The Lost Colony

Chapter 24

You owe me four-hundred tokens," Efreem said.

"s**t!" Sparr cursed. "That was a lucky throw."

The two were playing a game devised to pass the hours between caravan stops. In the wagons, maidens sang songs, the pious debated theology, and the bachelors argued who was the most successful or had the largest p***s. Sparr and Efreem walked alongside, just far enough away to escape the dust.

"All of my throws can't be lucky, Alain." He was smiling thinly, a rarity for the otherwise reserved man. "Anyway, it's your turn."

"That one," Sparr said, indicating a tree perhaps thirty meters to the side of the road. "Three, two, one." Both he and Efreem hurled stones toward the tree. Sparr's stone struck near the base, but bounced wide. Efreem's stone landed short before rolling to a stop no more than two meters from the trunk.

"Two hundred and twenty tokens," Efreem said. "What did we agree on? For each hundred tokens, you'd pack up my tent for a week? A few more rounds and I'll be set for the entire pilgrimage."

Sparr groaned. Both he and Efreem had only a handful of tokens. Sparr had earned his at the Departure show one week earlier, the coins raining down as he and Phia had f****d in front of the rowdy crowd. Efreem had been given a few for filling-in for one of the guards. Neither of them had anywhere near enough to gamble. Instead, the two had settled on 'imaginary' tokens as a medium of exchange.

"I think you have enough imaginary tokens to buy my freedom."

"Now, why would I do that?" Efreem asked. "Then you wouldn't stick around to pack up my non-imaginary tent."

Sparr had yet to tell Efreem that he had no intention of returning to Vonde with the caravan. Once in Shong, he would either stay to search for answers, or find some new direction. He had toyed with the idea of recruiting Efreem. The man was capable in a fight, and would know local geography and customs. On the other hand, Efreem's seeming acceptance of enslavement left it unclear whether he would run if given the chance. The question was worth exploring.

"Efreem," Sparr began, "your village taught its children to fight, as protection against slavers."

"Yes," said the dusky skinned man. He picked up a stone and cast it toward a new tree.

"So, why don't you try to escape? You're young, fit, handy with a blade. Don't you want to get back home?"

Efreem stared back at Sparr with his usual, bland expression. He looked back toward the caravan. "The guards are more alert than you think," he said. "They let us walk alongside the wagons, but no farther than that."

"I don't necessarily mean right now," Sparr said. "At night, or when you go to relieve yourself. Or back at the temple. We could easily have escaped from the roof."

This time, Efreem's gaze was more direct. "Why haven't you?"

"I've thought about it," Sparr said. "But I want to get to Shong, so for now..." He trailed off.

"Why Shong?"

Sparr noticed the way Efreem had redirected their conversation. "Well, I asked you about going back to your village, right? To your family?"

"You have family in Shong?"

"No," admitted Sparr. "But I may be able to contact them from there."

Late morning welcomed them, its warm, gentle light chasing away the thin line of clouds. The two men trod over a ground cover of tightly coiled sprouts that grew wherever enough light reached the soil. For a time, Sparr let himself be distracted by the segmented insects that made the plants their home. When nudged, they would curl into a ball.

"Servant or slave." Efreem hadn't forgotten Sparr's question. "My brother was apprenticed to a cooper. I only saw him one time since, before I was captured. He worked long days, slept in the shop, and was given little food." Efreem produced a twisted smile. "At least I get to see the world."

It was a fair point. Efreem was fed, had the protection of the group, and even given a few tokens. The same was true for Sparr, who in addition, experienced a surprisingly rich s*x life.

"I don't think they'll keep us long, Efreem. We don't belong in the temple."

Efreem eyed him quizzically.

"Liette bought us to spite the Governor. You she keeps around because they needed one more guard for the pilgrimage. I'm still here because right now she likes having an animal to show off."

"And because you f**k her."

"Yes, yes, and because I f**k her. Shit." Sparr by now had all but given up on any shred of decorum. "But how long will that get me by? Lell already warned me that Liette has a short attention span when it comes to men."

"So once you get to Shong..." It was Efreem's turn to dangle a question.

"I don't know what I'll find in Shong. But I'm sure the temple isn't my destiny." Sparr tried to read Efreem, but the man was like the sphinx. "I could use a friend on my path."

Efreem turned toward the wagons, then back to face Sparr. "A friend. That's-." He was about to say something more when a voice called out to them.

"Efreem, Animal!" Kern, the head of the caravan guard, was calling out. He gestured toward the front wagon. "Clear that!"

The two trotted back toward the first wagon, where a fallen tree had halted the pilgrims. It was thick enough to block the road, but not too heavy to move. The driver had already hopped down to help. Kern watched from the seat of the second wagon.

"You two," Sparr said, gesturing to Efreem and the driver, "take either side of the branches. I'll grab the base." He began to lift the trunk, then stopped. Something was odd. The trunk had been cut with a blade, the wood just starting to ooze a thick sap. Sparr dropped the tree. There was movement. "Kern! Watch out!"

A band of men leapt from concealment along the side of the road, tossing aside the brush which had acted as camouflage. Kern just had time to block a blow aimed at his head. Off balance, he fell back. The attacker, a gaunt, feral-looking man, leapt onto the seat. He might have killed Kern with his next blow, but was startled by the shrieks of the driver, who fled the wagon by leaping between the two draybeasts. Kern dropped the attacker with a kick at his legs. The two grappled desperately.

Two men sprang toward Sparr, each armed with crude knives. The first stumbled, caught up in the camouflaging branches. Sparr lunged, knocking the man backward, and clutching at the arm which held the blade. Like the man attacking Kern, Sparr's attacker was thin and wiry. Sparr felt the sting of the blade on his arm, but found the man's wrist. He hammered the man's hand against the ground, then repeated the motion until the blade fell. When the man tried to wriggle free, Sparr punched him, seized the blade, and drove it into the man's side.