Portals of Infinity: Book Four: The Sea of Grass (2 page)

I said a little prayer in my head to Fel, a bit surprised that he wasn't laughing at my predicament.

"Do you have any idea where she is?" I asked.

She shook her head no. "W...we were sold to di...different owners."

I grumbled and shook my head, "What makes you think I can find her?"

"W...well m...master, after you c...cut your arm..." she said looking at me with a mixture of fear and hope. I had slit my arm open to get the blood I had used on her sheets to make it look like I'd torn her up, and then simply healed myself. Yeah it hurt, but it had worked.

"Let me think about it," I said. "Maybe it'll come to me, or we'll get lucky while walking around."

'Well, Fel, you're a god,'
I thought to myself,
'where is she?'

I jumped as what felt like a hot lance stabbed me right between the eyes. I got the impression Fel was perhaps a little annoyed with me.

"Well, excuse me," I muttered under my breath. "But like most men, a crying little girl is my worst nightmare!"

I didn't get poked again, but I got an urge of where to go, so taking Goth's hand, I went.

"Any other family members we need to find?" I grumbled as she hurried to keep up.

Goth shook her head, "No, D...daddy died."

I tried not to feel like a complete louse for that, and led her through the city as I followed Fel's urging. I knew I was going to have to make this up to him, I was sure he had a lot better things to do than help me find Goth's mother.

I did take advantage of the time to continue making notes of where everything was, the defenses, the guards, and the condition of both. My whole reason for coming here was to get an idea of what shape Barassa was in and what it would take to mount a successful attack on the city. I could see now that Hiland didn't have the ability to do it by themselves, well not yet at least. But Barassa's neighbors weren't very happy these days, so an alliance just might.

It took us three hours to cross the city to where the feelings finally stopped. We were outside a rather nice house, a rather nice and large house. I hoped at first it was a bordello. Then I could get in rather easily. But as I watched, I realized that somebody important lived here.

The guard post at the corner, along with the ones standing at front and rear entrances sort of gave it away.

I looked around, and found us a place in the shade where we could sit and watch the house. It was a small cafe of some sort, so I ordered us food so we wouldn't stand out.

"Is...is my mom in there?" Goth asked looking at me.

"Yes. And probably a whole lot of other women. Now I just have to figure out which one."

"Th...that's easy!" Goth said smiling, "I'll rec...recognize her!"

I sighed and shook my head, "That isn't the kind of place you can just walk in. I'll have to sneak in later tonight and find her."

"Yo...you can d...do that?"

"Not like I have much of a choice," I sighed. "Just keep an eye on the place and if you see her, let me know so I can get a good look. Okay?"

Goth nodded wide-eyed.

We got up when we finished eating, before we drew attention to ourselves, and spent the next couple of hours lurking in the area and trying to stay out of sight. Eventually we got lucky when a procession of slaves carrying a sedan chair approached; I was rather surprised to see that all of the bearers were females! There were twenty of them, five on a pole, all naked, and all rather attractive.

The man sitting on the chair looked to be middle aged, in halfway decent shape, not muscular, but not fat either. He had a bored look, reminding me of some of the insufferable glitterati I used to see back in New York City. Rich, spoiled, and better than everyone else.

"That's my mom!" Goth said tugging on my arm and pointing.

I pushed her arm down. "Which one?"

"In the back, on this side."

Well that narrows it down to five
, I thought.

"The last one?"

"No, the one in the middle of them."

I nodded and looked her mother over. If all she had to do was carry a spoiled rich man around, her life may not be all that bad. But somehow I doubted it.

I watched as they approached the front door, then all kneeled, lowering the chair so their passenger could get off. He went inside, followed by the bearers who brought the sedan chair inside with them. The six guards that had been traveling with the procession went inside as well.

I turned and looked down at Goth, "Come on, I need to find a place to sit and think a bit."

"Are...are you going to g...get her?"

I looked at Goth, "Of course."

I waited until it was late, very late, probably two or three in the morning, when most people were all asleep and in bed. I had gotten us a room at an inn in a nicer part of town. I had told them I was a trader and my wife asked me to bring back an apprentice for her weaving business.

With Goth safely asleep in bed I crawled out of the second story window rather carefully, carrying only a rope that I'd bought earlier, and made my way to the rooftops. I had decided to use what the fantasy books I had read as a kid always called “the thieves highway.”

Maybe in the poorer parts of town it was a good highway, but here in the nicer part of town the main roads were wide enough to make it rather tough going. As a champion, I had the strength to make those leaps, but landings were rather tough as I was not a light guy and I wouldn't be surprised to find out that I woke a person or two when I landed on a roof particularly hard.

When I reached the house that Goth's mother was in, I stopped and scouted it out first. There was a guard post for the local watch on the corner there, and it was staffed and active. There was also a guard at the front of the house, and he looked rather alert. Flicking my tail in annoyance I back tracked a few houses and circled around to come back from the other side.

That side was a lot darker, which let me see that there was a light lit in the house on the first floor. Probably another guard. The house was big enough to suggest that the owner was wealthy enough to hire guards who actually did their jobs.

Backing up on the roof I was on, I got a good running start and leaped over the space separating the house from its neighbor. I rolled when I hit, and swore quietly as I got stabbed by something as I did. Getting up quickly I checked my side, and then healed the wound. There was a bar sticking up out of the roof, and I'd gotten stabbed by it. Fortunately it was only a few inches long, but I did wonder who put such a thing there. At least it would give me a place to tie the rope when I left. There was no way I'd be able to make the jump carrying someone.

It took about ten minutes of careful searching to find the hatch that led down from the roof into the top floor. It creaked when I opened it, which made me swear under my breath, I hadn't thought to bring any oil for hinges! I'd make a lousy thief I guess. I opened it slowly, and while it didn't stop creaking, it didn't creak very loudly and no one came to investigate, thankfully.

There was a ladder built into the wall and I quickly climbed down, I was in a small closet, there were a few tools hanging on the walls, and a closed door. Getting down on my hands and knees I peered under the door. I didn't see or smell anything, so carefully opening it I stepped out into the hallway.

The hallway wasn't very fancy. There was a rather plain carpet runner on the floor and the walls were clean, but undecorated. I guess the top story was the servant's quarters. So taking my time I followed the hallway around. It circled the entire top floor, with two stairways on opposite sides of the floor. As one was a lot narrower than the other, I assumed that probably was the servants' path to the kitchens and other work areas.

There were doors on the outside wall of the hallway, but only two on the inside, and those were opposite the staircases. When I put my ear to those two doors, I could hear breathing, so I carefully opened one of the doors and looked inside. It was a dorm room, of sorts, and there were thirty or so women sleeping on beds evenly arranged.

Slipping in, I slowly sneaked through the room looking at each of the sleepers. I found Goth's mother fairly quickly, but I still took the time to check all of other sleepers just to be sure. Looking around I found a cloth and kneeling next to the bed I put it over her muzzle so she couldn't cry out. She woke almost immediately, eyes going wide and giving a start.

"Quiet," I whispered in her ear. "I'm here to rescue you."

Surprisingly, or maybe not? She started to struggle. I whacked her lightly on the head and that stunned her for a moment.

"Are you trying to get somebody killed?" I growled quietly. "I'll explain everything, but first we need to get out of this room."

I picked her up with one arm, the other keeping her muzzle clamped tightly closed under the cloth in my hand. When I got to the door, it took me a moment to get it open quietly as she wasn't cooperating; thankfully no one woke up. I took her to the small closet that led to the roof and then pinned her against the wall.

"I saved your daughter Goth from a rather nasty man. I'm leaving the city and taking her someplace where she won't be a slave. She asked me to get you as well. So, here I am. Now are you going to cooperate?"

Her eyes were still wide, and she gave a small nod, so I released her muzzle.

"My daughter is still alive?" she asked.

I nodded, "Yes, now do you have anything you want to get before we go?"

She shook her head.

"Good," I said, "We need to get out of here before the sun comes up."

"No."

I stopped and looked at her. "What?"

"No, I'm not going."

My eyes got wide and I stared down at her. "You're what?"

"I'm not going. I'm staying here."

"I'm offering you your freedom!"

"I don't know that," She replied.

"I'm a god's champion," I hissed, "I give you my word that I'm here to set you free."

She started a little as I invoked the power of my word. A minor cantrip, but as far as I knew only champions had it.

"Okay, I believe you," she said looking scared. "But no, I want to stay here."

"You want to stay here?" I growled softly.

She nodded.

"As a slave?"

She nodded again.

I was sure I looked as exasperated as I felt, "
Why?
" I asked rather plaintively.

"Rutgar is a good master, he treats us well, cares for us, keeps us safe and well fed."

"He makes you carry him around on a chair!" I growled.

"Which is a lot less work than on a farm, or any of the thousand other things I had to do when I was free!" she said back rather forcibly. "We were barely making it, my husband, me, and our daughter. We'd already lost two children to sickness, and I wasn't sure we'd live to see another year ourselves!

"It was hard and it was terrible. Rutgar takes care of his slaves, he doesn't work us too hard, we only have to share his bed if we want to, and he never loans us out to anyone. Why would I want to leave? I'm safe here! I'm well fed! All my needs are taken care of!"

I shook my head and sighed. "What do I tell your daughter?"

"Tell her whatever you want. You took the time to save her, she's your obligation now, I'm sure you'll do better by her than I ever could."

I was surprised; she didn't even look embarrassed by it.

"Fine, be well, slave," I said and quickly climbed up to the roof and closing the hatch, I left.

At least she didn't raise the alarm on me.

But I just couldn't fathom it, she had the chance to be free, and she didn't want to? She was happy to give up her freedom, her rights, and be somebody's slave, all because they fed her and gave her a bed to sleep in?

I shook my head. It just didn't make any sense.

"Where's my mom?" Goth asked, sitting up in bed as I climbed in the window.

I shook my head, "She isn't coming."

She just stared at me.

"She said she could never treat you as well as I will."

"I... I want my mom!" Goth said, her eyes starting to tear up.

I looked at her, I had a pretty good idea what was coming and right now I wished I could be someplace else, anyplace else. This was going to suck more than dying.

Taking a deep breath I sat down on the bed next to her and pulled her against me.

"I want my mommy!" She wailed and I just held her, with her head against my chest and tried to shush her, and keep her from getting too loud, telling her over and over that it would all be okay while she cried herself out.

I felt really bad for her, this poor kid had been through hell and she just got dumped by her own mother, who obviously didn't care about her anymore. I couldn't tell her that of course, she wouldn't believe me, and if she did I could just imagine what it would do to her. It was better that she believed that her mother just gave her to me, because she though she'd be treated better. That she made a sacrifice, and not that she just dumped her remaining child on a complete stranger.