Another short chapter that gets us further into the story: Dawn.

Stone

3

Kepler sat on the wagon, while his eight guards patrolled the train. There were four other wagons as well, containing food for the train, and other trade goods. The most valuable goods were the human sort, he thought to himself. Sarn was apparently short of slaves and the auction he hoped to reach on time should result in a good profit.

Just then his senior guard men, Carlson, rode up: “Riders behind. Two, on four horses. About five miles back.”

Kepler reacted immediately. Five miles on horseback could be covered quickly. He ordered the four wagons into a sort of a circle, with the slaves in their chains in the middle. His wagon was closest to the approaching riders, and his eight guards arrayed themselves around it between him and the approaching riders.

“Look, there is a dolly. A cute one,” Carlson said. “But the man is a big bugger.”

“No worry,” Kepler told his men. “Even as big as he is, he can’t fight eight of you. And that dolly looks pretty fine. She’ll score me eight or ten gold at the sale. And all of you should get a turn with her before we get there. Dismount and draw swords.”

“Ahoy, the train,” Stone shouted. “Are you dealing slaves? You will release them immediately.”

“I think not,” the slave traders called back. “I think I will take your dolly and the horses into my wares. I’d take you too, but if the dolly is sworn to you, we will have to kill you to break the bond. Dismount and fight.”

Rayla was now sworn to Stone. They had argued about it for an hour since leaving the village, and he finally had to agree to speak the oath she recited for him, locking her into slavery with him. He didn’t like it, but finally agreed it was the best way to protect her. To Rayla’s surprise, she didn’t feel all that different once the oath was made, although she did feel it take effect.

To the astonishment of Kepler and his men, the big man remained on the big horse. Who ever heard of fighting from horseback? Then the man pulled a long sword from a scabbard. It was at least double the length of the short swords his men carried.

The slaver watched as the horse darted close to his men, properly on foot with swords out and arrayed in battle formation. Then the great sword flashed and he saw it cut through the closest four men in a single slice. On one it cut the guard’s head clean off, and the next two lost both their head and upper arms as the blade sliced through the chests like a knife through butter. The last man was sliced through the waist, and fell to the ground in two pieces.

Kepler’s amazement only lasted a second though, when an arrow plunged into his eye, immediately killing him.

Doug pranced back, so as not to get any of the gore in front of him on his hooves. The other four soldiers reacted quickly, dropping to their knees with their swords in front of them. The three unarmed wagoneers just stared in shock, as did the slaves within the wagons.

“Do you yield?” Stone yelled. All seven of the remaining men nodded yes. There were the wagoneers, who had not fought, and four cowering guards who considered their duty over with the death of their master. “Then rise, but leave your swords where they are for now.” Stone then went between two wagons, one with the dead slaver slumped over. He saw that the slaves were chained together with shackles on their ankles.

“Who has the keys to unlock these chains?” he asked the nearest wagoneer.

“Kepler kept them under his seat of the wagon he drove,” the man said. “There is a hidden compartment when you lift up the seat.” Stone used his sword point to thrust the slaver’s body to the ground. He reached over to open the compartment and saw a large set of keys and several cloth sacks. He snagged the key ring with the tip of the sword, and flicked it. It flew through the air, and the guard named Carlson was able to catch it in midair.

“Unchain them. Remove the chains and the shackles,” Stone ordered. All four guards immediately went into the circle and started work. Stone went back to the hiding spot and took the two sacks over to Rayla, who was about 25 yards away. She had shot the arrow that had killed the slaver. One bag was full of gold livres, and the other had smaller denominations: silver denari down to copper farthings.

“No more problems with cash,” Rayla said as she ran her fingers through the coins.

“Well, hopefully. All these people will need cash to get started again. But there is a lot here, and we should have something left.”

Stone moved Doug into the circle shouting: “People! You are now free. You can go where you will. We will give you a small bit of money for travel and to get started. You are no longer slaves.”

Then an elderly man spoke up: “We thank you for rescuing us. But are we required to go free? I have been a slave all my life, and I don’t wish freedom. Hopefully an owner less vicious than that thing,” he gestured at the body on the ground. “But given a choice, I would remain a slave.”

Stone was dumbfounded. “How many more of you feel this way?” Only about a dozen hands went up, while over 100, plus children, shook their heads.”

“Well, I’ll have to think about that. Do you mind not being chained?” The man replied: “When we are sold we will not be in chains. And none of us are apt to run away.”

“Good,” Stone said. “Put the chains and shackles into the wagons. I see some of you have sores on your legs. Go over to my companion and she will see if she can help you. And some of you have no shoes. You may take the boots from those things, if they fit,” he pointed to the dead guards then the slaver’s body. “And him. I’m afraid that most of the rest of their clothes are in bad shape, thanks to my sword. If any of the guards, dead or alive, have spare boots or clothes, distribute them to the neediest.”

About 30 walked over to Rayna, and she organized the women to boil water in the big pot from the chuckwagon, and learned that there were some white linen bolts in a trade wagon that she had the men tear into bandages. Soon water was boiling and wounds were being cleaned and bandaged.

Meanwhile Stone moved over to Carlson, who seemed to be the leader of the remaining guards. “Where were you going? Where were the slaves to be sold?”

“In Sarn, the ducal seat,” the guard said. “Kepler always dealt with an auctioneer there. We were pushing to get there for the Friday sale. He didn’t like the idea of paying to feed them for another week.”

“Well, we are not going to push these poor folk, but there are only 13 who want to continue ‘there’. We can probably put them all on wagons and make better time. As for the others …”

“Attention please,” Stone shouted again, and every face turned to join him. “I don’t know how many of you know where you are going to go.”

“My wife and family had a farm in the Barrens,” a man said. “I’d like to go back there. I saw that this lot burn my house and barn last week. But I would like to see if the crop I planted there this spring is untouched. It would be a chore to rebuild, but if we can get through to fall and harvest, then we can move somewhere else, away from the slave routes.”

“Good plan,” Stone said. “I have seen the Barrens and there are many other burned out farms there. Those of you who are farmers might want to check them out. Try to stay close together though. And those of you that have other trades should find a good spot to set up a little town. I recommend along the stream up there, but you are free men and can go where you wish.”

“You three,” he pointed to the other guards. “I am taking Carlson with me into Sarn to get supplies and give these others their wish. I want the three of you to accompany these freed men, and provide them some protection on the trip and beyond. Set up a base in the town and hold weekly training sessions. I see that there are weapons in that wagon. Each adult male can take a sword and any other tools that any of you might need for your trade. I want you all to form a militia, and these three will train you, so that if slavers arrive, you can fight. They will stop harassing you if they know you are armed and trained. You three come to me.”

The first guard was a tall redhead named Wooden. Stone reached down and picked him up by his collar, so his legs were dangling three feet off the ground. “Do you swear to protect and train these people, and never again work for slavers?” he asked.

“I do,” the man said.

“This will hurt a bit,” Stone said, and drew Pate from her scabbard. He held the sword to the man’s throat and made a tiny cut.

“This one will be true,” Pate sang to Stone.

“Go to Rayla for a bandage,” Stone said, setting the man down. The next was shorter and a few years older, named Herebond. He too was lifted in the air, and passed Pate’s blood test.

The third man was fidgeting. He was younger, named Millstream, and when Stone lifted him into the air, there was a muttering from the former slaves. He was given the oath, and agreed as the other two. But the blood test went differently. Pate reported that the man was sadistic, and had been known to rape the women slaves, as had two of the other four who died.

Pate then cut deeper into the neck, killing the man, causing Pate to sing. Stone tossed the body to the ground face first, so little blood would spoil his clothes.

“Two will do as well as three,” Stone said, and over the next few seconds the former slaves started to applaud. Apparently Millstream was not well liked by the freed people.

“I suggest that you all stay for the evening, which is approaching fast. Let’s get a supper organized, Rayla. And I also want to disperse some cash to those who will be leaving us tomorrow. I think we can give 2 silver denari to each man or woman over the age of 15. The guards will get more: one gold each, which will be their pay for one year. I hope to be back in a week or two. I think you can make it to Greenwood tomorrow, and to the Barrens in another day or two. You can buy supplies in Greenwood. I will send at least one wagon with you for your tools, arms, some trade goods and space for the smallest and weakest among you. The other three wagons will go to Sarn with me.”

That evening it was a happy bunch, glad to be free again, and better fed than they had been all trip. There was even some singing until they dropped asleep.