Gabrielle

Women of Another Breed

My eyes fluttered open, the crust of dried tears spearing the creases of my eyes with pain. I rubbed the irritant away tiredly, rolling over in the comfort of the feathered mattress. I couldn't remembered falling asleep in the first place. The last thing I could recall was sitting up after the wolves were long gone and telling Nolan a simple outline of what had brought me here between frightened sobs. His sudden shift in attitude had made it even harder to talk, though his expression seemed to be a permanent display to grumpiness, or better explained as seriousness.

"Nolan?" I called groggily, sliding a single  tingling foot off the bed. I flinched at the soft jingle that accompanied my movement, my eyes shooting down to my foot. A bell hanging from a thin red string of yarn was wrapped loosely around my skinny ankle. The bell hung to the outside of my foot and high enough to not be a threat when I walked. I slid my other foot off of the bed to find an identical bell. 

"Don't take those off." Nolan's voice boomed from the hall leading to the main room the moment I began reaching for one of shiny bells. He was leaning against the wall, his brooding eyes on me.

"Why did you tie these to me?" I questioned.

"So that I'll always know where you are and what you're doing." His expression didn't shift, didn't tell me anything more that the few words that had left his lips.

"Are these really necessary?" I got to my feet, the cold wood harassing the bottom of my toes. I ignored the tingling sensation as I pointed my foot at Nolan making the bells at my ankles jingle.

"They are if I'm going to take you into town." His mystery filled eyes drew down my body to observe my flaunting of the surprisedly stunning sound. "The wolves have given up searching for the pig because he had wondered too far into the village. They have retreated back into the woods and I feel that an old acquaintance of mine can help us with your particular situation. Only thing is-"

He paused, blue eyes full of wonder darting back to my face. "You're too beautiful to not be targeted for the local profit. Brothels are a prominent source of income for these parts."

"Brothels? What are those?" I planted my feet in seriousness.

"Whore houses where women are kept in cages and their bodies sold for money." He rose a suspicious brow. "There are none in your village?"

My mouth went dry at his explanation, my heart dipping sympathetically before I pushed it aside. I hadn't told him of my ethnicity so I wasn't surprised he was confused on our contrast in customs. "No, we don't."

"Well, villages with more than one are a dangerous place for women." He pushed off from the wall and stood up threateningly straight. "So, don't leave my side unless I say so. And, I'm only going to say this once more: don't take those off."

I nodded but I didn't understand quite the extent of what he was saying until we arrived at the center of the village. I counted five establishments so far. All of which were elaborate houses of dirtied shell clay with thick barred cages perching out at either sides, full of women of many different races. The cages were filthy looking, rust and dried mud lining its bars. Bare legs hung from the gaps of the bars through the bottom, a dark woven blanket lining the top to keep the metal from overheating and burning the girls. Most were naked while some wore thin, dirty straps of cloth over their breasts and lower extremities, but all were uniquely beautiful.

I watched them, too far gone to beg for their freedom. They're once lively eyes were now entirely glazed over and needle scars tracked their arms. These girls were as good as dead. I knew that even if they got their freedom, they wouldn't know how to live anymore. So, I stopped counting and soon enough I stopped looking up at all. I held onto Nolan's hand like it was my own lifeline, desperate and afraid.