Chapter Twenty-Seven
Whispers carried in the wind around Starlyn. Thousands of Ikchani crowded together in front of a podium built of stone raised a dozen paces above the ground. They stood silent, except for the whispers. No men stood amongst them. Starlyn wondered if their slaves were bound within tents or buildings elsewhere. Starlyn stood on top of the podium, preparing for an announcement, but before she could make it, she had to collect her thoughts. Too many things swirled within her mind; she could not seem to control them.
Beyond any other feeling, Starlyn felt fear and worry. She hadn’t been afraid of the Ikchani women. In fact, she had grown to respect them. At first she had believed them wrong in enslaving men to do their will. Their plans for domination throughout the kingdo
