They nodded.
“I’ll go first,” Aranira said. She looked at Tashana, who smiled and nodded. “Tashana was married at fifteen to Dashina, who was twenty. He approved of his wife greatly, but also of his and other men’s many pleasure slaves, some of which were never properly cared for. From them he caught slavespot, which he passed on to her and to her first child – who died – and since she began to scar he won’t bed her.”
Tashana nodded, smiling despite the pain in her eyes. “At least I kept my figure.” She turned to Sharina. “Sharina was married at eighteen to Rikacha, a man fifteen years older than her. A man with no heart who beats her like a slave. She lost her first child after he hit her in the stomach. Motara threatened to stop talking to and trading with him if he ever hurt her again. Now he hits her only where it won’t show. She has two boys.”
Sharina glanced at Stara and shrugged. “But I am so lucky to have them.” She turned to Chiara. “Chiara was fourteen when she married Motara, who was eighteen. Though he is sweet and generous and appears to be fond of her, he refuses to see what we all can see. She has swelled with child twelve times, birthed eight times, and her body is worn out and broken. Each time she grows sicker and we fear it will kill her. He should let her be – let her rest, at least. How many children does a man need?”
Chiara smiled. “How can I deny him them? He does love them all – and me.”
“You don’t have any choice,” Tashana said darkly.
Sighing, Chiara turned to Aranira and her smile was strained. “Aranira married Vikaro when they were both sixteen. For the first few years all was well. She bore two children, a girl and a boy. But he lost interest in her too quickly. And in the children. It all sounded too strange, until friends of ours discovered the reason. He is infatuated with another woman. A powerful, beautiful woman who desires him in return. A widow whose husband died of an illness the slaves say was too much like poison.”
“He does not have the courage to risk my family’s anger if he is found out,” Aranira said. But there was doubt in her voice.
Stara saw the fear in the plain girl’s eyes and nodded to show her understanding. Her situation is much like Nachira’s, except at least Ikaro loves Nachira and is trying to protect her. The women turned to regard her. This is like a ritual to them, she thought. They tell each other’s stories. It is as if they all gain something from the ritual. Acknowledgement, perhaps. Yet each has made light of her own situation, too. Perhaps it helps them hold on to the good in their lives, too.
She wondered, then, at how willingly they had offered up their private lives to her. Perhaps because, as Kachiro’s wife, they had no choice but to include her in their group. Yet it felt as if they were challenging her as well as revealing themselves. Challenging her to be honest, perhaps? Or to accept their ways.
“We do what we can to help each other,” Tashana told her. “If we can, we will help you, too. So if you need help, don’t fear to ask.”
Stara nodded again. “I understand. If I can help any of you, I will,” she promised. “Though I have no idea how I could.”
Abruptly she thought of magic. It was one asset she had that they didn’t, as far as she knew. But she would not mention it unless she needed to, or could see how it might be of use to them. And though I do like what I’ve seen of them so far, I still barely know them. I’m not going to tell them any secrets until I know I can trust them.
“Admittedly, most of the time all we can offer is sympathy,” Chiara said. “But we have learned that friendship and someone to talk to is worth more than gold. Perhaps more than freedom.”
I’m not sure many slaves would agree with that, Stara thought. Still, a life with no friends or family – no loving, supportive family, that is – would be a sad one, no matter how rich and powerful you were.
Tashana began telling Stara about a friend they had helped, who had moved away with her husband to the north, to a place on the edge of the ash desert. The conversation turned to travel and Stara was surprised to find that all of the women had visited different parts of Sachaka, and most had moved to the city after they were married. Stara decided it would be safe to admit she had grown up partly in Elyne, and they bombarded her with questions about the country.
The conversation shifted and changed, sometimes informative, sometimes sad and often funny. When a slave came to announce the men were leaving Stara felt disappointment and realised she had been enjoying herself. And not just because I’ve been starved for company. I think I like these women. Which made it harder to know about their individual troubles. When she thought about their stories she felt anger stir deep inside. I do want to help them. But I have no idea how. I have magic, but what use is it here?
Magic couldn’t heal Chiara’s worn-out body, or rid Tashana of her disease. It couldn’t stop Sharina’s husband beating her, or stop Aranira’s lusting after another woman and contemplating murder. At this moment, magic seemed like a useless and pointless indulgence.
But it might discourage Kachiro from beating or trying to murder me, if he was so inclined, she thought. I wonder if I could teach Sharina and Aranira magic...
She followed as the women streamed out of the room, down the corridors and into the main meeting room. The men were on their feet, laughing at something. As the women entered they separated, moving to their wife’s side or beckoning their wife to join them. Kachiro slipped a hand lightly around Stara’s waist. He smelled of something sweet and fermented.
As the men began to voice their farewells, she forced her gaze to the ground. What she had learned about the other men made her want to stare at them. Then she noticed Chavori. The women had said nothing about the young man, except that he had recently returned from a journey to the mountains and would talk for hours about it if allowed to. He looked very drunk, she noticed. Even leaning against the wall he seemed unable to keep his balance easily.
She felt Kachiro stir. “What do you think of our young friend?” he murmured.
“I haven’t spoken to him.”
“But he is good-looking, don’t you think?”
She glanced up at Kachiro. Was this a poorly disguised test of her loyalty?
“He might be, if he wasn’t completely drunk.”
He laughed. “Indeed.” Looking up at Chavori, his eyes narrowed in assessment and approval. “I do not mind if you find him attractive,” he said, very quietly. He looked down at her again.
She looked back at him. His expression was expectant and curious. And, if she was reading him correctly, hopeful.
“I could never find him as handsome as you,” she told him.
His smile broadened and he turned away as Motara spoke his name.
What is he up to? she wondered. Is he testing me, or looking for a way for me to become pregnant? Does he have a reason to avoid siring a child?
She pondered this through the last of the farewells, on the way through the house to their wagon, and all the way home. During the journey she was acutely conscious of Vora clinging on to the wagon behind her. She itched to discuss everything with the slave. When she finally extracted herself from Kachiro’s company and retired to the bedroom, the information she’d planned to give spilled out too quickly and all jumbled together.
“Wait!” Vora exclaimed. “Are you saying he’s picked out a lover for you?”
“Not... exactly. He just said he didn’t mind if I found Chavori attractive.”
Vora nodded. “Ah,” was all she said.
“You don’t look surprised,” Stara observed.