He rode upon a great horse in a vividly green meadow. Trees skirted it, though past them, it was hard to tell � the landscape seemed to fade into mist. Standing to one side was a tall, broad man. He had simple features, and was proud of the boy on the horse � me � Rydan thought within his dream. He�s so proud of me, he�s about to burst. Rydan swelled with pride, his small fists clenching the reins and turned the horse at an angle.

�That�s the way m�boy!� the man cried, watching his son. His hazel eyes didn�t miss a thing Rydan did. �Look at him, Ihleni! I told you he would be fine!� The man laughed, full of joy, a broad smile stretching across his features.

The lady at the far end of the meadow came into view now. She wore a blue silk dress and the most beautiful face in all the lands. Her hair was like an angel�s and her eyes bluer than Midsummer�s sky. She smiled, though Rydan could feel her fear from across the meadow. �Be careful dear, the horse is stronger than you.� She called to him.

Rydan laughed, tossing his blonde head and turning the magnificent horse in another circle. �Look Mama, he�s gentle as a pony! He won�t hurt-� Suddenly he stopped, his tugs on the reins fruitless. The horse snorted, bowing his head and jerking it forward. �Mama!� The boy cried, his smile turning to fear.

�Rydan!� The lady cried, rising to her feet and running across the meadow. She seemed slowed somehow though, and as she reached halfway across, the horse reared and Rydan had a senseless moment of flight. He hit something hard, and tumbled to the ground.

A face appeared above him after minutes of black, a pale face. �Mama?� He whispered, tasting blood in his mouth. His head throbbed painfully�

Abruptly he woke up with a groan to the jeers of others, crying, �Mama! Mama!� They laughed loudly, and darts of pain went through his head at the sharp noise.

He coughed, trying to sit up. Dazedly, he began to look around. He was in an ill-lit room, devoid of any decoration save wooden paneling. It smelt of body odor and mold. He struggled to his knees.

�Sit down kid!� A harsh voice spat at him as he was roughly jerked back onto the ground.

Groaning, he turned his head to the side and spat out a mouthful of blood and old spit, wrinkling his nose at the taste. Finally, after moments of working up moisture in his mouth, he hoarsely asked, �Where�m I?�

Nobody replied, and the others that had been taunting him were silent. Gingerly, he tried to lift a hand, but found them bound behind him with coarse rope. He could feel something all along the side of his face and judging by the pain, it was probably blood.

�Where am I?� He asked again a little louder, managing the proper articulation this time.

A boy hissed at him for silence, his wide eyes afraid.

�Where-� Once again he was cut off by the boy�s hiss, but the boy was cut off by an even louder noise.

A great man stood in the doorway, all dark leather and dark oily hair. He looked throughout the room, and finally his eyes rested on Rydan. �You. Boy.� His black eyes fixed on him in the shadowy room.

Rydan stared back, Kyrr�s eyes held so much more power; this man�s stare was not hard to hold.

�Avert your eyes.� He spat out, his nose wrinkling in disgust at Rydan.

�Where am I?� Rydan asked right back, not impressed by the man. A shadow in the corner moved, and he glanced to see a man of complete muscle step forward. A glance in the other corner showed what could have been the man�s twin. He looked back to the dark haired man, �Where am I?� He asked again, unmindful of the room�s complete hush, or the fact that every other child had bowed his or her head.

The dark man sneered, �Questions are not for you to ask.� He made to leave and then paused, glancing back at Rydan, his ebony eyes glinting. �Shut him up, we�re leaving.� He turned, flourishing his cloak.

Rydan struggled to his knees, biting his tongue to keep nausea at bay. �Where am I? Answer me!� He shouted at the man�s retreating shadow.

The guards obviously were quiet as mice as well as strong. He didn�t notice the one next to him until his hair was gripped in a tight fist. The guard grinned toothily at him as he jerked his head back, his rancid breath made Rydan retch. �The Master has spoken. No questions. Now shut up.� And he smacked Rydan back into unconsciousness with the back of his hand.

Rydan laughed, tossing his blonde head and turning the magnificent horse in another circle. �Look Mama, he�s gentle as a pony! He won�t hurt-� Suddenly he stopped, his tugs on the reins fruitless. The horse snorted, bowing his head and jerking it forward. �Mama!� The boy cried, his smile turning to fear.

�Rydan!� The lady cried, rising to her feet and running across the meadow. She seemed slowed somehow though, and as she reached halfway across, the horse reared and Rydan had a senseless moment of flight. He hit something hard, and tumbled to the ground.

A face appeared above him after minutes of black, a pale face. �Mama?� He whispered, tasting blood in his mouth. His head throbbed painfully as he looked up at the beautiful lady, and then he shrank back in horror. Behind her stood Kyrr, his icy eyes staring into Rydan�s.

With a gleaming smile, he handed a bejeweled dagger to Rydan, and silently pointed to the man upon the ground beside him. Rydan�s small fist took the dagger and he clenched it tight �

�Hey, psst! Wake up!�

A voice at his ear brought him out of his dream with a startled grunt. He reached out a hand to steady himself on the wooden floor and then stopped as his bonds held him. �Where�� He began to ask, but the memories flooded back through his mind. He looked to the little boy beside him, a small mite with shaggy brown hair and freckles. The boy looked at him and then glanced away, twisting his hands together nervously.

�Who�re you?� Rydan asked him, shifting himself so he was sitting instead of lying on his side. He looked around while waiting for the boy to answer. They seemed to be in a covered wagon and moving at a steady trot. There were innumerable other boys in the wagon, packed in. They had enough room to sit cross-legged, but that was all. There must have been fifty of them and the oldest perhaps thirteen or so.

�Jheam.� The boy whispered, indicating the driver�s seat on the other side of the wagon�s covering. �We gotta be quiet or he�ll come back here�n beat us. I woke you up �cause you was moaning in your sleep.�

The throb in his head slowly came back with the jolting of the wagon. He let his head drop, sighing heavily. �Do you know where we�re going?� He whispered back to the small boy beside him.

Jheam shook his head, �I dunno, he just put us in the wagon�n left. We musta been going for a day now.�

Rydan nodded, but didn�t reply. He had a thought at what the wagon could be, but surely, that wouldn�t have happened. Child-slaves? In Jaroden? There had been that contract the king had signed while in his fever, stating that all poor houses be demolished and the homeless relocated - but it had said nothing about slaves.

His stomach suddenly rumbled loudly, reminding him that he hadn�t eaten in nearly five days. He nudged Jheam with an elbow. �D�we get to eat anything?�

Jheam shook his head. �No food. Water at nights. Shh, I think we�re stopping.� He whispered back, twisting his torso around to watch the back of the wagon.

Indeed, they were slowing, and then stopping outside what sounded like a busy place. There was a multitude of voices buzzing throughout the air and maybe a building judging by the echoing sound some voices made. The wagon hitched as two large forms jumped down from the driver�s bench in front. Rydan could hear them messing with the knots that held the flaps down.

The first child cried out as he was suddenly hooded, and a cord tied loosely around his throat to keep the black hood on. One by one, each of the boys donned a black hood and cord. Some were in tears, others lost in total disbelief before the hood took their identities from them. Rydan tried not to show his fear. I won�t break, he told himself.

Rydan caught a quick glimpse of the outside before he was impounded in blackness. The boys stood there, like the condemned in line for the gallows, hoods over their heads and hands tied behind them.

�Move!� A sharp voice suddenly grunted from behind him, and he was pushed forward by somebody else, and they were herded like cattle into a building. Rydan followed them, not knowing what else to do.

The muffled sound of an auctioneer came through the dense hood. Rydan was pressed up close to other bodies before the voice again grunted at them to halt. There was the sound of a metal clang, and then they were alone.

Every few minutes, the metal, which to Rydan sounded like a gate, would open, and one of the boys would gasp and then the gate would slam shut again. He settled his feet on the dirt, realizing somewhere along the way his boots had disappeared. Then, it was his turn.

He felt the arm clench like iron around his upper arm, and he let out a surprised breath before he found himself stumbling along straw, or hay and then shoved up steps and the a hand took hold on his other arm, and held him there on the stone.

The voices he heard were muffled, and didn�t make much sense. Straining as hard as he could, he couldn�t see anything other than black, or hear the dull roar of voices and the muffled tones of two nearest to him.

Quite suddenly, he felt a metal tip on the base of his neck, and then a ripping sound. One by one, his clothes were peeled from him, and despite his humiliated struggles, the man�s iron grip held him upon the stone.

The man holding him didn�t say anything, and the only word he could hear from outside the thick hood was, �Sold!� before he was roughly jerked from the platform, dragged a few yards and then unkindly tossed into another pen. The metal bars on the back of it were cold against his skin, and he huddled down on his knees after finding the corner, bowing his head. I won�t break. He mentally told himself. Despite the shame, the humiliation, the inhumanness, he told himself, I won�t break.

�Boy!� The barked voice made him jerk his head up, fruitlessly looking for the speaker. �Stand up!� The metal screeched open, and heavy footsteps entered. �Stand up boy!� The voice barked again.

Rydan struggled to his feet, keeping his back to the corner. Not being able to see was a terrible thing. He didn�t know whether the man held a club, or chains-

�Clothes. You want �em?� The man brushed the material past Rydan�s chest.

Rydan nodded, and then shrugged, indicating he couldn�t put them on with his hands tied as they were.

�Good God boy, you�re more trouble than you�re worth.� The man sighed, and then nearly pulled Rydan�s leg out from under him with an oath. The man briskly dressed him, leaving his arms on the inside of his shirt until his hands could be untied. Neither did he take the hood off. There was no farewell as he left, only the rattle of metal on metal with a solid promise of confinement.

Rydan sank to his knees again, feverishly praying and cursing in the same breath, I won�t break.

Copyright:
LaurenBlewett

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