Book 2 Season's Change Spring's Revenge

Part 39 What Is Right

Avriel spent the last few hours of the night with Fet sitting in the tree in reverie. He didn't know how the fet took his rest and he hoped that the little they would get would be enough for him. While he rested he was in tune with the animals and the forest around him. He took great comfort in Katana's presence in his rest. He opened his eyes just before the first light of the sun kissed the horizon. He woke Fet and dropped down out of the tree. He gathered all their gear and Katana's, took a meal and saddled the mare. "You ready for this, Fet? -- yeah me too." They traveled just a bit behind the caravan just as they had the previous day. Avriel's eyes barely left the rear wagon of the caravan as they walked among the travelers headed to the city to trade their wares. He listened to the merchants and farmers all around him. Most of it was senseless dribble about crops and hunting grounds but one conversation between a farmer and a merchant caught his attention.

"What do you think is in those wagons ahead?"

"I do not know. What? I've never seen carts like those before. Whatever it is it must be valuable. Did you see how many guards they have? All in the same armor too."

"Some would say the cargo is valuable. Perhaps the most valuable thing in all the world."

"Gold, Mithril?"

"Don't be silly. You could never move a wagon loaded with either of those things."

"Then what? What is more valuable than gold?" Avriel's stomach turned at the merchant's line of thought and obvious preference for coin over life.

"People."

"People?" The merchant's disdain was just as clear as the farmer's disgust.

"People are far more valuable than any coin. It is a shame. Those people would be good to have to help in the fields. But they will go to the coast. The caravan will pick more, exotic slaves and then cart them back and off up to the far north and east, I think. Slaves. They don't get paid for their work. It's deplorable I tell you."

"Deplorable?"

"Yes! People should be paid a fair wage for the work done. If that cannot be provided, then food and lodging should be."

"You're crazy, old man. Bandashite crazy." The merchant laughed and walked his horse and wagon past the old farmer.

Avriel took his place. "You are far from crazy. Every man and woman that works should be paid for their work. Food and Lodging should be a part of that payment. The people that work for a man make that man's livelihood possible. Why should any one man have the right to make gains from the work that others do?"

For a moment the farmer looked at Avriel like maybe he had lost his mind somewhere on the road then he smiled and nodded. "Son, you've got the right of it. Pretty, fancy words but I hear ya. Those wagons are loaded with women and children, no men; just females and kids, taken from their homes, rumor has it some taken from their homes in the middle of the night, from small villages and independent townships from here to the lower crest of the mountains. If I had the strength boy, I would set every one of them free and rid the world of that filthy caravan leader. Fancies himself a merchant. He is nothing but a slave runner. A worthless contributor to the rot and decay of society. Despicable."

"Are there many that share your point of view?"

"Nearly everyone here." The farmer opened his arm to indicate everyone around them.

"That man sure didn't."

The farmer eyed the back of the merchant. "He is not from these lands. He sees no value in anything other than coin. Do you not think that every life, no matter how it is made, has a value? Even that worthless heap that the caravan leader is has value. He is alive, no matter his misdeeds -- and there are far too many to count in this lifetime -- he is alive and therefore he has a value; no matter how insignificant, he serves a purpose. Though, Son I dare say he would better serve as fertilizer for my crops than breathing." The farmer nodded. He held every bit of Avriel's attention. "Ask any man from these lands. All people should be free, to work where they can. No man is below another. Not a one. To the hells, Boy. Ask anyone from the marsh to the mountains even in the cities to a man they would stand. Slavery is wrong."

Avriel nodded as the farmer talked. Others joined them as they walked. Each to a man agreed; slavery was wrong.

Katana was not as uncomfortable as she had been. It turned out Donocain was correct. Avriel had come for her. He was surprised to see her. She knew this. It did not matter. She was more relieved than she knew she could be to see his face again. Her strength seemed to return, and her healing sped. When the healer checked on her that morning, he smiled softly at her as he moved between the light of the rising sun and her eyes. "I think it is safe to take this off of you now. How do you feel?" He tilted his head as he looked at her. "You seem -- I don't know. Different." Katana did not alter her expression. "Your eyes." The healer moved out of her reach. She was a threat to him like she had never been before. He closed his eyes and took stock of her injuries. "Your bones have mended, and your wounds have closed. Will you allow me to remove your bandages? I brought you clothes that should fit you better. They are clean." She looked at him as if to tell him to go to the hells. "I see we are back to not talking. Very well. I will leave your food and the clothes. You should be able to remove the bandages yourself. I will lock the door. Put your hand through the bars that I might remove your hand shackles. Once you have replaced your shirt give me back your hands. I will shackle them again and free your feet so you can get out of those breaches. She just looked at him. Donocain joined him.

"I'll see to her. One of the guards injured his hand sticking it in the horse's mouth. He'll need to be tended to."

The healer was unable to stop the bit of laughter that escaped him.

"I thought so too." Donocain took the keys from the healer as he stepped into the cage. He loomed over Katana for a long moment and stared down at her. She didn't look so feeble anymore. She looked more like a caged animal that had grown tired of its shackles. He stepped back. "Who is he?" She refused to answer. "Please?" Donocain looked at her with honest sadness in his eyes. "You are different. I feel it. He came for you. But where is he? Is he like you? A Faye that can see in the darkness? He must be. Is he a Dark like you? Dammit, woman. Why won't you answer me? You can talk to others, yet you refuse me? Why?" Her eyes asked why he had to ask. "You have your strength of heart back. He was here." He moved back out of the cage and locked the door. "Do as he said. Put your arms through the bars. Change and put them back out. Katana did as she was commanded and changed her clothing after removing the bandages that the healer had bound around her torso. She bound her breast under the shirt because she did not have her armor to protect her and the shirt was a rough weave. It irritated her skin. Once she was completely changed, she gave Donocain her feet so that he could shackle them. She let him feel safe securing that last shackle then reached through the bars and grabbed the collar of his armor. Yes, her strength had returned along with her will to live. She pulled him to the bars. "Yes," She hissed in his ear and then forced him away from her.

Thalion watched the exchange between that trite little bitch of a Dark and Donocain. If he was shocked to see Donocain jerked to the bars of her cage by strong black hands, then tossed stumbling to the ground he showed no signs of it. They healed her. Helped her to recover from injuries that would have killed her. He didn't know why or what they hoped to accomplish by doing that. They would not be able to control her much longer. They should have let the bitch die. She was going to kill them all. He just knew that he would wake one night with her standing over him taunting and teasing him, seducing him, only to slit his throat when he was relaxed. He spent every night living that dream over and over again since the moment she was brought to the caravan. He had experienced enough sleepless nights. It was time to do something about it; something about her. He knew just what he would do.