Chapter Nineteen – The Slave-Owner

As the Bulashckt family and Silvitya were fleeing south, the Grand Duke spent several days surveying the ruins of the capitol and listening to reports about the evacuation. The fire had gone as planned, leaving the entire area within the city walls completely cleaned out. The only structures left standing were the Great Temple and a few nearby ancient buildings, the main cathedral and two other churches built by the Roman Church during the 1300s, and a few stone armory buildings near the castle. However, not everything had gone perfectly and unfortunately there had been some casualties. As the day progressed, Royal Guards and workers searching the smoldering ruins found several burnt corpses.

The Guards had no way of knowing who the bodies belonged to, with a notable exception. The captain of the detachment guarding the castle saw that Protector Alexandrekt Bulashckt was missing. He knew Protector Bulashckt had a nice house located within the city walls and decided to check its ruins. The men made the ghastly discovery that Alexandrekt Bulashckt and his entire family had perished inside their house. It seemed strange that someone as smart as Protector Bulashckt would not have made it out of the fire, but the guards speculated that his wife must have stayed in the house waiting for him and by the time he realized where his family was, the fire cornered everyone in the residence and they perished.

The Grand Duke took the news of Alexandrekt Bulashckt’s death stoically, but inwardly he was upset. He lost one of his best guards, but even worse was the loss of one of his oldest daughters. It was regrettable that the girl was only a year away from being ready to be taken into the castle: she would have had her hair braided in just six years and be ready to marry off. The Grand Duke looked at the charred bodies, hoping his offspring was not among them. Unfortunately there was a corpse of a nine-year-old girl that corresponded with the daughter, so she had indeed been lost. That was most unlucky. The ruler ordered the bodies to be taken to the military cemetery and buried with honors. A Prophet from the Great Temple would lead the funeral, which was a privilege usually reserved for ministers and nobility.

When the Grand Duke returned to the castle two days later, there was more bad news waiting for him. His favorite concubine Silvitya was missing. No one had a clue what happened to her. The ruler checked her sleeping chamber, only to discover she had left behind her jewelry.

The other women were extremely worried of course, and seemed to suspect that the ruler himself had been responsible for her disappearance. The Grand Duke said nothing, figuring it would be best to let the concubines speculate about their spokeswoman and wonder what she had done to displease him. The Grand Duke never directly asked anyone what happened to Servant Silvitya. If the other concubines were scared that he had killed her, then it was unlikely they had anything to do with her absence. The Royal Guards and the matrons also took it for granted Silvitya had somehow run afoul of the Sovereign’s temper and that he was responsible for her death. If he started asking a bunch of questions, it would be apparent that she instead had run off, and it would look like he had lost control of one of his servants and lose honor. So, it was better to let everyone think he had secretly executed her. Besides, even if she had run off, it was likely she perished in the fire, given that she would have had to cross the entire city to reach a gate. If that was what happened, searching for her body would be futile. It would be one of several severely charred corpses found in the ashes and would never be identified.

So, the disappearance of Servant Silvitya remained a mystery for the Grand Duke. Why would she leave the safety of the castle? How did she get out? Did she go looking for him? Was she trying to find Protector Bulashckt? Was there someone else she was trying to find? Well, whatever happened, it was best to stay quiet and use Silvitya as a “lesson” for the other concubines. When they did anything that even hinted at irritating him, the ruler commented:

“You know, it is most unfortunate what happened to Servant Silvitya. Hers is a fate you wouldn’t wish on anyone, is it not? But I trust you understand your Path in Life better than she understood hers.”

As for the ruler himself, he was troubled by the vanishing of his favorite woman, but life had taught him to hide his emotions, even from himself. Love always led to tragedy and the loss of Servant Silvitya was just one example out of many why it was best to avoid becoming too emotionally attached to anyone. The Grand Duke pondered that Servant Silvitya could just as easily have betrayed him as simply disappearing and that he had made himself ridiculously vulnerable. Well, he’d have to ensure that never happened again. He’d replace the girl with another “favorite”, console himself by indulging with the remaining concubines, and move ahead with his plans for the Duchy.

———-

The speculation about Servant Silvitya’s fate showed up in the writings of several former concubines and castle staff-members. A popular poet wrote a fanciful story claiming that Silvitya was not killed by the Grand Duke at all, but instead fled the castle to escape the Destroyer. As she ran through the city, the “Profane One” pursued her and spread fire to prevent her from turning back. Thus, the “Girl with No Name” caused the Destroyer to pass through Danubikt Moskt and was indirectly responsible for the city’s subsequent burning. A song-writer took the poet’s Destroyer idea and incorporated both the execution rumor and the story from Rika Heckt-nemat; that the Girl with No Name had called out to Beelzebub the Destroyer to save her from a second death sentence. Yes, she was indeed spared, but at the cost of another city, the Danubian capitol.

Several other poets and song-writers added their variations to the story and in doing so unwittingly served the interests of both Silvitya and the Grand Duke. The truth about the Great Fire of 1755 lay buried under increasingly thick layers of elaborate myth and fanciful tales.

———-

The former Royal Guard and the former Royal concubine entered the forest and spent the late afternoon walking through dense old-growth trees. They were still ahead of most of the other refugees and the road was still clear. However, they had lost precious time trying to find the parents of the children they rescued, so the guard insisted on walking as quickly as possible. As they moved along the road, Alexandrekt periodically whistled what sounded like a strange bird-call. He listened, waited several minutes, and whistled again. Finally his efforts were rewarded with a response. He changed the whistle, as did his respondent. He oriented himself through several more exchanges and led Silvitya away from the road. They arrived at a clearing, where a wagon and three horses were partly concealed by trees. An attractive woman dressed in a caravan outfit like Silvitya’s and a 12-year old boy stood guard with crossbows over the campsite and three children. The children, a girl and two young boys, huddled together under the wagon. Alexandrekt introduced Silvitya to his wife, Stepkakta, and a nephew, Nowackt.

They moved out immediately and returned to the main road, even though it was close to sunset. The boy watched the back of the wagon while the former guard rode his horse in front. Alexandrekt’s wife took the reins of the wagon team and followed her husband’s order that she teach Silvitya how to drive. The three children, still bewildered from being taken out of their comfortable home, sat quietly with their older cousin in the back. After sunset the trip continued. Alexandrekt and Nowackt walked up front, each carrying a crossbow. Silvitya and Alexandrekt’s wife had longbows within their reach.

Silvitya was dead tired, given that she had not slept at all for two days, but she forced herself to conform to the rigid military-style discipline of her traveling companions. It was obvious that Alexandrekt had trained both Stepkakta and Nowackt in the use of weapons and army survival skills. The boy in particular, behaved as any ordinary Danubian soldier would behave: he carried his crossbow with ease and confidence.

The group traveled non-stop through the night and the following morning. They stopped midday, but only because Alexandrekt was monitoring the horses and calculated they needed to rest due to the heat. The group found a stream where the animals could drink and where everyone could bathe. Alexandrekt and the boys bathed separately from the women. The males and the girl went to sleep immediately, while the women stood watch over the camp.

During the watch Stepkakta braided Silvitya’s hair. Silvitya was elated when she looked into the water and saw her reflection. Finally, after two years, her hair was braided and her public honor as a woman was restored. Now that she looked like any other decently-attired Danubian woman, she truly felt she had escaped the clutches of the Grand Duke.

After the afternoon meal Silvitya slept on a blanket under the wagon. It was her first opportunity to sleep in three days, and her first opportunity to sleep as a free woman in two years.

Later, throughout the trip Silvitya would provide an important contribution to the group whenever they were passing through a wooded area. In spite of her past as a university student and a concubine, she was not a spoiled city girl who would be a burden on the others. She had skills that she had learned when living in Babackt Yaga’s settlement: she knew secrets of food gathering in the forest and could instantly spot and identify anything that was edible. While Stepkakta set up a fire and prepared a meal, Silvitya scoured the woods for food. The first time she went foraging, Stepkakta was just starting to grumble about Silvitya’s absence when her companion returned with a sack containing a banquet of mushrooms, roots, herbs, and berries.

———-

The group left the main road leading to the ruins of Horkustk Ris shortly before the forest ended. They followed a road that was little more than a rough trail westward towards the East Danube River. When they approached the shore, they turned south to travel along the water’s edge. Fine flat beaches, exposed because of the low water-level during a drought year, made the trip both easy and pleasant. An unbroken line of cliffs, which comprised the Duchy’s western border, extended both upstream and downstream along the opposite side of the river.

At night the team moved in silence, but during the day there was time for conversation. Silvitya and Alexandrekt’s wife exchanged stories about their experiences as concubines and compared observations about the how the ruler had changed over the past nine years. Stepkakta had been one of his very first concubines, picked from a village when he was still just the heir to the throne. The young Prince saw her drawing water from a well as he was passing through with his hunting party and took a liking to her. Like Silvitya, Stepkakta entered the sovereign’s service as a peasant and exited with the manners and skills of an upper-class woman. As the Crowned Prince said at the time: “it’s always interesting to catch a crow and turn her into a dove.”

“Then, that explains, there’s a tapestry above the Duke’s throne. He’s got a tapestry, that shows a crow sitting in a cage and a dove sitting on top.”

“Yes. The tapestry must have been made after my time, but that’s what it would mean. His Majesty has many reasons for keeping concubines, but one of them is to use us to humble the nobility. He wishes to prove that noble families are not inherently superior to average citizens. Anyone can be taught to act like a noble, and therefore nobles have no special rights, and therefore, like everyone else, they must submit to the Royal House. By having us act as ladies of class, he is sending his rivals a political message.”

———-

The Bulashckt group proceeded along the river for several days, passing to the south of Horkustk Ris and the squads of Royal Guards stationed there to receive refugees and push them further south. Alexandrekt would go around the ruined city to the west, then turn directly east and follow a series of rough roads southeast. He had seen some properties close to the southern border that interested him, but the family would have to move quickly to ensure they occupied the land before any other Danubians arrived to stake a claim.

The Bulashckt family would have an enormous advantage of having the tools, horses, and cooking utensils needed to set up a household upon arriving at their destination. They also had blank letters from the Grand Duke granting them rights to the property they would be taking. Stepkakta and Silvitya practiced forging signatures and finally decided that Silvitya should be the one to attempt to forge the names. She signed several officials’ names and made the documents look authentic.

One of the letters would be for Silvitya. Alexandrekt had taken for granted the assumption she would be content owning and farming a small plot of land for the rest of her life. The property title planted doubts in Silvitya’s thoughts about what she wanted for her future. She could indeed operate a farm, but there was no way living off a plot of land appealed to her. Maybe, maybe if she had a partner or a family, she could be a farmer, but to do it alone?

———-

The family turned away from the river and crossed a region that had been a war-zone the previous year. The area already was occupied by recently-arrived Danubian settlers, so signs of both destruction and recovery were everywhere. Alexandrekt talked in detail about the skirmishes between the Royal Guards and garrisons of the Lord of the Red Moon’s men as they passed through villages and manors. They arrived at the same town where Mirjana’s captors had sold her relatives. The slave market was still active, selling off captured refugees from the Kingdom of the Moon. All of the slaves were women or girls, all of them were collared and naked.

Silvitya’s illusions about Alexandrekt suffered a severe blow when she watched him purchase four slaves. He bought two middle-aged women to work in the fields, a younger one to help his wife in the household, and a girl who would be the personal servant of Nowackt. Silvitya was horrified when she saw the naked foreigners kneeling next to the wagon. Alexandrekt had talked incessantly about his freedom, his step-daughter’s freedom, and Silvitya’s freedom, but had no qualms about keeping foreign women as slaves.

Silvitya was most troubled by the girl that had been given to Nowackt. The boy was 12 and his new servant was only slightly younger. He would shave his head in a few years and would want what any teenaged boy would want. Silvitya even overheard Alexandrekt discussing the purchase with Stepkakta: “yes, I know she was expensive, but I need to keep that boy out of trouble. We’ll have enough worries as it is, so I don’t want him wandering off looking for adventures.”

———-

A group of displaced families from the capitol joined Alexandrekt as his family and slaves departed eastward. They all had titles to landholdings, but so far every place they had seen already had occupants. Alexandrekt explained that the best remaining property would be along the southern border. There were several abandoned villages within sight of the Kingdom of the Moon. If the others joined the Bulashckt group, Alexandrekt would teach the men how to fight so they could defend both the Duchy and their new land. The men agreed, elected Alexandrekt their mayor, and a large column of families proceeded towards the border. Originally there were 13 families, but by the end of the journey they had been joined by 15 more.

Three days later the group arrived at a village containing some refugees from the Kingdom of the Moon. The Danubians chased out the foreigners and quickly set up their new town. Alexandrekt didn’t bother to find out if the empty settlement had a previous Danubian name; he simply called it Malenkta-Gordnackta because it was located next to a small hill with a dilapidated watchtower at its summit.

The Bulashckts, along with the four slaves and Silvitya, established their household in Malenkta-Gordnackta’s nicest residence. Alexandrekt left his wife, the three children, and the two younger slaves in the town, but took his nephew, the two older slaves, and Silvitya to establish ownership of a large plot of farmland outside the village. Forested hills lay immediately to the east of the property, and a small river that was recognized as the border between the Kingdom of the Moon and the Duchy formed a small portion of the boundary to the south. It was a risky location, but someone would have to live along the border and stake out the land for the Duchy. I suppose a former Royal Guard is as good a man for that duty as any, Silvitya thought to herself.

Alexandrekt handed a switch to his companion and told her to have the slaves start clearing one of the fields. Meanwhile, he would go with several of the men to divide up the rest of the land around Malenkta-Gordnackta. Later he would have to organize some hunting expeditions in the woods. The fields had been abandoned over the previous year and there was very little food in the area. The situation would improve after the next year’s harvest, but until then the new residents of Malenkta-Gordnackta would have to live by hunting and gathering.

As she stood in the field, holding her switch and watching the two wretched naked women sweat and struggle with their task, Silvitya felt despair sweep over her. What am I doing, watching over another person’s slaves? Why did the Ancients lead me here, to the edge of the Duchy, to this abandoned location? Is this truly my Path in Life? Is this why I escaped the capitol and the Grand Duke? What am I doing, just standing alone in a field?

———-

Alexandrekt’s training in the Danubian military manifested itself in every detail of his behavior as he organized his new community. He assessed each man under his command to determine his strongest skills or talents and made sure each of his subordinates was doing his best to further the interests of Malenkta-Gordnackta. By the end of September the town had a fully operational blacksmith’s shop, a glass-blower, a cobbler, and a weaver. There was a shortage of livestock, but a group of teenagers snuck across the border, raided a farm, and brought back some live chickens and a pair of sheep. That was hardly enough for village of 300 people, but at least it was a start.

Alexandrekt knew that Silvitya had training from the Cult of the Ancients for living and foraging in the woods, so he employed her to lead gathering expeditions into the nearby hills. Both he and Stepkakta had been very impressed with her talent for finding anything edible during the first days of their journey, so it was logical to place former Follower in charge of foraging expeditions. The commander ordered each family to send at least one woman or girl to the plaza with bags and baskets, with the understanding they were to follow Silvitya into the hills and do exactly what she told them to do. Anyone failing to follow her instructions would face a public switching in the plaza upon returning. The severe command was necessary because most of the women were guild wives or field workers that had no experience collecting food in the forest. As long as the women were accompanying Silvitya, they would be under her command, no questions asked.

Silvitya was not particularly religious when she was in a “civilized” environment, but when she was in a natural setting, she did feel the presence of the Ancients. Her religion might no longer have formally existed, but the spirituality she had learned with the Cult stayed with her and influenced her view of the world. Therefore, as she led others into the woods, she insisted on maintaining the practices of the Old World. She shocked her companions by stripping and ordering the others to undress as well. The oldest woman in the group would stand watch over the dresses, but the others would show respect to the Realm of Nature by entering the forest as the Great Spirits had created them. Noting the reluctance of her companions, she snapped:

“If you want your families to eat, they will only do so with the blessing of the Ancients. The Ancients will only give you their blessing if you respect the ways of the Old World. That’s the way your Paths in Life will be whenever you are with me. I am a Follower of the Ancients, I am a woman of the Old World, and you will obey, just as I obey the Ancients. If you disobey me, the wrath of the Ancients awaits you in the woods, and the switch awaits you in the Plaza.”

So… the naked ex-concubine led her equally naked companions through the forested hills, gathering a multitude of roots, berries, mushrooms, herbs, and fungi. The women were surprised by how many items previously unknown to them could be gathered and prepared. Silvitya led the women to various streams to catch fish and collect freshwater mussels. The streams offered a respite from the constant wandering when the guide and her companions relaxed along the shore and swam in the cold water. The women became used to traversing the hills in the nude and eventually started to enjoy it. The cool breezes felt comfortable on their uncovered skin and it was nice to not worry about damaging or soiling clothing that was both expensive and difficult to replace.

The trips to the woods offered a welcome break from Mayor Alexandrekt Bulashckt’s increasingly rigid militaristic rule over Malenkta-Gordnackta. He insisted that all men and boys engage in constantly practicing both fencing and archery. The males practiced for war as much as they worked their fields, while the women wore themselves out foraging and preserving food for the grim winter that lay ahead.

———-

As the weather started to become colder, the foraging expeditions into the mountains ended, along with Silvitya’s temporary authority over Malenkta-Gordnackta’s other women. She had taught her companions what she knew about finding unusual food items and innovative methods of preparing meals, but now that her knowledge had been dispensed, the other women saw no need to continue following the orders of someone who looked no older than 17. Silvitya became known around the town as “the Cult girl” as the women increasingly resented her efforts to impose her beliefs on them. The other women dismissed her and her strange religion as soon as they no longer needed her. By the end of October their gratitude for what she had taught them was forgotten.

There were other changes in Malenkta-Gordnackta that troubled Silvitya, especially in the house of her hosts. Stepkakta discovered she was pregnant in October and became even more ill-tempered than she had been over the summer. She was unpleasant to be around, so Silvitya avoided her as much as possible. Nor did Silvitya approve of Stepkakta’s treatment of the house slave. On several occasions she had witnessed the mistress tie her servant to the kitchen table and give her severe switchings, while Nowackt’s servant was forced to watch “to learn her place”.

Stepkakta never beat the younger girl, not because of her age, but because of her value. However, already there were numerous signs that Nowackt was not going to treat her well. Throughout the fall and winter he and Alexandrekt’s step-daughter bullied his servant and forced her to do humiliating things. For example, at the end of October, Nowackt and his cousin “punished” the girl by cutting off part of her hair and then forced her to look at herself in a mirror. When she cried at seeing her reflection, all four of the Bulashckt children ridiculed her.

———-

Alexandrekt proved his talent as a soldier by training and organizing the town’s men into a competent platoon-sized militia within just two months. No group of soldiers from the Kingdom of the Moon could have entered Malenkta-Gordnackta without sustaining casualties. However, the mayor knew the town’s preparation for combat remained totally inadequate. The men had a mis-matched collection of personal weapons, there was no extra iron ore, and the community only had six horses, of which four belonged to the Bulashckts. Adding to the mayor’s worries was the lack of salt, which was needed to preserve meat in an age when there was no refrigeration. For Malenkta-Gordnackta to survive and prosper, the inhabitants would have to trade for the goods they needed, but unfortunately they had nothing to offer.

The town’s fortunes changed when a group of refugees from a manor immediately south of the border fled from a group of soldiers loyal to the Lord of the Blue Moon. The manor owner was loyal to the Lord of the Red Moon, so he and his family: women, children, and house servants included, were hung outside their house on the Kingdom’s infamous impalement hooks. The field workers did not stick around to see what was going to happen to them. Yes, they had heard that the Danubian Duchy no longer was a safe place, but they were panicked and had nowhere else to go. So, reluctantly they crossed the river and fled north.

Alexandrekt set up a trap for the refugees as soon as he found out they had crossed the border. The townsmen waited until the foreigners were moving between two hills. They were set up with crossbows on both sides of the road, while the mayor and five mounted companions charged the group from the front. The refugees scrambled up the hillsides, only to fall to the crossbows of the Danubians. The mayor had ordered only the foreign men to be killed, while as many of the women as possible were to be captured alive.

The townsfolk caught 36 women and girls. They herded their shivering, naked prisoners northward and sold them at the same market where Alexandrekt had bought his slaves several months before. The men triumphantly returned to their town with new horses, new crossbows, a pile of crossbow bolts and arrows, two muskets, gunpowder, and several barrels of salt. The town celebrated their good fortune as Alexandrekt trained several of his men to ride their new horses and Stepkakta distributed salt among the town’s women. Already there was talk of a new raiding expedition to capture more slaves and how much easier that would be now that more of the men had horses.

Silvitya felt sick. She couldn’t figure out if Alexandrekt had changed or if she never knew him in the first place. Instead of the thoughtful devoted family man she had seen in the castle, the Alexandrekt in front of her was a brutal raider and enslaver. Not only was he a slave owner, but he was killing refugees and actively catching and condemning women to a lifetime of servitude. Of course, everyone else totally adored him because he was doing everything necessary to ensure Malenkta-Gordnackta’s security and prosperity. However, at what price? What kind of community was he creating? Certainly not one where Silvitya would want to live.

———-

The grim autumn turned into an equally grim winter. The salt barrels and hunting expeditions ensured that Malenkta-Gordnackta would not actually starve, but throughout the end of the year food would be in short supply. The men were gone most of the time, not only hunting animals but pursuing rumors about groups of refugees. During the bleak months of December and January they captured a total of 24 more foreign women and took them to the slave market. The additional trading netted some iron ore, crop seed, tools, and cave charcoal.

Additional families entered Malenkta-Gordnackta and claimed ownership of the remaining parcels of vacant land. Silvitya decided to sell the title of her plot to one of the newcomers, given that she had no desire to farm or settle in the area. Hers was one of the last properties available, so she received three-and-a-half gold pieces, which was a good price for a plot that size. As soon as the weather became warm, she would go into the hills and continue with her travels. Everything about her neighbors disgusted her and she longed never to see any of them again.

Meanwhile, the vicious civil war to the south dragged on. Silvitya periodically climbed into the watchtower on the hilltop overlooking the border and talked to the sentry. Occasionally she could see plumes of smoke in the distance and knew some ghastly atrocity had just been committed by one of the warring factions. She thought about her odious neighbors and the senseless southern warlords. More than any other time in her life, she questioned the goodness of the cosmos and wondered whether people had ever done anything to deserve their place in the Realm of the Living.

“Where is the Creator? Where are the blessings from the Ancients? The only presence I ever feel is that of the Destroyer. I don’t feel anything else.”

———-

Stepkakta’s fourth pregnancy turned out to be her most difficult. Her health had suffered from traveling and adjusting to a new environment, so by February she had to spend most of her time in bed. She was more unpleasant than ever as her shrill voice echoed throughout the mayor’s residence. However, that was good fortune for the house slave, given that the Mistress was too weak to administer any more whippings. Silvitya, who until that time had been little more than a family guest, took on many of the duties needed to run the household. By the late winter she no longer sympathized or cared about anyone in Alexandrekt Bulashckt’s family, but she did not want the children running amok and tormenting the servants.

As a condition for helping out, she insisted on taking control of the girl originally purchased for Nowackt by telling Alexandrekt there was no way she could operate a household including a sick pregnant woman and four rowdy children with a single slave. She would have to bring the girl into the kitchen and teach her how to cook and perform other household duties. Silvitya was furious upon seeing the condition of Nowackt’s servant. The young captive was a truly pathetic sight, with insults written on her body, her head partially shaved, her remaining hair dyed red and blue, and her expression traumatized by constant bullying.

It was fortunate that Alexandrekt had obtained a horse for his nephew, because over the winter the boy was absent most of the time, tasked to learn everything needed to become a mounted soldier. Nowackt accompanied his uncle whenever the men went out, whether it was on a routine patrol or a slave-raiding expedition. The boy’s soul was becoming hardened and callous towards anyone weaker than himself, but the inhabitants of the household were spared from having to deal with him very much. The other children were still young enough to be intimidated by Silvitya, so she was able to establish order within a few days.

She learned the names of the two house slaves, Marla and Isauria. Up until that moment she had only known them as the “Kitchen Slave” and the “Young Slave”. The substitute house-mistress cut off Isauria’s ruined hair, evened the stubble on her scalp, and gave her a headscarf to hide what had been done to her by Alexandrekt’s step-daughter. Silvitya was thoroughly disgusted and promised herself that when she left town, she would somehow try to take the adolescent with her. Anyhow, at least Isauria was now under her control and for the time being would be spared any further bullying.

———-

As much as she was disgusted by Malenkta-Gordnackta’s reliance on slavery, Silvitya was impressed by how quickly Mayor Bulashckt had organized an undisciplined group of refugees and a collection of abandoned houses into a fully functioning community capable of feeding and defending itself. Over the late winter additional slave raids allowed the town to purchase a wagon-load of cheese and barley; another wagon full of beets, carrots, and potatoes; and several pregnant breed-sows. In the early spring the entire community turned out to plant the fields, including everyone in the Bulashckt household, with the exception of the still bed-ridden Stepkakta.

The planted fields and green hills reminded Silvitya that it was time to fulfill the promise she had made to herself and leave. She correctly assumed that had she simply asked for permission to depart and to take Isauria with her, the mayor would have denied the request. Silvitya was too valuable to the household and he would consider her trying to leave before his wife had her baby a dereliction of duty.

Silvitya prayed about her dilemma to the Ancients. The answer she received was to conduct a test of Alexandrekt’s character to see how loyal he truly was to his wife. If he passed the test of character, she would have to stay. If he failed the test, then she would be able to coerce him into letting her have everything she wanted.

———-

Silvitya knew that Alexandrekt had a favorite spot in the hills immediately to the east of his estate. It was a rocky overlook that included a large flat stone upon which it was possible to sit, lie, set up a spyglass, or use as a firing position. There was a brook nearby with a small pool that was large enough for two people to fit comfortably and take a bath, or for a horse to take a drink. A horse could be tied near the water and still be within sight of the rock, so it was an ideal location for a military man to rest with his horse.

Silvitya returned to her old habit of searching the forest for edible items as soon as the weather was warm enough for her to run around the hills in the nude. She took advantage of the stone shelf as a location to offer up her prayers to the Ancients and as a place to spread out her mushrooms and herbs so they could dry in the sun. She knelt and prayed in archaic Danubian, hoping that eventually the Ancients would answer her prayers.

Alexandrekt spent several days observing the young Follower, fascinated by her naked figure as she prayed in the bright late spring sunshine. Yes, in the Grand Duke’s castle she had been constantly naked for two years, but that had been forced upon her. Now she was in her natural environment, willingly sharing herself and her body with the lost soul of the Old World. Hearing her singing and praying in the Old Language and surrendering herself to the Realm of Nature made her seem mysterious and sinister, but at the same time made her very sexy.

A week after he started observing her in his favorite spot, Alexandrekt approached Silvitya. Her skin was starting to tan and her sweat glistened in the warm sunshine. She remained on her knees as she silently looked back at him, waiting to see what he would do.

“You’re a strange girl, Silvitya. You’re different from anyone I’ve ever met. Different, and far more interesting.”

Silvitya remained on her knees, looking at the mayor, but still with no answer. Alexandrekt became nervous at her silence, but the sight of her was making him increasingly aroused. He had not had sex with his wife for over six months, so the girl in front of him looked sexier to him than ever. He badly wanted her and she was well-aware of what was going on in his head. Finally, still keeping her silence, she stood up and put out her hand.

She bent over the rocks in the submissive position as he caressed her body and struggled out of his clothing. It had been a long time for her as well, so at least she could enjoy what was about to happen before she set off her trap. She sighed as he massaged her bottom and ran his fingers between her legs. She became wet as she positioned herself and welcomed his hard penis into her eager body. He took his time with her, if nothing else at least he was a good lover. She abandoned herself to the moment and allowed herself to climax.

The couple swam in the pool and made love again. She lay on her back on a batch of clover as he pushed into her. He was rough and vigorous as he thrust, but a lot more considerate than the Grand Duke had been.

They made love in the same spot over the next several days. Eventually Silvitya worked him into the position she wanted as she got him to lie on his back and she straddled him. The mayor climaxed into her as she relived her old fantasy of being Lilith.

———-

That night, Silvitya packed her bucket and put on her trader’s outfit. She served dinner and brought Alexandrekt a bottle of ale. Then she changed her entire demeanor. In a cold voice she ordered the children to leave the room and told the slaves to return to the kitchen. She placed her hands on the table and stared hard at the surprised mayor.

“You know, Alexandrekt, there have been only three men in my life for whom I’ve ever had any respect. One of those men was a farmer who taught me the importance of atonement. The second man was an Elder from my Cult who taught me about overcoming one’s fear. The third man I admired was you. I thought you had taught me about the importance of one’s family. However, I was wrong about you. I don’t know whether you changed or if I just didn’t know you, but either way, I don’t like what you’ve turned into. So, I’m leaving. I am taking my bucket and I’m walking out of this town.”

“Very well, if that’s how you feel, then go.”

Silvitya reached into her belt and pulled out her coin purse. She placed three gold coins and five silver coins on the table.

“What’s this?”

“Payment for Nowackt’s slave Isauria. I’m taking her with me. I understand that you paid four gold pieces for her, but if you’ve noticed, your nephew and step-daughter reduced her value by ruining her hair. It’s a fair price that I’m offering. You wouldn’t receive three-and-a-half gold if you tried selling her at the market in her current condition.”

Alexandrekt smiled and pushed the money back, but Silvitya stepped away from the table.

“Don’t be a fool, Mayor Bulashckt. The Ancients are trying to protect you from scandal. You don’t think people in Malenkta-Gordnackta aren’t talking about Nowackt and the slave you gave him? The Ancients are giving you a path out of your predicament. They are giving you an opportunity to recoup most of your investment and put an end to your family’s disgrace. I take the girl off your hands, leave without saying anything, and we’ll be forgotten in a few days. Any other choice will fill your Path in Life with dishonor. If you don’t believe me, then pick up your sword, strike me down, and see what happens.”

Alexandrekt said nothing more, but he realized his companion was right. He had nothing to gain either by killing her or by refusing to sell Isauria. He saw the same cold determination in Silvitya that he had seen when she confronted the Grand Duke in Sumy Ris. She was offering him the chance to get rid of two problems simultaneously. So, he reached into his shirt to take a key off his necklace. He took the coins off the table and unlocked a sturdy metal box that was bolted to the wall. He tossed in the coins and took out a piece of parchment. It was Isauria’s ownership certificate. He crossed out his name and added a note stating the girl had been re-sold.

“What’s your name? Your real name? The one the Church called you when your hair was braided?”

“Danka. It doesn’t really matter, but that’s my name. I guess you can put my title on that paper as Peasant Danka, because that’s what I am.”

The mayor handed the paper to Danka.

“Very well, Peasant Danka. Take your servant and get off my property.”

Danka went into the kitchen and called Isauria. The girl followed her, not yet understanding what had just happened. They stepped into the plaza and passed to the back side of the town’s church. Danka handed a trader’s outfit to Isauria and told her to put it on. She handed her bucket to the girl and they continued to a shed where Danka had been hiding a crossbow and some stolen bolts. She took the crossbow and satchel, along with a traveling backpack containing supplies and tools for living in the forest. Then she exited Malenkta-Gordnackta to set off with her servant towards the hills. The travelers followed a path that led northeast, away from both the border and from the province of Horkustk Ris.

They walked in silence in the darkness as the quiet girl struggled to keep up. Danka had not yet explained anything, but Isauria realized that she had been sold and her new mistress was taking her away from Malenkta-Gordnackta. More importantly, she was being taken away from those horrid children who had spent the past eight months tormenting her. She was very happy at the thought of never seeing them again. She had no idea where her new mistress and her Path in Life would lead her, but just escaping from the Bulashckt children was good enough for the moment.

At daybreak Danka entered the woods and looked for a place to set up camp. She found a spot near a stream. Isauria was tired, but there would be no rest until the two travelers had gathered enough food to sustain them over the next couple of days. Danka taught her servant how to find berries and edible forest plants and how to prepare them. The weather was sunny, so she was able to use a magnifying lens to start a fire. The woman and her servant stripped off their clothing and waded into the stream so Danka could teach her ward how to catch a fish.

As they ate, Danka looked at her purchase and wondered what to do with her. She had no desire to keep Isauria, but realized finding a safe place to leave her would be difficult. The girl’s cropped hair presented a problem because it made her look like a boy. It would take at least two years for it to grow back to a length that would be considered acceptable in Danubia for a young woman. In the meantime Danka would either have to keep Isauria in the woods or keep her head covered if they went into a settled area. She wished she could just take the girl to the border and let her go home, but there was no home for her to go to. Her village was burnt, her family was dead, and her country was being destroyed by conflict. The civil war and the ongoing atrocities were the main reason the enslaved foreign women in southern Danubia stayed put, even though most could have reached the border just by walking a few hours. Servitude was their reality in the Duchy, but rape and impalement hooks were the reality that awaited them to the south.

Danka thought that a logical place to leave Isauria might be with the Danubian Church. However, Isauria was an illiterate slave from the Kingdom of the Moon who barely spoke any Danubian. What use would she be to the Clergy? Especially with a shaved head?

There was the option of her former lover Kaloyankt. There was no question he could take in the girl and probably would. If she could somehow make it to Severckt nad Goradki and contact Kaloyankt, that would be the best option for Isauria, but it would not be the best option for Danka. She still felt guilty about the way she treated him and was humiliated from having been a concubine for two years. She didn’t know how much her fellow cultists knew about her fate when she left the university and did not want to find out. Taking Isauria to Severckt nad Goradki would have been the best alternative for safely disposing of her, but Danka couldn’t bring herself to do it.

Danka decided it was early enough in the year to put off making any decision concerning where she should go or what she should do with Isauria. So, she would simply take the girl further into the wild country and teach her everything necessary to live off the land. There would be some time to teach her to speak proper Danubian and how to read and write.

Danka looked around her. She felt the presence of the Old World, the forest as it had been when the Ancients decided to depart the Realm of the Living and leave humans to sort out their own fate. She wanted to believe the Ancients were all around her. Maybe it was time to take a break from the civilized world of the Christians and try to re-connect with the world that had preceded them. She had tried to teach her fellow women from Malenkta-Gordnackta to appreciate the wisdom of the Old World, in an effort that failed miserably. However, she would be able to teach some things to Isauria. Along with learning how to live alone in the forest, Danka would have time to make her appreciate the Ancients and instruct her in the ways of the Realm of Nature.

Danka still wanted to eventually get rid of Isauria, but increasingly she understood that by purchasing her, she had taken on an important responsibility. Before they parted ways, she had to ensure the girl could take care of herself and have the skills necessary to successfully pursue her Path in Life in the Duchy.

———-

Alexandrekt Bulashckt’s soul changed after Danka left his household. He had always liked her, so the circumstances of her departure greatly upset him. At first he felt betrayed, but as he thought over the situation, he understood why she had become so disgusted with him and his family. Yes, it was true that the family had treated the house slaves in a completely dishonorable manner. It was true that the Young Slave would be much better off with Danka than with his nephew. And when Stepkakta had her baby and recovered, he would have to ensure she would not return to beating the Kitchen Slave.

Nowackt was livid when he found out that his uncle had sold his servant. He was determined to go after Danka and recover his property, but Alexandrekt told him that the sale was legal and final, and that he had good reason to sell Isauria. He had bought the girl to teach Nowackt to learn responsibility and how to wisely exercise authority over others. By mistreating his servant, defacing her appearance, and reducing her value, he had failed the test of character that Alexandrekt had given him. (The explanation was not entirely true: the original reason for purchasing Isauria was to keep Nowackt from getting into trouble by chasing after neighbor girls. However, it was true that Alexandrekt became deeply disappointed with how his nephew had treated her.)

Malenkta-Gordnackta prospered over the summer of 1756 and more Danubian settlers moved in. All of the land around the town was taken, but the farms south of the border in the Kingdom of the Moon were vacant. The previous inhabitants had been massacred or driven off by the Lord of the Blue Moon’s army and the fighting had since moved elsewhere. It was risky, but several families of Danubians took over properties on the southern shore of the river and Alexandrekt Bulashckt’s authority expanded into an area that was not officially part of the Duchy.

The mayor of Malenkta-Gordnackta did not lead any more slave raids against foreign refugees. They had stopped coming into that part of the Duchy anyway, so the town would have to live by more honest means. Over time Alexandrekt regretted his behavior and knew that he would have a lot to answer for when he held up his mirror before the Creator. Perhaps he could justify his actions as a Royal Guard under the Grand Duke as following orders, but the slave raids had been entirely his responsibility.

Alexandrekt wrote extensively about his former friend and the moral dilemmas she had presented him. He wasn’t sure whether to refer to her as Silvitya or Danka. Like others before him, he simply omitted her name altogether.

Nowackt also wrote about Danka, making up stories about a pretty witch sent by the Destroyer to seduce and steal from from young boys and destroy their dreams. As he grew older, he shared some of his tales as campfire songs with his friends. The other teenagers started making up their own stories and the Girl with No Name became an increasingly loathsome and cruel temptress in the minds and songs of young men on the Duchy’s southern border.

———-

Historian’s Note: During the eighteenth century women in Europe generally could not buy, sell, or own property. However, the Grand Duchy of Upper Danubia was an important exception, due to the country’s history. The tradition of women owning property started in 1534 when King Vladik’s successor faced the dilemma of defending the Duchy after most of its men had been killed in combat. He solved the crisis by recruiting unmarried village girls to organize into squads of guerilla archers to fight for the Duchy. The teenagers were called Nymphs and the reward for three years of service was title to a piece of property. After a generation the Duchy’s population recovered and women lost many of the temporary privileges they had enjoyed during the mid 1500s, but a woman’s right to own property remained part of Danubian law and tradition.