Abased - The Exiled Warrior

Chapter 15.1 - Snow Strike

The Astaevka war party huddled in tents in a snow swept valley between two barren mountains. The horses clustered together on the sheltered side of one of the mountains. The sun was long gone; the moon and stars were impotent to pierce the snow-heavy clouds.

The inside of Rustam and Taisha's tent was a haven of warmth. Its thick felt walls were insulated with layers of fur pelts. The small travelling stove in the centre of the tent radiated enough heat that, were it not for the whistling of the wind outside, Shaleh could have almost forgotten that winter had come.

She placed some embers in a long handled copper pot and fastened the lid. She did the job slowly knowing that once done she was to go back to the tent she, Yaomuthan, and the other cooks, shared, which was a lot colder than Rustam and Taisha's tent.

"Why am I here?" Shaleh asked Taisha the question she had been waiting for days to be able to ask. "Why did Rustam insist that I come, or that Nurlan comes with the war party?"

Shaleh pulled back the blankets on Taisha and Rustam's bed and started rubbing the long handled copper pot across the traveling mat.

"Seeing you suffer inspires him and makes him feel more powerful," Taisha explained quietly while looking anxiously at the tent door flap. "He enjoys seeing you suffer and being able to command you, especially after your parents refused to give you to him a year ago."

Shaleh lifted the copper pot off the mat, folded the blankets back over the now warm mat, and turned to Taisha.

"You know about that?"

Taisha smiled. "Yes, everyone does. A smaller clan rejecting a marriage offer from a powerful clan like Astaevka is too juicy a story for gossips to ignore."

"I'm so glad my father did, he's a terrible man," Shaleh spat out and then instantly regretted her words.

"I'm sorry!" she held her hand to her mouth. "Forgive me for insulting your husband."

Shaleh lowered her voice even quieter. "In the beginning there were plenty of times that I have wished my parents had found me someone else. Rustam has learned a lot from his father, including to use his fist before his brain."

"He hits you?"

Taisha looked at the ground and nodded.

Shaleh put the copper pot full of embers on the travel stove.

"Why haven't you left?" she asked.

"I can't," Taisha replied, "There is nowhere for me to go. Besides, he hasn't been so bad lately. It took me six months or so, but I can control him now."

The tent flap burst open. Rustam stepped in with rage on his brow.

Shaleh glanced at Taisha, whose face had gone white.

"You can control me?" spit flew out of his mouth as stormed into the small tent. He took the two steps needed to reach her and grabbed her arm.

"What are you talking about, husband?" Taisha replied in shock.

He lifted his fist and pulled it back, ready to strike. "I heard you talking about me just now! You said you think you can control me! And in front of a slave! Have you no respect?!"

"What are you talking about?" Taisha repeated. "I said no such thing!" Her lie was so convincing that Shaleh was stunned at how quickly she had changed from shock to confident deception.

"Lier!" Rustam raged and pulled his fist back again. And yet, the smallest hint of doubt settled on his face.

"Maybe the howling wind confused the sound of my words," Taisha pressed on. "I don't know what you think you heard so let me tell you what I said! I have nothing to hide!"