I hesitated, thinking I might be foolish to accept hospitality from someone I didn't know.
“Welcome to SaanSanti," he crossed his arms over his chest--a sign of the Saans-- and bowed slightly. "I'm sure you are wary of accepting an invite from a stranger, but I think we'll find we have a lot in common. I have a long lost brother in Koyote, perhaps you know him?"
The coincidence seemed too perfect. We sat now in Rhyan’s two-room house, having eaten bread and the rest of my cheese. Evening had fallen and candles lit up our faces. I had told Rhyan too much probably, about Olei, about my journey to SaanSanti. I refrained from telling him my wild hope that I could bring Olei home. Rhyan seemed content not to know exactly why I had come, other than to be in the same city as my partner. Raini had long since curled up in a bed in the corner and was sleeping. I learned his scolding earlier had been so harsh only because of his illness – water in his lungs – which called for bed rest most of the time. But Rhyan couldn't be on constant watch; he still had work to do to provide for himself and his son.
"I adored my older brother, but I shamed him. I know he left the Saans after I did, and only because I had many friends still in the Citadel did I learn he had gone to Koyote," Rhyan said.
"Elder Rhys is a wise and loving man...I can't believe he would have been shamed into leaving because of you. But I can't imagine why he didn't tell me to find you here.” I added.
"He might think I'm dead, or he truly hasn't forgiven me for what I did. I was foolish indeed, but I would never have undone what I did."
We looked at each other for a second. I didn't want to ask too many questions, I was only a guest. My curiosity though, was insatiable.
"People do silly things for love," he began almost dreamily, "Mara was so beautiful. She was magnetic, the most powerful person in the world to me. I remember watching her, dancing with her, sneaking away with her. Her smile was brighter than the Saans’ light, I could listen to her breathe and be more captivated than by any prayer from the Saans…"
As he spoke so lovingly of his late wife, I could only imagine Olei.
"Saans are chaste, you see,” he continued, “and that was supposed to be my life's way. Back then only some of the underlings were made eunuchs, but in the time since I left, now all of them are. As a young Saan I was not chaste in mind, nor heart, nor body; when they discovered my true nature they threw me out of the Citadel and sold me to the mines. I was humiliated and publicly scorned, but I was liberated from my vow of chastity. I never spoke to my brother again. Though it would take me many years to buy my freedom, Mara and I were free to be in love. After I bought my freedom I moved here, to the inner city where we could make children. We made three."
I sat up straighter and looked around. I didn't think that there were other children I had missed. He laughed.
"They are nearly grown women now, maybe only a little younger than yourself. Beautiful girls they are, both working up in the Red Keep for the Domi. They have quarters there, so I only see them sometimes. Even though Mara died more than six years ago, they still can't look me in the eye...and I can't look at them either. They are so much like her."
I studied Rhyan as he talked. He had a long pointy chin and an enormous grin. His hair was slightly unkempt, and grew only around the sides of his head. It was short and graying and curly enough to hide the tops of his ears. He wore lenses on both his eyes to help him see, held on by tiny metal frames. I'd never seen lenses like that, in Koyote a single lens was prized. Normally if one couldn't see, one couldn't see.
Finally, Rhyan took a deep breath to break the silence.
"Well Aneh, I can get you as far as the inner city tomorrow, and we'll see if we can find out what they have done with your Olei. Don't pray for it, but if you're lucky you may catch a glimpse of him. As you know, I don't really have good ties with the Saans anymore, but I still have friends. You can sleep here by the hearth if you like."
"Thank you Rhyan, for taking me in and keeping me safe."
It was hard not to trust this man whose kin I knew so well. There was an air of desperation about him though. It clouded the room when he talked about his dead wife and occupied the empty space in the cupboards.
I awoke not knowing where I was, only to be reminded a few seconds later. Rhyan was stirring in the pantry, pulling out some bread. I reached over and began to prepare the fire. Together we made tea before slipping out into the early light. Raini was fast asleep in his bed. We didn't bother to wake him.
Rhyan was a miner, he said, but where once he only did as he was told, now he made decisions and gave orders. "I've lost a lot of friends to the mine… it owns me a little. Without the mine I would have nothing." Mines were where people dug out precious rocks, I learned. Mines were in the cold and in the dark.
We approached the great red building, the Red Keep, where the King and his family lived. The King, Rhyan explained, was directly descended from the first Saans. "They themselves are not part of the Saans, though they practice. They have more governing responsibilities. They keep the people happy."
The Red Keep loomed. There were thick walls surrounding it and towers with windows and flags waving wildly. I saw that these people put thin panes of glass in their buildings so they could see out yet be protected from harsher weather. I had only ever seen glass marbles, thick, heavy and chipped.
There were armored guards standing and watching while men in the blue cloaks of the Saans hustled about. Rhyan nodded to a couple of the guards, who eyed me suspiciously. Rhyan replied, "New labor," and stared directly ahead. Labor? I wasn’t sure what he meant. I looked back to the guards watching me with something like hunger in their eyes. It was the first time I felt truly unsafe. These guards were much stronger than I and just as tall.
Though I felt uncertain, I had made up my mind to get to Olei, so we continued through a heavy wooden door propped open by a stone, into a tunnel illuminated by torches. We turned into a dimly lit room that smelled like sheep scat, though there were no sheep around. An ugly little man sat at a table counting what looked like teeth.
"Bridge, I've brought you more labor," Rhyan said flatly.
The man, Bridge, didn't look up, just kept counting. We waited awkwardly while he continued.
"You screwed my countin', Rhyan. Lucky for you I'm smart, otherwise I'd start all over again, and I'd add money to your debt." He smiled meanly, exposing horrible black stubby teeth. He looked at me. "Well, what do we have here? What kind of woman is this?"
He licked his lips. "Can she work?"
"Six and twenty," Rhyan said, nodding.
"Four and twenty," Bridge replied. "She looks foreign."
"Six and twenty. She's strong, from Koyote."
Bridge stood up, rolled his beady little eyes, and shook hands with Rhyan.
I had just been sold.
I stood, stunned and frozen. I tried to find Rhyan’s face but the only eyes I could catch were Bridge's.
"Get your pack," he demanded of me and walked out.
I lingered to look at Rhyan, but he didn't turn. His face was like stone. I wondered how long he had thought of this as a plan for me. Bridge grew impatient quickly.
"Hurry up you stupid coyotie!"
Chapter 29
Yossinda
Fall had arrived at the Keep, making the halls drafty and my hands cold. I left the kitchens to find Katrine. She had summoned me to the Citadel again after what seemed to me like an eternity, thought it was only three months. For all of summer Yeidi had been well enough to work. Today though, she was not.
When I found Katrine in the drawing room of the Five Great Ones I entered the room slowly and politely, meaning not to make eye contact nor seem anything more than the little person I was. She motioned me towards her. None of the Saans seemed to notice I was there.
Silently, the doors swung open and Theodorius marched in. SaanObith stood up impatiently. I tried not to look up but I couldn’t help it. The room was filled with leath
er-bound books and solid oak tables that must have been brought in from far away. Paraffin lamps lit the room from colored glass shades. The room felt comfortable and calm, despite SaanObith’s apparent bad mood. SaanTerro sat at a desk to the west, his old white head barely visible over stacks of books and parchment. SaanReas and SaanAethan leaned forward by the fire nursing tall glasses and saying nothing at all. In the back of the room, SaanKote hovered over some books. His brow was furrowed as if concentrating.
“Theodorius, you are late.” San Obith had a deep, commanding voice. I looked at the floor, but then my gaze went to Theodorius, whose turn it was to speak. He knocked the tips of his fingers together and squinted with his whole face. He looked like the dough I kneaded so often, his mouth made a tiny nervous frown, his eyes looked like bits of raisin pushed far back into his face.
Katrine began whispering directions about the food. I tried hard to pay attention and resist listening to the men behind me.
When I returned it was with a gorgeous display and several serving boys trotting behind me. After we set the food down on a warm oak table I sent them off and stayed in case anything else was needed. The Saans continued talking as Katrine poured each a glass of spiced hot wine. They ignored her almost completely.
They talked in low voices and I tried not to listen. But these were the most wise and most intelligent men of the realm, and I found myself drawn to them in spite of myself. SaanObith was tall and graying. His face was long and wore a short beard. His eyes had bags under them but he looked alert. I wondered if he was happy, because he never smiled. SaanReas by contrast had no beard and mostly dark hair. He had a round face and twinkly eyes, he smiled a lot. The corners of his mouth always seemed to be turned up.
“At least separation of church and state would give us a little more financial freedom from the demands of the Domi,” Theodorius was speaking from a large chair near the table. He spoke loosely, as if he had already had more than his share of spirits. “That nit-wit Tigus they have for their master of coin has no training and probably loses half of what we give him! If not, he lets the Domi have whatever they want, and who wouldn’t? Myrah is cunning and Manuel is a frightening as a moment in a lion’s den. The man is insatiable – women, drink, Tinea – definitely a person who does not improve with the drug. Alas, I can’t think of a way we can be separated from the Domi.”
"And we never will be, Theodorius, they are blood of the First Kin of the Saans. It is our duty to care for them, no matter how meddling or difficult they are proving to be," said SaanTerro.
"Well, we have less money than usual right now and I simply cannot allot any more to Tigus than I have promised," Theodorius continued.
"It would not be wise to perturb the Queen too much. She will not hesitate to add fuel to her fire to get what she wants for her family," SaanObith said.
"Indeed, you speak too swiftly Theodorius, do not forget that we have a new Saan among us," SaanAethan's voice was a deep soothing bass. It matched his dark, smooth skin and calm expression. "Coin will not be a problem for us, as pilgrims continue to come to see SaanKote, bring goods, food and their riches. In addition, it is the beginning of the season of Obith and many, many were born in this season. Their birth taxes paid in homage to their patron Element will bring in much money."
Theodorius scratched his neck and squinted some more. Katrine filled his wine glass to the brim. He beckoned her to stop, swatting her away like a fly. “Forgive me for speaking so brashly. I should have more faith that the Elements will provide us with the means to survive. Even the pilgrims thus far have brought substantial gifts that I have overlooked.” He sniffed over his wine and took a gulp before continuing. “And lest I forget, the new underlings are much appreciated. We have over thirty and one hundred, all to be outfitted appropriately soon enough," he smirked an ugly little smirk, "It's always tragic for the older ones to lose their jewels, especially if they've used them before." Only Theodorius was amused by his own comment. The rest of the Saans maintained their expressions of forced calm; SaanReas’ smile wavered.
I left to empty the platters and bring up candied walnuts, apricots, and thick cream. The air outside the Saans’ drawing room felt chilly and damp against my cheeks. It was so exciting to be in their presence! I hoped that I was worthy enough of serving them. I caught myself mid-thought and stopped, picturing Yeidi with her grey gums covered in the gray Tinea drug serving SaanObith a cut of roast pig. No, I’m sure that the Holy Ones didn’t discriminate based on appearances or judge people unfairly. We are all children of the Elements.
I slept soundly that night curled up next to my little brother. After serving the Saans I was able to find my way home to Father and Raini. I looked for Yeidi in a few of her favorite alleys but had no luck. It was very possible that I would be back in the Citadel tomorrow as well.
For now I was safe and happy. Raini made tiny noises when he slept and he fit against my body like a pillow. I held him like he was a baby while he nuzzled his blond head into my arm. I dreamed I was walking with the Unmarked Ones in a land where everything was made of clouds. In a crystalline pool I could see the reflection of my healthy face…or was it my mother’s?
Chapter 30
Aneh
I shared my room with a few other women with scarred hands and dirty faces. Their backs were bent over and most were old. None were hesitant to probe, and they looked at me with hunger in their eyes. I had little for them to take. Little Raini and Rhyan had gone through my pack in my sleep and taken anything of value. All I had were some extra clothes – far too ill-fitting for any of the women there – and my pack. "Take it," I said. I didn't care. I was now a slave in a dirty, hopeless city. In only a few hours I had been given a black, bold tattoo on my arm to show I was a slave in the mines.
Working in the mine was like working with death. The air was dirty and heavy, there was little light and everything was cold. The robes they gave me were covered in the black tarry smudge we mined. Tinea ore, they called it, and warned me of its toxicity. It was deep in my fingernails and made me tired. My sweat carried off the dust that collected on my skin, making streaks on my neck and arms. The substance was more precious than any metal or gem. We were inspected after work, to make sure we weren't stealing it. I couldn’t imagine why anyone would.
The dust and dirt came off easily enough when we got to wash up once a day after the shift. They fed us stale bread and broth to soften it. There was some sausage and greasy bacon. I had never eaten pig before. It was a marvelously delicious creature, but the taste was deadened by my misery.
I cursed myself for not having tried to escape in the moments after I was sold, and for trusting a man I barely knew. Escape now would not be easy, but there were glimmers of opportunity. Once every five days we were allowed to wander the common grounds outside of the Keep for the Saans blessing. They blessed the slaves, servants and common peoples at dusk so the evening stars were just visible. We were herded back into our quarters immediately after the blessing by heavily armored guards carrying a slew of threatening weapons. These guard were similar to the ones who had come to Koyote. Looking at them reminded me of why I had come, yet now they were the ones keeping me here.
One of the kindlier women the quarters could see my mind working and told me not to think about escaping. Zanne was darker, like me, but shorter and with more bosom. She warned me to fear Bridge, the mine warden, who put runaways in the deepest prison cells until they went crazy, then brought them back and worked them to death. She had lost a friend that way, she said. She kept her hair short and advised me to keep my wits about me.
"The man Bridge, he is no good. He likes us foreign women, so mind your backside," she whispered.
It was many days…maybe sixty…maybe more, before I was allowed to go to the blessing and prayer in the blessing yard. Time passed slowly, miserably. Now I stood in the dim evening light, crowded amongst a thousand other people as dirty as I was, with a distant view of a balcony protected
by two enormous faceless statues crossing themselves—the Unmarked Ones. Until that day I had seen very few Saans but I hoped with every face I saw that one of them would be my love.
Walking into the Blessing Yard awakened what felt like a distant memory for me. Great hooded figures carved in stone stood against the walls in the yard, nearly as tall as the ones I had seen carved into the cliffs so long ago. The Unmarked Ones, watching over us. The great embracing X decorated everything around the Blessing Yard. It was etched into the stones, embroidered on the flags and banners in gold stitching. I saw tattoos of it on people’s arms and painted on faces.
There was a moment of quiet as some small men in blue robes emerged on the balcony. I strained to see if Olei was among them. I was so far back I could not understand what they said, I only watched and softly imitated the actions of those around me. People repeatedly spread their arms up and relaxed their heads back, faces pointed to the sky. Finally, they crossed their arms across their chests before bending down and giving an exaggerated bow.
Finally, five figures processed out on to the balcony. One was distinctly taller and darker than the others.
I must have looked crazy – I suppose I was — as I shrank back in the crowd. I fought back tears but they streamed down my face, wetting the collar of my dirty shirt and blurring my vision. He was so far away from me and there were so many people between us, people with power, people with weapons. I would have braved them all, but suddenly the depth of our story became a gulf at my feet and I was frozen.
Olei had become a Saan. They had chosen him, made him the SaanKote. He was elevated, with the Unmarked Ones now, and I was a slave.
Chapter 31
Aneh
Five painful days passed. I dreamed every night of Olei, of home, of simple things that had happened not so long ago, but were from another lifetime. The dreams were so vivid and real that I longed for them during my waking hours because it was in dreaming that I felt loved, happy and safe. When I awoke the reality of my situation swept away the fog of sleep abruptly, harshly. Where there had been hope was now only despair.