The Mender

Dagan's Golden Rock

Tars thundered, "Tie them, do it now!" He and his team rushed to Ulun. Kai launched a spear, purposely only grazing Ulun's shoulder but enough to distract him while Tars came at Ulun from the other side. Tars swung the thick shaft of his spear against Ulun's legs, toppling him over. Four people jumped on Ulun, rapidly tying fast his arms and legs.

At the same time, Esri stood over Dagan's body and shouted, "Do not kill. For Dagan. Do not kill!"

Spears flashed and flew, bodies crashed into each other, hands grabbed for arms, feet entangled legs. The struggle was fearsome but short-lived. Once the five men who regularly came trading were immobilized, no one else fought, only pleaded for their lives. There was lots of yelling, but eventually everyone quieted down. The people who were tied up were kept apart from everyone else. The rest, including Riga, huddled together. Riga sat mutely in their midst, avoiding eye contact. Saba took Riga aside.

Grayla and Jolam found the two children from Sela and Muni's bode. The children were shaking and crying, then stared at Grayla and Jolam and gasped when they heard Sela and Muni's names. Grayla and Jolam gave the children food and coaxed them to start walking to Flat Rocks and find Sela and Muni.

Esri and Barsa tried as best as they could to speak with the rest who were not tied up and sort out the relationships. There were five women, two children, and one old man. From the tradings, Esri and Barsa picked up some of the language of the Violent Ones, but the people were reluctant to speak. Most were weeping, the two children clung to their mothers.

Esri went over to Saba and Riga. Saba faintly shook her head and shrugged. Riga stared at the ground. Esri put her hand on Riga's shoulder, "Riga, have they treated you like a slave?"

"No."

"Has Hanu been good to you?"

Riga looked at Esri. "He's a better man than you think."

"Has Hanu been good to you?"

Riga looked back at the ground. "He's good to me when I do the right things."

"Some are slaves here."

"Yes."

"Tell me about the people who live in the bode."

"What will happen to me and Hanu? Will you kill us?"

Esri reassured Riga. "We're not going to kill anyone. We know that some here are slaves and we want to free them. Anyone who wants to live by the Agreements can come back with us to Flat Rocks. You can come back, Riga."

"Can Hanu come?"

"If he lives by the Agreements."

"And what about Dagan?" Riga began to cry.

Esri sat down by her, "I don't know. I don't know how I can live with those who killed him, but we want there to be no killing anymore. It's hard. I have such hatred. I understand that more killing will not bring him back. But what do we do to someone who kills?"

Riga said, "Ulun did not harm Dagan's body after he fell. He was going to bury Dagan so no animals would take his body. He admired how bravely Dagan fought with so many at one time."

Riga explained the relationship of the people at the Violent Ones' bode. Of the nine who were not tied up - she and Carthan, Ulun's mate and the mother of Hanu and Otom - were not slaves but the other seven were. The man and two older women had been with the Violent Ones for a long time. The two younger women each had a small child. They were taken more recently and had not attempted to escape as the Violent Ones threatened to harm their children if the women were caught trying to run away.