Free Two Heirs (The Marmoros Trilogy Book 1) by Peter Kenson

advice. Now take it” . So Marta had knelt and given him a solemn oath. The other women in the camp had seemed impressed by that but none had offered to follow suit and he had not pressed the point.
    The issue of the slaves was still unresolved. He had called them all forward in front of the men and told them they were no longer slaves, that they were free to go or to stay as they chose. Any that chose to stay, he had said, would be entered into the books of the company as a servant and would be entitled to a share in the fortunes of the company. Not as large a share as one of the fighting men but, nevertheless, something. And all he had got back was a series of blank looks. Not a flicker of expression from any of them. He didn’t know if they hadn’t understood him; the common tongue was, for the most part, not their native language, or if they just needed time for the concept of freedom to sink in. In the end he had dismissed them and given orders to the sentries that, if any of the former slaves left the camp that day, they were not to be hindered in any way.
    “How many will still be there when we return” , he wondered now.
    He had not brought the whole company with them for fear of aggravating the situation in the village. There were two men on the supply wagon, a scout on point, Bern commanding an honour guard of a dozen men and Jaks, tagging along behind like a faithful puppy. He had left Feynor in charge of the camp with instructions to organise hunting parties to bring in whatever game could be found in the surrounding woods. Food was a priority that could not wait to be dealt with.
    For the most part they had ridden in silence, Lady Falaise politely rebuffing any attempt at small talk on his part. But as they were climbing the final rise before descending to the village, he tried again.
    “Jaks has told me somewhat of the history of your people, my lady, but I would be interested to know more.”
    “Why would that concern you, my lord? You will forgive me I trust, if I say that, after today, I hope that we will never see each other again.”
    “I am sorry you feel that way, my lady, but given the circumstances, it is quite understandable. However, I am not from these parts and know little of the politics and history of the region. If I am to lead this company as it should be led, as I want to lead it, then I need that information in order to survive.”
    She turned her head to look at him directly for a minute. The she nodded and looked back at the trail ahead. “Under different circumstances, my lord, I might have been pleased to call you a friend. But events are what they are and we cannot change them.
    “What is it that you wish to know?”
    “Jaks said that you were not always a travelling folk. That once you were settled and had your own cities and towns.”
    “Only one, my lord, Marmoros. The most beautiful city in the world. The city had its own marble quarry and so all the principle buildings in the city were constructed, or at least faced with marble. There were fountains and waterways throughout the city. There was a system of plumbing that took water, hot and cold, to every major household and to every street corner in the poorer parts of town. And the city itself sat in the Neverwinter valley, aptly named because it never was. There was a river running the length of the valley, the Savage River they called it. It flooded the lower plains every year to make the land exceptionally fertile. That was a cold river but the hills surrounding the valley were perforated with hot springs that kept the climate in the valley spring-like even when the valley itself was cut off from the outside world by snow drifts. The farmers in our community could grow two crops in every year.
    “But Jaks was wrong in one respect. We have always had travelling in our blood. The Lyenar are a race of merchants. We sent caravans to trade with every city, town and village in this region and beyond. We prospered. Marmoros