Red and orange mages were most common. Yellow was rarer. The only greens she knew of were the Harsdown queen and the mage mistress of Aronsdale. She wasnt sure about the Aronsdale queen. Blue, maybe? She couldnt imagine an indigo mage; who could survive having that power? Some tales claimed the Aronsdale kings were mages because so many of their ancestors had married the strongest mages they could find. Although she knew of only women, she saw no obvious reason why a man couldnt be a mage.
The best Allegra could do was soothe pain and comfort people. She liked to, especially because the spells affected her, too. In theory, she could reverse them and cause pain or grief, but she had no more interest in such spells than doctors had in causing injury or illness. Besides, if she tried such spells on anyone else, she would also experience whatever she inflicted. Now, though, she wished she had learned how.
She laid her head on the stone, her wine-soaked mind filling with sadness. She thought of the songs she had learned for her loved ones, and tears slid down her face. As the oldest of seven children, she had spent a great deal of time helping care for her younger siblings, which included persuading them to sleep. She chose a lullaby from among their favorites:
Sleep little flower, sleep my wild storm
Lie in your bowers, so softly and warm
She went through several verses, crooning to the cherished siblings she might never see again. The spell calmed her, golden in its soothing power. It made her sleepy even as tears ran down her face.
Eventually she let her voice and the spell fade, and she became aware again of the river swirling around her body. Raising her head, she wiped the tears out of her eyes. Stubble stood by his rock, staring at her, his face flushed. He seemed angry, perhaps because she had taken so long.
He came to the bank and knelt down. “Come here.
Biting her lip, Allegra stayed put. She crossed one arm over her breasts and splayed the other hand over her pelvis, covering herself underwater while she pressed against the rock.
“Im not going to hurt you, he said, his voice softening. He wasnt angry, she realized, just intense. “That was beautiful. Youve an incredible voice.
Her voice shook. “Could you move back? So I can dress?
He stayed there, and she feared he would refuse, that he would pull her out of the water if she came to the bank. Then he exhaled and said, “All right. He stood up and stepped back a few paces.
Allegra swam over, staying low until she reached the bank. She reached for her tunic and pulled it on while she was in the water, soaking the portion from her hips to her thighs. When she climbed out, the cloth clung to her, the top portion damp and the bottom drenched. Water dripped down her legs.
Stubble watched her as if he were hungry. “Ach, he muttered. He spun away and strode to the rock. Then he whirled around. “All right. Lets go back. He was obviously upset, though Allegra wasnt certain if it was at her or at himself.
By the time they reached the wagon, the sun had risen high enough to scorch the day. The fourth nomad was sitting on his drivers bench above the oxen. Driver, she thought of him.
The wagon looked like the pictures in geography scrolls, the way it stood in the desert with oxen and its bright colors. Once, those drawings had seemed exotic and enticing to her, but no more. She struggled with the tears welling in her eyes. Damned if she would let them see her cry.
They were soon on their way, bumping among the jagged hills.
Throughout the day, Allegra tried to sleep, to conserve her strength and keep her wits sharp. She managed only an uneasy doze. Vardok exuded hostility, but Sot seemed more interested in his bottle than in her. Stubble read for a while, then sharpened a knife he wore on his belt. Vardok changed clothes, and Allegra averted her eyes, but not before she saw the scars on his back and legs. She wondered if he had fought in the war against the Misted Cliffs.
Later Sot drove for a while. Driver settled in the wagon where Sot had been sprawled and took bread, cheeses and dried meat out of a crate. Allegras mouth watered; they had given her only a mug of thin stew today. When she turned to Stubble, he shook his head. She clenched her fists so hard, her nails dented in her palm. Hunger gnawed in her stomach.
Eventually Driver went to work on some sort of bookkeeping scroll. Allegra wondered if they listed her on those inventories. Angry, she lay down with her back to them and pulled a carpet over her body. The cold night descended like a stone dropping. In the glades of Aronsdale, days were warm and benign, never with the oppressive heat of the desert here, yet the nights were warmer than here. Jazid was a land of extremes and honed edges.
“Ho!
Allegra lifted her head. The call came from outside. The wagon lumbered to a stop, and the lack of movement felt strange. Vardok had been dozing, but now he stirred, his gaze bleary.
“Finally, Stubble said to no one in particular. He stood up creakily and stepped over to Allegra. “Come on. Grasping her upper arm, he pulled her to her feet. “Lets go.
Apprehension tickled her throat. “Go where?
“We live here, he said. “My wife will tend to you. Tomorrow well have the auction.
Panic swelled in her. “No. I cant.
Vardok scowled at her. “Youve been a lot of trouble. Now youre going to get perfumed or coddled or however else women waste their time. So quit complaining.
“Would you call it coddling if four men grabbed you? Allegra asked. “Trussed you up, hauled you across the desert, then scrubbed you down and put you up for auction?
Vardok stared at her with incredulity. Then he turned to Driver. “Why dont you hit her? He waved his hand angrily at Stubble. “He wont let me.
Driver gave him a wry smile. “Im wary of her punch, Vardi. And her tongue.
“Is that your intellectually subtle solution to everything? Allegra asked Vardok. “Beat up people?
“Allegra, Stubble said. “Its time to go. He pulled her to the back of the wagon.
Sunset greeted them outside. The western horizon had turned a red so deep, the sky seemed on fire.
“You wanted me out of there before my refusal to act like a mouse got my face bashed, Allegra said after they jumped to the ground. “Cant rough up the goods, after all. Her words were bravado; she was scared. After the auction, no one would stop the buyer from doing whatever he wanted to her.
“Well, since you asked, Stubble said. “Yes.
“How can you do it? she asked him. “How can you make your living this way?
“Its a good living. Im a wealthy man. How do you think I could buy such a lovely wife?
“You bought your wife? Thats horrible.
Stubble seemed bewildered. “How else would I get one?
“Oh, I dont know, Allegra said. “Maybe court her. Woo her. Treat her well. Ask if shell marry you.
“It doesnt happen that way here.
“Are you selling me as a wife?
“No. A pleasure girl.
“Whats the difference?
“A woman can be a wife, a concubine or a pleasure girl. A wife has the most status. Then a concubine. A pleasure girl is just for, well He cleared his throat. “Pleasure.
“Great, Allegra muttered. She spun away from him and stalked around the wagon.
And stopped.
An astonishing camp lay before her. Brightly colored tents with peaked roofs clustered together. As the sunset darkened, people were lighting lamps that hung from poles, tinted-glass blossoms with flames flickering within. The nomads wore long robes with hoods, men in black and charcoal, women in gold or red silks. No one she could identify as a woman was alone; guards escorted the few who were out this evening.
Stubble came up beside Allegra. “Here. He wrapped one of the charcoal robes around her. “You cant go into camp undressed like that. You wouldnt get more than a few steps.
Right. But it was all right for her to spend four days cooped up in that wagon with their smelly selves. She wanted to pound her fists against him. Instead she drew in a breath, seeking calm. It could have been worse. Regardless of what he may have wanted to do to her, he had held back and kept the others off her. Bitterly she thought that might be why these mysterious buyers had chosen him to set up the auction; they knew the “merchandise would be in good condition.