Tegan whimpered as she came awake on the ground. Before she opened her
eyes, she could tell something was not quite right. Her arms were latched
together and she was cold. As she wiggled to get feeling back into her
limbs, she realized that her clothes were missing. Frightened that she was
naked, she opened her eyes with a start.
She pushed off the ground with her bound hands and glanced downward. She was not completely naked, but her clothes were nowhere to be seen. In their place were pieces of leather, gray and black, that barely covered her breasts and shoulders. At her hips was a swatch of black silk that hung to the middle of her thighs.
"Hell's teeth," she groaned and sat back, raising her hands to her head. "I lose consciousness and they slap me in an excuse of a harem dress…" She tried to stretch the leather as it bit into her skin. "Rabbits."
"Peace, little one…"
Tegan turned her head to see an older woman sitting on a bench near her. "What?"
"It is the same for all of us, when we first arrive here that is…it was the same for me a fortnight ago."
"And where…" Tegan asked, climbing to her feet. "…exactly is here? And who are you?"
The room was small, maybe six feet by eight feet. The walls were stone; it was clear that it was part of a cave. Several women sat, huddled on the two benches and in the corners. They were dressed as she was.
"This is the holding cell for the Seller's Circle. And my name is Jessica."
"Seller's Circle?"
"Oh yes, my dear…the Seller's Circle for Women…of the Nightyearners, I believe. I don't rightly know, though," Jessica smiled as if she found something particularly funny. "I was not in the mood to ask when they…abducted me."
"Neither was I," Tegan confided. She dusted off her legs and sat down on the bench. Kelan moved her legs to give her room. "Is there anyway to get these…" she held up her bound wrists. "Off?"
Jessica offered her bound wrists for view. "No."
"Rabbits," Tegan swore. She hung her head and sighed. "A paradise planet, and I have to run into a bunch of men that…." She stopped and stared at Kelan. "They sell women?!"
"Oh yes. We are to be sold in three days at the Seller's Circle."
"For what purpose?" Tegan asked, rubbing at her neck, her brown eyes wide.
"Slavery…what else would a slavery ring sell us for, my dear? Have you never heard of the Nightyearners?"
Tegan stopped moving and closed her eyes in disgust. "Oh that's just great!"
**
Jandar leaned on the pole and glanced at the women below. As far as he could see, scores of women milled, some talking, most not. His eyes fell on the single brunette in the crowd. Epsilon 3 was renown for its blond and red headed women. Turning from the pole, he conferred with his second in command. "And what else does His Majesty say?"
"The scout says that if we turn over the silver piece with the emerald orbs, we will be well paid and can keep a larger portion of the sales." Len answered. A man in his twenties, he was tall and extremely youthful looking.
"Your opinion?"
"That if he is that generous it only means that he has another seller for the piece that will…procure higher returns."
Jandar nodded. "My thoughts exactly. King Lazotan is not known for his generosity." He watched the women again for a moment and then continued, his brown eyes searching the new additions. "And find out who his buyer is…we might be able to negotiate ourselves for a better deal."
"At the expense of the King? He will not be thankful. Jandar…you can only press your luck so far."
"And no further?" Jandar laughed, leaning heavily on the bar. "Information is better than ignorance in this business. We do have the upper hand if he chooses to be 'upset' with us; after all…why should a King be involved with a slaver?"
Len grinned widely. "Just your presence is enough, I should think, to make the issue prominent in the minds of the lords."
"Oh I would expect so," he grinned evilly. "But I want to know to whom and why he is needing that piece. Well before the selling date, Len." As his second in command began to retreat from him, he called out, indicating the women below. "And I want to see the little brunette that you captured in the holding cave yesterday. Her training might bring in extra coinage."
Len nodded and walked away, leaving Jandar leaning into the bar, a smile on his face.
**
"Stand here."
Tegan grimaced at the man as he pointed to a place by a large garnet colored cushion. He left the small room after he looked her up and down. If her feet had not been shackled together and if her hands had been her own, she might have tried to run. But she didn't know where she was nor where the way to freedom was. She sighed and sank down onto the cushion. As she closed her eyes, a loud voice boomed in the small area. "You were not given permission to sit."
She glanced up wearily. "And you are?"
"And you were not given permission to speak."
With a groan, she pushed to her feet. "Look all I want to know is where I am and who you are."
The man walked forward and reached out to grab at her chin, yanking it up and making her eyes meet his. "Silence until I ask for your speech."
Tegan glared at him but wisely kept her mouth shut. The man sighed. "I am known as Jandar. What is your name, slave?"
"None of your business…" she growled, unwisely. Jandar nodded once and held out his hand to the side. A quick snap with his fingers brought a small boy with a stick to his side. The pole was taken and he twisted a small knob.
"Woman…this is a pain stick. It can inflict pain on so many different levels…I have it set on the lowest possible setting right now. I need only touch your skin for this to inflict bone shattering pain." He twisted the pole in front of her face. "Now…I will ask you again: what is your name?"
Tegan watched the pole for a moment, breathing shallowly. How much did he mean what he was saying? For some reason, she did not want to test him. "Tegan Jovanka," she answered, holding her chin defiantly. He might make her answer him, but she didn't have to be meek about it. Jandar clucked his tongue and touched the back of her knee with the edge.
She gasped, barely restraining a scream as her knee buckled.
With a rueful shake of his head, he watched her where she huddled on the ground. "Thank you for that answer, Tegan of Jovanka, but you showed your…defiance a little too freely. Slaves earn more when they are meek. This will be the start of your training. Learn your lessons quickly and your pain will be minimal."
Tegan glared up at the man as she held her calf in a crouch, her brown eyes alit with hatred. With a gasp, she bit her lip. Now you tell me, she thought. He stood back and allowed her to rise.
**
The keep of the castle was full of hay and various livestock. Cassiopeia walked amongst the cattle as they listed in the open area; her nose covered in a delicate lace kerchief. She stopped and looked in shock at the animals. Her father watched her from the balcony above the courtyard. He laughed silently at the disgusted look on her face. He glanced over his shoulder at the young king.
"No thank you," he sighed, waving his hand, denying himself the drink that was offered. Lazotan shook his head with a laugh and walked forward to the window. He glanced down at the open area below and the girl walking amongst the livestock. The man nodded almost proudly. "She is not fluent in the ways of other civilizations."
"But as brilliant as other Time Lords."
"But of course. Just…"
"Sheltered?" Lazotan offered.
"Yes…very," the man answered. He turned and faced the young king, eye to eye. "Enough of my family, however much I like to talk about them, Lazotan. Have you found the piece that I have asked about?"
Lazotan nodded, swallowing his wine quickly in order to speak. "Apparently one of the more violent of our slaver rings has acquired the piece of which you spoke. How these scoundrels find and hoard these pieces of witchcraft and Time Lord wizardry is beyond me sometimes. Needless to say, they were rather…greedy about the piece…. the price, I'm afraid, will be rather high."
"Your petty political squabbles and monetary problems do not concern me, Lazotan," the Time Lord said, leaning out the window to stare at his young, pretty daughter. "Name the price and you shall receive it. I only need the piece delivered to me whole and undamaged. It is imperative for my plans." He turned and sized up the smaller, more compact and younger, king and narrowed his dark eyes. "But if I find that you withhold the piece from me, you will feel my wrath. Your position means nothing to me."
The young king widened his eyes, trying, in vain, to convey honesty. "I assure you that the piece will be delivered to you, Time Lord, in its entirety and with all due haste."
With a raised eyebrow, the Time Lord nodded and faced out the window again. His daughter was gone, undoubtedly on the way up the stairs to join him. With a grin, he nodded with satisfaction. He had a task for her to do; she needed to intercept an old friend.
**
Adric was happy. As strange as it seemed, in the midst of his confusion, a foreign and strange planet, dressed in clothes that were somewhat uncomfortable, he was happy. He sat astride a horse, dressed in loose brown pants and a white shirt held together only by laces and a pair knee- high brown boots. No, he thought with an inaudible sigh, the clothes were uncomfortable. It was Nyssa, sitting in front of him, riding the horse sidesaddle that made him happy. She rested back against his arm, her brown curls tumbling across his skin. Her smile gave her mutual happiness away.
"What?" he asked.
"This…" Nyssa answered, waving her hand towards the landscape. Adric glanced around them. There were five other horses in their traveling party: two in front of them, two in back. The sun was breaking through the branches overhead to create lacework patterns on the ground. The world was a study of brown, green and blue. The wind caused the leaves overhead to rustle and birds chirped merrily from somewhere on high. "This is just like Traken. All this nature, the peace…"
"The peace is tenuous."
Adric twisted in his saddle to see Elrind approach from behind. The path was just wide enough to accommodate two horses.
"What do you mean?" Nyssa asked, her voice conveying her curiosity.
Elrind settled from his tight sitting position into a relaxed one, his hands releasing the reins. Adric nodded a greeting. "The Doctor said that this planet was known for its beauty and peace."
The elder nodded, leaning forward on his horse. "It is…I suppose…I do not associate with off-worlders enough to know about the rumors of our planet. We do not engage in large scale manslaughters that the Doctor has talked of on other planets…"
"Yes…like Earth," Adric answered, agreeing.
Elrind glanced off into the trees and continued. "But we do war between tribes, villages. Slavers take women; our warriors take them back. Slavers sell our women to other villages; we find them and take retribution on those who bought them. Where we do not fight large battles, we do see death, young Adric."
Nyssa sighed, shaking her head. "So much beauty ruined by violence…it is the same everywhere."
Adric had other concerns. "This seller's circle? I understand that they do not allow otherworlders."
"The Doctor seems to have told you a fair amount about our practices. No, they do not allow otherworlders as you put it. That is why you are dressed as you are."
"How do you know the Doctor?"
"He helped us out before, Nyssa, and I owe him much. I will guard you as I would and will my own children."
Adric sighed and Nyssa smiled. The boy's curiosity was legendary when it came to his mentor. He wanted to know what the Doctor had done for this man. "And the Doctor?"
"Is on the perilous journey. He will be traveling to free your other young friend."
**
Kilred glanced back at the Time Lord. Although he knew little of the race other than their mythical qualities of body transformation, he had a strange notion to trust this man. For a wizard, he sat a horse well. He was without his strange light colored coat and woven sweater. In fact, he wore only a white shirt and no armor. They had recently slowed their mounts as they left the forest and climbed onto the Midridge that separated the plains from the mountain ranges in the south.
"Time Lord…have you no armor?"
"Hmm?" the Doctor answered, leaning forward on the horse, his hands braced against the mane. "Armor? No. Have never had any need of any. And you can call me Doctor if you wish…Time Lord is rather…formal."
"You are a lord, are you not? As the lords on our world…Elrind has explained this," Kilred shook his head and stopped his horse. The mountain range rose sharply in the distance, gray and menacing against the clear blue sky. The Doctor stopped as well to gaze out at the landscape. "I do not understand…"
"I am a lord…of sorts," the Doctor confided, quietly. "By training and education…not by birth…my children would not be as I am; I cannot pass the title on by birthright." He squinted in the sun. "Our destination?"
"Is beyond that line of mountains in front of us…there is a pass a day's ride from here." Kilred patted his mount. "The horses should be rested before we attempt the uphill climb to take us through the passage."
"Do we have a day?" the Doctor asked, pulling on the reins to turn the horse from the view. The warrior did as his companion and directed his mount away from the view and along the raised land.
"The sale will be in three days. If we arrive as a pair of men wishing to purchase a woman rather than a pair of men hard bent on retrieving our mates from the slavers, we will have a better chance."
"Oh…Tegan is not my mate, Kilred," the Doctor said. "From what Elrind has said, however, I gather that your mate was taken by the Nightyearners."
"My Jessica…yes…" Kilred answered, spurring his mount to pass the Doctor. The Time Lord might be a good ride, but he had proven himself lacking in direction sense. He did not know how someone as smart as this man could be so…naïve about such commonsensible things as direction and armor. "She was taken two weeks ago on a raid of the village before we returned from our battle against the Welk."
The Doctor nodded. "I am sorry, Kilred…we will get her out…I promise as I promise I will liberate Tegan." He waited a few moments and then continued. "I need to sample their wares, as well. I need to see what other material they have…what other…"
"Wizardry?"
"Yes."
"Then we should ride hard, Time Lord and camp at the base of the passage tonight."
The Doctor agreed, leaning forward into his mount and allowing the horse to run almost free, neck to neck with the warrior's.
She pushed off the ground with her bound hands and glanced downward. She was not completely naked, but her clothes were nowhere to be seen. In their place were pieces of leather, gray and black, that barely covered her breasts and shoulders. At her hips was a swatch of black silk that hung to the middle of her thighs.
"Hell's teeth," she groaned and sat back, raising her hands to her head. "I lose consciousness and they slap me in an excuse of a harem dress…" She tried to stretch the leather as it bit into her skin. "Rabbits."
"Peace, little one…"
Tegan turned her head to see an older woman sitting on a bench near her. "What?"
"It is the same for all of us, when we first arrive here that is…it was the same for me a fortnight ago."
"And where…" Tegan asked, climbing to her feet. "…exactly is here? And who are you?"
The room was small, maybe six feet by eight feet. The walls were stone; it was clear that it was part of a cave. Several women sat, huddled on the two benches and in the corners. They were dressed as she was.
"This is the holding cell for the Seller's Circle. And my name is Jessica."
"Seller's Circle?"
"Oh yes, my dear…the Seller's Circle for Women…of the Nightyearners, I believe. I don't rightly know, though," Jessica smiled as if she found something particularly funny. "I was not in the mood to ask when they…abducted me."
"Neither was I," Tegan confided. She dusted off her legs and sat down on the bench. Kelan moved her legs to give her room. "Is there anyway to get these…" she held up her bound wrists. "Off?"
Jessica offered her bound wrists for view. "No."
"Rabbits," Tegan swore. She hung her head and sighed. "A paradise planet, and I have to run into a bunch of men that…." She stopped and stared at Kelan. "They sell women?!"
"Oh yes. We are to be sold in three days at the Seller's Circle."
"For what purpose?" Tegan asked, rubbing at her neck, her brown eyes wide.
"Slavery…what else would a slavery ring sell us for, my dear? Have you never heard of the Nightyearners?"
Tegan stopped moving and closed her eyes in disgust. "Oh that's just great!"
**
Jandar leaned on the pole and glanced at the women below. As far as he could see, scores of women milled, some talking, most not. His eyes fell on the single brunette in the crowd. Epsilon 3 was renown for its blond and red headed women. Turning from the pole, he conferred with his second in command. "And what else does His Majesty say?"
"The scout says that if we turn over the silver piece with the emerald orbs, we will be well paid and can keep a larger portion of the sales." Len answered. A man in his twenties, he was tall and extremely youthful looking.
"Your opinion?"
"That if he is that generous it only means that he has another seller for the piece that will…procure higher returns."
Jandar nodded. "My thoughts exactly. King Lazotan is not known for his generosity." He watched the women again for a moment and then continued, his brown eyes searching the new additions. "And find out who his buyer is…we might be able to negotiate ourselves for a better deal."
"At the expense of the King? He will not be thankful. Jandar…you can only press your luck so far."
"And no further?" Jandar laughed, leaning heavily on the bar. "Information is better than ignorance in this business. We do have the upper hand if he chooses to be 'upset' with us; after all…why should a King be involved with a slaver?"
Len grinned widely. "Just your presence is enough, I should think, to make the issue prominent in the minds of the lords."
"Oh I would expect so," he grinned evilly. "But I want to know to whom and why he is needing that piece. Well before the selling date, Len." As his second in command began to retreat from him, he called out, indicating the women below. "And I want to see the little brunette that you captured in the holding cave yesterday. Her training might bring in extra coinage."
Len nodded and walked away, leaving Jandar leaning into the bar, a smile on his face.
**
"Stand here."
Tegan grimaced at the man as he pointed to a place by a large garnet colored cushion. He left the small room after he looked her up and down. If her feet had not been shackled together and if her hands had been her own, she might have tried to run. But she didn't know where she was nor where the way to freedom was. She sighed and sank down onto the cushion. As she closed her eyes, a loud voice boomed in the small area. "You were not given permission to sit."
She glanced up wearily. "And you are?"
"And you were not given permission to speak."
With a groan, she pushed to her feet. "Look all I want to know is where I am and who you are."
The man walked forward and reached out to grab at her chin, yanking it up and making her eyes meet his. "Silence until I ask for your speech."
Tegan glared at him but wisely kept her mouth shut. The man sighed. "I am known as Jandar. What is your name, slave?"
"None of your business…" she growled, unwisely. Jandar nodded once and held out his hand to the side. A quick snap with his fingers brought a small boy with a stick to his side. The pole was taken and he twisted a small knob.
"Woman…this is a pain stick. It can inflict pain on so many different levels…I have it set on the lowest possible setting right now. I need only touch your skin for this to inflict bone shattering pain." He twisted the pole in front of her face. "Now…I will ask you again: what is your name?"
Tegan watched the pole for a moment, breathing shallowly. How much did he mean what he was saying? For some reason, she did not want to test him. "Tegan Jovanka," she answered, holding her chin defiantly. He might make her answer him, but she didn't have to be meek about it. Jandar clucked his tongue and touched the back of her knee with the edge.
She gasped, barely restraining a scream as her knee buckled.
With a rueful shake of his head, he watched her where she huddled on the ground. "Thank you for that answer, Tegan of Jovanka, but you showed your…defiance a little too freely. Slaves earn more when they are meek. This will be the start of your training. Learn your lessons quickly and your pain will be minimal."
Tegan glared up at the man as she held her calf in a crouch, her brown eyes alit with hatred. With a gasp, she bit her lip. Now you tell me, she thought. He stood back and allowed her to rise.
**
The keep of the castle was full of hay and various livestock. Cassiopeia walked amongst the cattle as they listed in the open area; her nose covered in a delicate lace kerchief. She stopped and looked in shock at the animals. Her father watched her from the balcony above the courtyard. He laughed silently at the disgusted look on her face. He glanced over his shoulder at the young king.
"No thank you," he sighed, waving his hand, denying himself the drink that was offered. Lazotan shook his head with a laugh and walked forward to the window. He glanced down at the open area below and the girl walking amongst the livestock. The man nodded almost proudly. "She is not fluent in the ways of other civilizations."
"But as brilliant as other Time Lords."
"But of course. Just…"
"Sheltered?" Lazotan offered.
"Yes…very," the man answered. He turned and faced the young king, eye to eye. "Enough of my family, however much I like to talk about them, Lazotan. Have you found the piece that I have asked about?"
Lazotan nodded, swallowing his wine quickly in order to speak. "Apparently one of the more violent of our slaver rings has acquired the piece of which you spoke. How these scoundrels find and hoard these pieces of witchcraft and Time Lord wizardry is beyond me sometimes. Needless to say, they were rather…greedy about the piece…. the price, I'm afraid, will be rather high."
"Your petty political squabbles and monetary problems do not concern me, Lazotan," the Time Lord said, leaning out the window to stare at his young, pretty daughter. "Name the price and you shall receive it. I only need the piece delivered to me whole and undamaged. It is imperative for my plans." He turned and sized up the smaller, more compact and younger, king and narrowed his dark eyes. "But if I find that you withhold the piece from me, you will feel my wrath. Your position means nothing to me."
The young king widened his eyes, trying, in vain, to convey honesty. "I assure you that the piece will be delivered to you, Time Lord, in its entirety and with all due haste."
With a raised eyebrow, the Time Lord nodded and faced out the window again. His daughter was gone, undoubtedly on the way up the stairs to join him. With a grin, he nodded with satisfaction. He had a task for her to do; she needed to intercept an old friend.
**
Adric was happy. As strange as it seemed, in the midst of his confusion, a foreign and strange planet, dressed in clothes that were somewhat uncomfortable, he was happy. He sat astride a horse, dressed in loose brown pants and a white shirt held together only by laces and a pair knee- high brown boots. No, he thought with an inaudible sigh, the clothes were uncomfortable. It was Nyssa, sitting in front of him, riding the horse sidesaddle that made him happy. She rested back against his arm, her brown curls tumbling across his skin. Her smile gave her mutual happiness away.
"What?" he asked.
"This…" Nyssa answered, waving her hand towards the landscape. Adric glanced around them. There were five other horses in their traveling party: two in front of them, two in back. The sun was breaking through the branches overhead to create lacework patterns on the ground. The world was a study of brown, green and blue. The wind caused the leaves overhead to rustle and birds chirped merrily from somewhere on high. "This is just like Traken. All this nature, the peace…"
"The peace is tenuous."
Adric twisted in his saddle to see Elrind approach from behind. The path was just wide enough to accommodate two horses.
"What do you mean?" Nyssa asked, her voice conveying her curiosity.
Elrind settled from his tight sitting position into a relaxed one, his hands releasing the reins. Adric nodded a greeting. "The Doctor said that this planet was known for its beauty and peace."
The elder nodded, leaning forward on his horse. "It is…I suppose…I do not associate with off-worlders enough to know about the rumors of our planet. We do not engage in large scale manslaughters that the Doctor has talked of on other planets…"
"Yes…like Earth," Adric answered, agreeing.
Elrind glanced off into the trees and continued. "But we do war between tribes, villages. Slavers take women; our warriors take them back. Slavers sell our women to other villages; we find them and take retribution on those who bought them. Where we do not fight large battles, we do see death, young Adric."
Nyssa sighed, shaking her head. "So much beauty ruined by violence…it is the same everywhere."
Adric had other concerns. "This seller's circle? I understand that they do not allow otherworlders."
"The Doctor seems to have told you a fair amount about our practices. No, they do not allow otherworlders as you put it. That is why you are dressed as you are."
"How do you know the Doctor?"
"He helped us out before, Nyssa, and I owe him much. I will guard you as I would and will my own children."
Adric sighed and Nyssa smiled. The boy's curiosity was legendary when it came to his mentor. He wanted to know what the Doctor had done for this man. "And the Doctor?"
"Is on the perilous journey. He will be traveling to free your other young friend."
**
Kilred glanced back at the Time Lord. Although he knew little of the race other than their mythical qualities of body transformation, he had a strange notion to trust this man. For a wizard, he sat a horse well. He was without his strange light colored coat and woven sweater. In fact, he wore only a white shirt and no armor. They had recently slowed their mounts as they left the forest and climbed onto the Midridge that separated the plains from the mountain ranges in the south.
"Time Lord…have you no armor?"
"Hmm?" the Doctor answered, leaning forward on the horse, his hands braced against the mane. "Armor? No. Have never had any need of any. And you can call me Doctor if you wish…Time Lord is rather…formal."
"You are a lord, are you not? As the lords on our world…Elrind has explained this," Kilred shook his head and stopped his horse. The mountain range rose sharply in the distance, gray and menacing against the clear blue sky. The Doctor stopped as well to gaze out at the landscape. "I do not understand…"
"I am a lord…of sorts," the Doctor confided, quietly. "By training and education…not by birth…my children would not be as I am; I cannot pass the title on by birthright." He squinted in the sun. "Our destination?"
"Is beyond that line of mountains in front of us…there is a pass a day's ride from here." Kilred patted his mount. "The horses should be rested before we attempt the uphill climb to take us through the passage."
"Do we have a day?" the Doctor asked, pulling on the reins to turn the horse from the view. The warrior did as his companion and directed his mount away from the view and along the raised land.
"The sale will be in three days. If we arrive as a pair of men wishing to purchase a woman rather than a pair of men hard bent on retrieving our mates from the slavers, we will have a better chance."
"Oh…Tegan is not my mate, Kilred," the Doctor said. "From what Elrind has said, however, I gather that your mate was taken by the Nightyearners."
"My Jessica…yes…" Kilred answered, spurring his mount to pass the Doctor. The Time Lord might be a good ride, but he had proven himself lacking in direction sense. He did not know how someone as smart as this man could be so…naïve about such commonsensible things as direction and armor. "She was taken two weeks ago on a raid of the village before we returned from our battle against the Welk."
The Doctor nodded. "I am sorry, Kilred…we will get her out…I promise as I promise I will liberate Tegan." He waited a few moments and then continued. "I need to sample their wares, as well. I need to see what other material they have…what other…"
"Wizardry?"
"Yes."
"Then we should ride hard, Time Lord and camp at the base of the passage tonight."
The Doctor agreed, leaning forward into his mount and allowing the horse to run almost free, neck to neck with the warrior's.