in the lines gathered around her eyes in the silvery moonlight.
"I……why?"
Valeria looked down and Mari could see that she herself didn't know why. And then a terrible thought crossed her mind. Perhaps Valeria wouldn't mind if she left. The same ambivalence that her cellmate always had, settled over her features and Mari panicked at the thought. Valeria was scared of dying, but she would welcome it as haughtily as everything else. She couldn't allow that. She couldn't be the cause of that. Not even in exchange for her freedom. When she went back, she would do so as a complete person, not at the expense of others.
Mari reached out to touch Valeria, but paused her hand in mid-air. Valeria stared at it in wonder. It was dirty and rough and Valeria was as clean and sweet smelling as ever. She could not dare touch her. She would tell her instead. Mari parted her lips to offer the comfort the other woman needed, but in the back, there were sounds of people approaching. Valeria could recognize the sound of metal armor anywhere and closed the distance to grab Mari's hand and whispered into her face.
"Go! You are right in wanting this. Take the mountain passes and go!"
Mari shook her head in desperation. Her eyes darted back between Valeria's face and the four soldier's breaking through the clearing. They were checking on the soldier who was passed out and screaming at the girls huddled on the ground. In a second, they would see her and Mari was caught between listening to her instincts and running and listening to her heart and staying. Valeria saw this indecision and pushed at her.
"Go!"
Mari opened her mouth to protest and was close to running when the soldiers spotted them and ran in their direction.
["Stop right there, slave!"]
Valeria closed her eyes as they brushed pass her and Mari knew she couldn't leave her to the wolves. She slowly raised her hands just as the men reached her. One drove their fist straight into her stomach and another pulled her back up by the hair. Valeria ran forward and tried to stop them, claiming that Mari was her property and they they could not damage her, but they continued as Aerius showed up on the scene and told them coolly that Mari was to be punished but not scarred for trying to escape.
Watching in wide eyed terror as the men stared beating on Mari without any regards to her orders, Valeria knew she had to appeal to a higher order. If she let them, they would beat her to death and she wouldn't allow that to happen now. Twirling around to face Aerius, she summoned all her strength and slapped him hard across the face. The lieutenant and his men stood frozen in shock at her move. To make her point even further, Valeria called him a bastard and went to hit him again, but he caught her hand and drove his fist into her face instead. Valeria fell backwards into the mud with a busted lip and stunned by their commander's actions, the soldiers stared at him dumbly.
Knowing he had overstepped his bounds severely, Aerius spit out that they both be taken to camp immediately and stomped away. The men dragged both unconscious women back and sensing they were part of something that could cost them greatly, called the camp surgeon to see to them. By the time Mari and her fellow prisoners were back in their cages, the old general himself had come to see Valeria. Seeing her bloodied face, he ordered that Aerius see him in private.
No one witnessed what was said between them, but Aerius never came near Valeria again. Wanting to secure her footing and insure that Aerius would not seek vengeance, Valeria moved into the general's tent that very same night. The next day she was given a horse, a carriage, a personal servant and everyone understood that she was off limits to everyone but him. From that vantage point, she made sure she wasn't seen near Mari, but negotiated for her to be taken care of. Having suffered a broken hand, a swollen eye, bruises throughout her body and swollen lips, Mari took a full week to heal, but by that time, Valeria had a plan.
They were only days away from where the river emptied into the Black Sea. In the delta's port, she would meet with an old merchant friend to negotiate some trading. He was not a slave trader by nature, but he had made a peculiar request a few seasons ago. He routinely met with Bedouin merchants and camel breeders that traversed the deserts to connect with the south Arabian coast. There lived a wealthy king that had unique tastes. This sultan wanted a green eyed northerner for his harem and Valeria knew exactly who to send.
Watching Mari in her cage sadly from her place by the general's side, she wondered if what she was doing was right. She had come to care greatly for Mari and hated the thought of her ending up doing what she did, but of all the possible places to end up, Arabia was a good choice. It was far from Roman authority, which meant stability and she would live lavishly with a group of other women who would look after her. Harems were a show of wealth, and even though she would be expected to gratify the sultan when he called for her, it would not be a constant chore. The numbers in a harem ensured that she would not be picked on and she would eat the finest foods and be draped in the most ornate cloths that she could hope for her.
Flashes of what Mari had said the night she tried to escape crossed through Valeria's mind. Mari still had foolish hopes of a reunion with her sister, but she had stayed for her. Valeria never expected that much devotion from anyone and in making that sacrifice, Mari secured her place in that harem. It was the best place to escape the turbulence of the Empire and even though it would break her heart to see her go, she would do it nevertheless. She would surrender her only friend to the vastness of the desert lands in hopes that she would have a better life.
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