Free Dawn of Empire by Sam Barone

Esk
    kar noted in surprise that somebody had
    cleaned and packed down the dirt floor, thrown out most of the refuse, and moved his few belongings in there as well. Some of the men had anticipated his promotion.
    The thought of his possessions made him smile. It wouldn’t have taken long to move a thin blanket, a tunic, an old horse sword, and a common short sword.
    A fire burned in the tiny hearth and someone had piled a stack of wood nearby. A soldier entered, bringing a precious candle that he set in a pool of wax on the rough table in the center of the room. The soldier glanced admiringly at Trella, then grinned at Esk kar before he left them.
    Esk kar closed the door and leaned against it, the crowd noises already fading as his men started herding the villagers away. The candle flared up, adding its light to that of the fire.
    Trella walked slowly around the room. Esk kar’s eyes followed her as she took in her new home. She removed her cloak, then hung it on a peg near the door. From a pocket of her dress she removed a small pouch that no doubt contained the rest of her possessions, and hung it over the same peg. She crossed over to the fireplace, then turned and stood facing him, her head held high.
    Esk kar saw the swell of her breasts against the thin dress as she took a deep breath and let her eyes meet his.
    “I was told your name is ‘Esk kar,’ that you’re a barbarian, and that I’m given to you as your slave.” She couldn’t keep the hint of bitterness out of her voice when she uttered the word slave . “Creta didn’t say that you are now captain of the guard.”
    “The steppes people don’t consider themselves barbarians, Trella.
    They’re the same as any other clan, except they move from place to place.
    But I left them long ago, when I was fourteen, and I’ve lived among the farms and villages ever since, selling my sword. I’m just a soldier, and only the cowardice of Ariamus has made me captain of the guard.”
    Esk kar still had his back to the door, and faintly he heard a guard take up position outside. The crowd noise had disappeared, save for an occasional distant shout as his men went about their assignments.
    His men. The words sounded good. The day had started badly, but by day’s end, he’d become captain of the guard with his own room, his own woman slave, and a bag of gold arriving in the morning. Perhaps the gods smiled on him after all. His future prospects seemed good, at least for the next few months, when the Alur Meriki would likely cut off his head and impale it on a lance. No sense worrying about that tonight, though.
    “My father was advisor to the ruler of the village of Carnax,” Trella went on. “They were both killed by treachery, and my brother and I sold into slavery. Now I belong to you.”
    Esk kar wondered whether she told the truth. Everyone knew that all slaves lied about their past. Her parents could be peasants in the field who sold their daughter for a few coins because the rains came late or the sow died. He’d never heard of Carnax and in truth, it mattered little what she said or claimed. Trella was a slave and would be so for the rest of her life.
    He saw the tension in her body and guessed that she would resist him when he took her.
    To his surprise, the thought of taking her brought no excitement, and suddenly his legs felt as weary as his head. He pushed himself away from the door. The movement brought fear to Trella’s eyes. She took a step backward, her hands coming up to cross over her breasts.
    He sat down at the table and stared at the burning candle for a moment. “Trella, today has been long, and filled with many surprises for both of us.”
    Until now he hadn’t realized how much effort it had taken him to talk to Nicar, forcing himself to think and to present his plans and ideas clearly. Swinging a sword or cracking skulls took less effort, and he knew he’d spoken more words today than in the last month. His head wasn’t used to