“We have come to another occasion for choosing,” said he, his eyes first upon the females and then upon the males. “Choose gladly, young riders, for there be many desirable wenches to choose from, yet I also caution you to choose wisely. The wench you take to frolic with will one fey bear your sons and daughters. Should you be unsure, give thought to it and await the next choosing. Now, we will see the beauties who await your pleasure.”
With these words, he gestured toward the young females, near whom were now a number of males. These males gently but firmly urged the females forward, sending them toward the center of the room where they began to move in a slow circle, looking out toward the young males who also moved to surround them. The female Famira, in fury, had been forced to join the others, and then Lialt’s hand was at my back. With a great shove, I was thrust forward into the midst of the circlers, and the males laughed as the outer circle of those surrounding us closed tight. I stood angrily amidst the moving females, forcing them to walk around me, refusing to give heed to the shouts of, “Circle with the others, wench!” and, “Let us see you move!” Again I folded my arms beneath my life sign and held my head high, showing that a war leader of the Hosta feared none of them. The small village females stumbled about me in their circling, urged on by the calls of the males, and even the haughty Famira moved so, obviously fearing what would come to her should she halt without permission. Her gaze touched mine and hatred flashed in those large, dark eyes, yet the hatred was not meant as mine alone. The female felt hatred for all those about her, and well was I able to share the feeling. I, too, stared about at the laughing, shouting males, seeing hunger in the eyes of many, also seeing great hatred upon the face of him called uncle, who stood behind the ring of younger males. His gaze went from Famira to me, bitterness filling his eyes and clenching his jaw muscles, yet no word of objection or intervention came from him. I knew not what ailed the male, yet it was of little moment beside my own towering anger.
The bright-lit room was close despite its size, filled with smells one might easily identify. The smell of fear clung thickly to the females, each as barefoot as I, each, perhaps, receiving the need-smell of the males, for they circled more and more tightly, attempting to take themselves from the watching, laughing males. The torches burned the air acrid from pitch, the fires added a pungent crackling, my own body added the odor of sweat, and behind all, very faint, was a sharp, spicy odor I thought I knew. My nostrils flared wide, attempting to catch more of the elusive odor, yet the body smells of male and female grew too heavy to penetrate. A number of the females now moved strangely in their circling, their bodies relaxed and free from fear. They slowly stepped wide and whirled about, their arms moving up and out, then toward the males, and murmurs of appreciation arose from the watchers. Much did this movement seem to bring pleasure, and more and more of the females joined those who had already begun. A sound, high and wild, had begun somewhere behind the standing males, a thumping accompanying it, and the females seemed to catch the sounds and move with them, each moving in her own way, yet also moving with the sounds.
Then all whirled around and about save Famira and myself, I standing as I had been, she stopped on the far side of the circle, her fists clenched, her body bent forward. Sweat shone on the face of her, and she searched the features of those males who stood about as though desperately seeking a particular one. More and more tightly was her body held as she searched from face to face, and then that occurred which took my attention from her. From the corner of my eye, I saw a leather rope flash out, falling about the body of a female who whirled with her arms high above her head. The rope tightened, halting the female in her whirling, and then was she drawn toward the male who had thrown the rope. Rapidly, her chest rose and fell, her eyes unstraying from the face of the male before her, he grinning slightly, then slowly laughing aloud as she attempted to resist the pull of the leather. Hand over hand, with little or no effort, the male drew her toward him, and when she was within his arms, he lifted her from the floor and carried her away, her own arms tight about the neck of him. The circle closed about the place he had left, and other ropes flashed out to fall about others of the whirling females.
Nearly two hands of females had been taken from the circling, moving throng, when a scream rang out, stopping laughter and movement alike. My hand aching for the presence of a sword, I sent my eyes about, searching for the source of the scream, and found that the female Famira had gotten herself well within the confines of a rope. The leather lay tight about her arms and body, yet she struggled wildly, attempting to free herself. The male who had thrown the leather laughed at her struggles and slowly, slowly, drew her to him, causing her to throw back her head and scream again and again. The screams continued till she was no more than three paces from the male, then she frantically raised her arms as best she could, and held to the leather which drew her forward.
“No, Cimilan, no!” she begged, her face drawn with fear. “Choose another from the circle as your woman, not I!”
The male, as large and as broad as Ceralt, laughed well at the pleading female. “But it is you I have always wanted, Famira,” he said, strong teeth showing in his dark face. “It was you, was it not, who laughed in ridicule when I first attempted to smile upon you? It was you, was it not, who boasted that a better man than I would draw you from the circle? Did you not scorn my very presence, saying that you were far too good for one such as I? Where is your superior suitor now, Famira? Why does he not come forward to challenge my claim?”
The frightened female did no more than shake her head, attempting to deny, not his words, but his intent. Surely she knew that the male would soon take his vengeance upon her, yet still she attempted to deny the consequences of her past actions. Briefly my thoughts touched Fayan, sister warrior to me in happier feyd, and I wondered how she had fared at the hands of Nidisar. So far away were the Hosta, so far from their war leader and their home lands. The constant ache in me throbbed with the thought, an unhealed wound which seemed destined to fester forever.
And then another rope flew, one which came from my right and settled about me in the same way that Famira had been taken, pinning my arms to my sides. I snapped my head about and saw Balinod, the male of the lanthay enclosure, his fist tight upon the leather, a laugh strong upon his face. Many another male laughed as well, for they saw me as naught save one like Famira, yet I was no empty-headed village slave-woman. Jalav herself had taken many wild mounts with tightened leather, and knew well enough that the leather remained tightened only with the pull of resistance. As quickly as thought, I jumped toward the male, bringing my arms out and away from my body, loosening the loop about me, and finally throwing it off. The male Balinod was caught unawares, and his frantic, over-late pull brought him naught save an empty loop. I returned to where I had stood to the sound of much laughter, yet the laughter was not directed toward me. Balinod, red-faced and furious, was the object of the ridicule, a thing his foolish actions had earned him well. With hands upon hips, I tossed my head to rid my face of loose-flying hair. keeping my eyes carefully upon the infuriated male who was then recoiling his leather. Should he be so foolish as to cast at me again, he would learn the true speed of a Hosta.
And then a loop dropped upon me from behind, one that closed tight upon the instant it settled. I twisted about, cursing at my inattention to any save Balinod—and saw Ceralt, his fist hard upon the leather, a wide grin splitting his face. In fury, I fought the hold of the leather, again attempting to move toward the male who had thrown at me, yet Ceralt was not like Balinod. Full alert was he to my movement, stepping back as I stepped forward, and then I saw the knots which had been placed in his leather. The knots were doubled toward their top, allowing the small loop through which the leather passed to draw tight, yet doing much to obstruct backward movement. Ceralt circled right, keeping the small loop tight against the knots, and slowly began to draw the leather through his hands. Against my will was I pulled toward him, a dragging step at a time, the edges of the leather digging into my arms through the garment I wore, my hair pinned behind me as my arms were pinned to my sides. The wood of the floor was smooth and worn, offering no foothold in aid of resistance, and Ceralt loomed closer and closer, his light eyes triumphant and very, very pleased. Another step was forced upon me, and another—and then a second loop flashed past my eyes to settle below my breasts, just above Ceralt’s leather. Exclamations came from about the dwelling, male voices rose in a flurry of murmurs then died away, and Ceralt’s eyes no longer showed pleasure. Snarling anger flashed there as his gaze went past my shoulder, and he no longer drew me to him. Though I was caught between the two loops and could not turn, I had no doubt that Balinod stood behind me, his leather at last secure about me. I attempted to use the interruption to loosen myself from the loops, yet found the thing impossible as both males held fast to their lines. The warmth of the dwelling had increased tremendously, and the brightness of the torches caused an ache to the eyes.