by Aleixo on September 30th, 2013, 2:05 am
Aleixo watched with a growing sense of the surreal, feeling somehow detached from the scene, yet at the same time understanding on a profound level – a visceral level – that this was all too real. For weeks now, he’d thought about this – a new beginning – starting over – a second chance. All those trite little expressions that in a way never really registered, until now. Until today. This morning he had awoken knowing that today would be the day. The day that he, and Antia, would be auctioned off. Oh, they could call it what they liked, the Drykas. He knew many of them were having a hard time thinking of their raiding as what it truly was – kidnapping. Enslavement. Sylirans had died because of the Drykas need for fresh blood, for new bodies to fill in their depleted ranks. The Drykas had sustained losses too, from the raids. This much Aleixo had learned from the others who had been captured. He himself could not technically be called a captive. He had come of his own free will, though, if his sister hadn’t been held hostage he in all probability would not be here, at this moment. He’d be on his way to Zeltiva, or there already, or dead, if the knights had caught up with him. So, yes, technically, he was here of his own volition, not wishing to part from Antia. But now, with his arm wrapped protectively about her thin shoulders, it was really sinking in. In the next few minutes, they might well be separated, sent to different homes – pavilions as they were called here. Slowly, he was learning a smattering of Drykas words. That was one of them. It meant a family. It also meant a physical home, though they were not permanently affixed to the land. Back in Syliras he had heard of the horse people, and how they wandered about the great plain of swaying grass, never settling in one place. But then, he’d paid little mind to the tales. Then, he’d never, ever imagined that one day he would join them, the horse riders – join them with the intent – the hope? – that he would become one of them, at one level or another.
So here he was, sat next to his younger sister, feeling her trembling as she leaned against his solid strength. Her belly was still flat and lean, the journey to the city of tents had been hard on her, and she could keep hardly anything down. He worried about the child, as unwanted as it was. That is to say, perhaps the Drykas would welcome a new baby into their midst. But given the tiny being’s origins, its birth would be only a sad reminder to its mother about what had triggered this series of unfortunate events. For now, though, Antia could have passed more easily for a ghost than a pregnant girl, she was so thin, so weak. Alexio swallowed hard and hugged her to him, trying to give her some of his strength, willing her to endure, and improve, though he feared greatly that she would continue to dwindle. The were greatly alike in looks, in their features, but they hardly passed as siblings now, she was so wan, and looked so fragile. He wondered who would want to risk taking her in. He could only hope the prospect of a baby would be a selling point – and that whatever man might have her would be kind to her.
For that was the secondary point to all this. That was why the Drykas sought out females, in preference to males. They needed children. They needed to replenish their numbers. They needed wives. Aleixo was well aware that he was one of but a few males in today’s auction, and that all of his gender were here freely, or at least as freely as he was. The Drykas needed wombs, to grow children, and breasts to nurse them. Whatever males they had accepted would be welcome for their arms, their strength, and whatever skills they brought with them. But the females were far more valuable, as were the children who had been captured. And that would be his sister’s destiny, if she survived. To marry some horse rider and bear his children – well, it was not so very different from her prospective future in Syliras, or Zeltiva, was it? Work, marry, bear children – that was a woman’s lot. So far as he had seen, the women of Endrykas were no different. In fact, many were second or third wives. Apparently the males here faced so many dangers in the sea of grass that their numbers were even fewer than the females. One of the other captives who spoke some Pavi had told Aleixo that here all were forced to marry, and men were required to take extra wives if they could afford to keep them. This idea seemed insane to Aleixo. It was hard enough to live with one woman’s moodiness. What man could handle living with two or three? In this regard, he was glad that he was not Drykas.
It hadn’t yet occurred to him that he might too be expected to participate in this baby production effort…
He drew in a deep breath, as yet another captive was “sold” and the Drykas man who’d claimed her stepped to the side to make his payment. Then he heard it, at last.
“Bring them forward.”
The words were a jumble in Aleixo’s ears, but he saw the Drykas who was running the show motioning towards himself and his sister. One of the assistants was then motioning to them as well, and Aleixo understood the word – ”Come.”
Helping Antia to stand as he did so himself, Aleixo hesitated to let go of her, she seemed to unsteady. With his arm then wrapped about her waist, he led her forward slowly, and she clung to him like a leaf quivering in a high breeze.
“Shhh…don’t worry, darling. It will be alright,” he whispered in her ear, trying to comfort her, though he knew his words held no ward against the very real possibility that in a few minutes she would be lead away in one direction and he in the other. Over his whispers, the auctioneer was beginning to introduce the pair.
“Here are Antia, and her brother Aleixo. And we have every reason to believe Antia is carrying a child within her. You can see that they are close – it would be a sad thing to separate them. Are there any present who want to give all three a home? Who will be their new family?”
The words held a ring of kindness. But never before had Aleixo ever felt so much like a prize pig on sale at the Slyiras stock market pens. Next to him, Antia sobbed and hid her face against his chest.
Speaking Common:
Speaking Pavi
