Enslaved

Chapter 10: Fair

After a couple of hours scouring the lower part of Caelum, they finally came away with information. Alice. The old woman who sought an audience from the King was in line inside the citadel and would return later that night. With nothing left to do, Nera pulled Thane towards the fair. She’d reason to him that they have time to spare but really she is just fascinated with the entire affair. 

He let out a grumble. “Are we really, Nera?” 

Nera only yanked on him harder, following the smell of something delicious in the air. “Come off it. The fair is probably more scared of you than you are of it.” 

He wrinkled his nose. “I am not afraid of the fair.” 

A number of tents and booths are scattered around the beautiful gardens. The temporary cloth and wood structures were of various sizes, decorated with colorful pennants and the purple and gold flag of the much awaited and highly celebrated fair. Several rows of long tables and chairs occupied a large area. Men, women and children moved hurriedly through the tents, carrying different parcels and snacking on delectable confections. Large kegs filled with mead, ale and beers are rolled into stalls while delicious looking dishes are placed in serving booths. Foaming mugs of mead, deep jugs of bourbon and flutes of wine were offered to anyone looking to forget their troubles. 

Nera’s mount watered at the sight of tasty boar meat which was being twirled by a fire. Her eyes soon trailed after baskets and baskets full of pretzels and muffins.

There were entertainment booths as well where it’s patrons could gamble and play games to win prizes. Alcohol and booze flowed to the older patrons and no cup or plate seemed to be empty. There was much to experience and Nera could only gawk not knowing what to do first. 

Amused with Nera, Thane paid a silver piece to a booth which sold spun sugar on a stick that had a texture of cotton and was in the color pink. He tapped Nera’s shoulder. When she turned to face him, her eyes widened even more and she let out an excited shriek. 

“I’ve wanted to try this since I saw it!” Her excitement overwhelms her and she leans towards him to place a kiss on his cheek. Thane flushed from the contact.

Nera didn’t seem to notice the effect of her actions as she was already chowing down on the cotton like candy. They continued on with Nera munching on various sweet treats and savory meats. All of it served on a stick for easy consumption. 

Thane treated himself to a simple beer and followed behind, letting Nera enjoy herself. 

She played games, won many and lost some. When she did lose her eyes would flicker to Thane and he knew what must be done. Without a word or any other prompting, he’d take her place and win the game for her while holding his mug of beer. 

He didn’t know why she even wanted to win when she would give her toy prizes to any child she came across. Thane didn’t comment though, he found it endearing. 

As the sun began to set, Nera thought the fair would start to die down but it was the opposite. The crowd doubled in size. Torches and lanterns were lit, basking the fair in a beautiful enchanting glow. The clinking of glasses and loud boisterous laughter surrounded Thane and Nera. A band began to play a song about battle and glory. The sky was filled with colorful floating lanterns with the royal crest on each.

Through the throngs of people, Nera takes Thane’s hand. “I’m done having fun. Let’s go find our lead.” 

“Are you sure?” He asked, tipping his mug and finishing the liquid. 

She nodded, allowing Thane to pull her towards the exit. It took a while but eventually they were back to the quiet lower part of the city. 

Nera was humming a festive tune, snacking on yet another stick of meat. He didn’t know how she got it but with Nera and food, anything was possible. 

Side by side they walked. Thane caught himself admiring Nera several times. The way she tied her fiery red hair up in a high ponytail, the way her glacier blue eyes brightened with each bite she took and the slight wiggle in her step, she did a little jig. He tore his gaze away and schooled himself to focus on the matter at hand. 

He led the way as they followed the instructions given from earlier until they went deeper into the lower city. Hardly any torches were lit and the sour stench seemed to triple. The houses here are barely keeping themselves together but for Thane who spent most of his life on the road or sleeping on streets, having a home no matter what it looked like was already a great comfort.  

Minutes later and they arrive at a small home made of wood. Sharing a look, Thane knocked on the door. Supposedly, the old woman had a distant relative where she was staying in Caelum. 

The door was answered by a sniffling elderly woman whose hair was as white as snow. She was hunched over and looked to have had the worst day of her life. She wiped at her nose with the bottom of her dirty skirts. 

“Alice?” Nera asked softly.

The old woman shook and sniffled. “Y-yes. Do I know you?” 

“We...” Nera stopped herself, searching for the right words. “We heard about your village being raided. We’ve come to help you.” 

Alice looked up, eyes welling with tears. “The King didn’t believe me. I told him they were slavers but he said they were long taken care of. I told him that the slavers came at night with caravans filled with cages and chains. He said... he said I was lying.” 

“Where’s your village?” Thane question, his mood shifting. 

“Tosa, it’s north of here.” She whispered, eyes wide with horror. “Everyone... everyone I knew was taken by this gruesome looking man. He had an axe and wore a thick fire coat.” 

Brutus. He personally enjoyed joining raids for the sole pleasure of seeing his captives lose hope at the mere sight of him.

Nera’s lips trembled. She knew that man well. “How did you escape?” 

“My son hid me in the woods when the attack came. He was taken too. Shackled. I saw it. You have to believe me.” Alice’s shaking hands reached for Nera, begging. 

“We do believe you.” Nera reassured solemnly. 

Thane fought a wince from showing. The sounds of screams, the heat of the fires and the smell of coppery blood plagued his senses. He was remembering what transpired ten years ago and he hated how this woman was suffering for it as well. Thane hated how it still affected him. He’s faced them before and was the main reason Brutus went on the run yet there are moments when it all comes back to him and the ability to breath seems to abandon him. 

He blinked in surprise when the door of the house closed and the sniffling woman disappeared with it. Had he blacked out the rest of the conversation? By the look on Nera’s troubled expression he had. 

“Tosa.” She murmured. “It’s...”

Thane perused his lips having been there once. He never wished to return again. “A ghost town even before the raid.” 

Nera shuddered and swallowed. “The poverty there is— horrid.”

“They also had a plague a few years ago.” He remarked helpfully. 

Nera bit her lower lip. “I guess we’re going to Tosa.” 

“It seems so.” 

The walk back to the inn is quiet. Both were reliving moments of their lives they wished to never live through again. Yet... here they were, tracking the very man they were afraid of. 

All too soon, they arrive at the inn, Cassandra greets them first sending longing looks towards Thane who didn’t notice her. The inn itself is loud and still celebrating the fair with everyone in high spirits. However, the two retreat to their room and find peace within.

Together they fall into the bed with a few inches between them, eyes towards the ceiling and breaths getting caught in their throat. At that moment, they were little children again afraid of the monster called Brutus. 

Thane is the first to surface from the horrors of their thoughts and face Nera. With her expression tight, eyes unblinking and body rigid, Thane acted without thinking much of it and wrapped his arms around her.

She reacts to him instantly and rests her head on his broad chest as she inhales deeply. Thane’s lips rested on her forehead as his palm caressed the back of her head. His other arm encircled her waist in a tight embrace, then slowly pulled her closer towards him. 

Observing the woman beside him, he delicately glided his fingertips on her soft cheeks, feeling the warmth that emanated from her. He wondered then how he could have spent this long apart from her. They were bound together from the moment they were taken. It was the two of them against all the odds. Thane’s hand lightly travelled to the length of her body before resting firmly, even protectively, upon her waist.  

“We’ll get him.” Thane whispered to her in their dark room with the only light coming from the window and the lantern outside of it. “I promise you that.”