"I bought you but you're not my slave."
Her brows tightly knitted together as she walked through the crowd in the marketplace with Mythal. Andruil was not the city kind. She belonged to the forest, to the waterfall, to the plains. She could sleep with the sound of crickets chirping and wolves howling. But she was already having a headache hustling through the people haggling over prices at the stalls.
When they finally reached the plaza, Andruil heaved a deep exhale of relief. Though the plaza was not vacant. All sorts of people assembled around the stage in the center. But they were a different crowd from the marketplace. People with deeper pockets. Merchants, mages and representatives for some of the Evanuris. She spotted one of Falon'Din's men, recognized by the vallaslin on his face.
"Let's move to the front, shall we?" Mythal held her hand and led her to the front of the crowd, facing the stage. She turned to Andruil, her voice softened so that she would not be heard among the crowd. "The auction should be starting soon. Are you ready, da'lan?"
Was she ready? Andruil furrowed her brows. This was her first slave auction. How was she supposed to prepare herself for it? How was she supposed to view people as products, like the Elven woman in the marketplace haggling over the price of a bunch of rashvines?
Sensing the young Evanuris' uneasiness, Mythal placed Andruil's hand in hers. "Da'lan, I know this is going to be difficult, especially for your first time. These slaves. You would think they are people too, how can you buy them. But think of it this way. If you buy the slave, it is up to you to alleviate their pain, treat them with respect. Like a worker, or a soldier, a hunter for your case. Give them a better life rather than to be a real slave working day and night in a mine for one of those merchants."
"Like the servants that serve you in your arla." Andruil nodded, trying to wrap her head around the idea of buying a person. She has seen how Mythal treated her subjects with respect. She could do that. But... "But hahren, why don't we abolish this archaic slavery trade totally?"
Mythal shook her head and smiled with regret. "You think the Hahrentuathe will vote for it? You think Elgar'nan will approve it? Sadly, nobody is ready to change a tradition, or even worse, shake the economy by obsoleting the slavery trade, denying all these money flow."
At that moment, a ram horn sounded and the auction started. Elven men and women in tattered clothing were led onto the stage, their hands chained. Andruil couldn't help ruminating where did these slave merchants find their slaves. Were they homeless? Or were they forcefully kidnapped?
The auctioneer opened the auction by dragging the first man to the center of the stage. He held the man's shoulders and turned him around in a full circle, describing how sturdy his muscles were and how he would be suitable as a strong worker in a mine or on the field. The man's eyes were staring at the crowd but Andruil could not find any life in them. "Eight hundred gold!" Almost immediately after the auctioneer announced the starting bid, shouts were heard from the crowd, offering higher and higher bids.
Andruil merely stared at the stage as the slaves were sold to different owners in the crowd. Though she noted that Falon'Din's man alone bought five slaves. She was overwhelmed and the truth was she really couldn't bring herself to place a price tag on a person. "He will be a good hunter to assist you." Mythal interrupted her train of thought as a lanky Elven man was brought to the front of the stage.
She looked at the man. Mythal was right. He looked bony but there was some lightness in his feet when he turned; his fingers were long, suitable for mastering a bow. "Five hundred gold!" The auctioneer announced. Andruil bit her lower lip and looked at Mythal, who nodded at her.
"Six hundred!" Andruil shouted.