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The route out was rugged. We bounced and jounced along for nearly an hour before we got to the workshop where I stored my mechanical dragon. I moved my now thoroughly-bounced ladies to a barred cell section of the main room, untied them, and let them stretch their limbs. I spent some time stowing equipment, and preparing a simple meal for my captives.
When I served it, one of the ladies recognized me, "My Lord, Baron Rostov?" I looked at her again as she stood at the cell bars.. Yes... I had seen that raven black hair before on a young girl who came to the summer jousts. She was Paltrice, no peasant, but a knight's daughter. Times must have been hard at that village. I would surely see they had better over the next year.
"Mistress Paltrice. How pleasant to see you alive." I said, and handed her a plate with bread and fruit.
"And you are..." I said to the blond.
"Anna. Anna of Dolgrith." she replied, and took her plate. Dolgrith was a village leader. He had paid his respects to me many times over the years, and was a solid man.
"Which daughter are you?"
"The eldest." My throat tightened a bit. Clearly over the next year I must be generous. My people are suffering much if they are willing to bring such sacrifices to the dragon.
Both women sat down on a bed, and began picking at their food. They were still deep in wonderment at their situation.
The redhead stood on the far side of the cell. There was a defiant look in her eye, and the hour-long jouncing while tied hand-and-foot had not dazed her for long. She was once again alert and wary -- there was strength in this one.
I held up the final plate. "And who are you?" I asked. She did not approach.
"Eat, and I will explain." I said.
She looked around. She looked at the door. "Was escape possible?" she was clearly thinking.
"Your life has changed. Changed completely." I said, "That door will not take you to safety -- not any more. Eat, tell me who you are, and I will explain." I offered the plate once more.
This time she took it, sat down, and attacked the food aggressively -- these peasants had not even offered her a last meal?
"I am Chasta." she said between bites, "Hanshet's daughter."
"Hanshet...?" I said.
"Hanshet of Harola. From far away. But he lived here, before he died. This is my mother's place."
"Who is your mother, child?"
"Yashinka."
Yashinka! Yes... Hanshet was known to me. A foreigner who fought with my troops. A good fighter, too. He was given land and a wife for his heroism, but he died nine months after he was mustered out. He apparently used those nine months well. But his death had thrown his young wife, Yashinka, into a limbo. She was a strong woman trapped by being childful and husbandless. Not a whore... But what? A small village has no place for such a woman. She gained the reputation of being a witch. So, this was her offspring. But why would the village offer her? Hmm, no better way to find out than...
"Why did the village offer you up?"
She looked up at me sullenly, then said matter-of-factly, "I spoke against the Dragon." then continued eating.
"You spoke against the Dragon?"
"I said, 'Don't do this. Don't deliver your best to this hideous beast. This is false worship.' For saying that, they chose me."
Hmm, not a poxed up whore, but an ideologue with dangerous ideas. Certainly an interesting choice for the village. I will have to investigate their attitudes more deeply.
"Excuse me, sir, but what is to become of us?" asked Paltrice.
Her words brought me back to the business at hand, "Formally, you ladies are all dead. In the eyes of your families and friends, you have been consumed by the Dragon, and in doing so, have brought high honor to your families. This means you can't go back home, or be seen by anyone who knows you. If that happens, deep scandal will fall on your families, and they will be ruined.
"You all know this, right?" I looked closely at each lady. This realization clearly dawned on Paltrice and Anna; Chasta had a haughty look.
"I have changed your destinies... perhaps. What happens now you have some control over. In a few days, I will ask you to make a choice, and that choice will be yours to make."
"The choice will be to either: die as your village planned, in appeasing the dragon... I can take you back, bind you again, and leave you for the dragon. Or, you can choose to live on, but in a new life, far, far away, and in very different way from your old life. This must be a new life that never intersects with your old life in any way. You will have appeased the dragon in the eyes of those you hold most dear, but you will have the opportunity to live on, and experience a life like you had never dreamed of."
Anna and Paltrice looked confused, which I have found is normal. That's why I give these girls a few days before I make them choose.
"And just why are you getting involved in this?" asked Chasta. Chasta was clearly of a different mindset, and this, in the long run, will be good. But, in the short run, will it be good for her and me? She doesn't respect the Dragon, so why should she respect me? Honor does not drive her, so the threat of scandal will not keep her away from her village. This puts me at risk. Should I take the risk?
"I have saved you for two reasons: first, because like Miss Chasta here, I don't believe in the Dragon Ritual. And second, because I believe I can give you a better life than the death-by-devouring that would have happened to you by now."
"What of our villages? I know I died for mine..." Paltrice looked around confused, "I will die for mine."
"You can if you so choose, but before making that choice, you should know more."
"You should know that the Dragon does nothing for you, but I, your Baron, do. For the last ten years I have been 'the dragon' of the Dragon Ritual. I have intercepted young sacrificial maidens, and brought them here. I examine them, much as I am examining you, and I reward the villages based on what I see they have sacrificed."
The ladies looked confused.
"You have spoken out against the Dragon Ritual many times, m'Lord." said Paltrice "I know that well."
"I don't want the Dragon Ritual to continue, but it is a product of your villages' superstitions, and I can't outlaw superstitious thinking. If I were to outlaw the Dragon Ritual overtly, it would be replaced by something secret... something I couldn't intervene in."
"But my village will prosper next year. I've seen it in the past."
"You've seen changes in fortune... and my rewards. Oh... I am subtle about my rewards, but, yes..." I lift Paltrice's chin to look at her full-faced. "You're village will have a better year this year. Be assured." she pulls her head away.
"Why do you do this?" asked Chasta.
"Times are changing; the world is changing. It won't be too long before your villages change enough that they will reject the Dragon Ritual. I look forward to that day. In the meantime. I save you young ladies, and gain some personal value doing it."
Chasta snorted.
"You, my dear Chasta, are a most encouraging sign of the coming change. Your villagers considered your idea so dangerous that they sent you to the dragon. In years earlier they would have considered you a raving lunatic, and harmless, and not a suitable sacrifice. You are here because new ideas are seeping into your village." she looked at me as if this was a novel thought.
"Rest now. I will tell you more tomorrow.
"But, before you do, please remove your gowns. They are truly magnificent, and I will not have them lost. You will find clothing to replace them in the closet behind you. I'll be back in about fifteen minutes." I give them their privacy.
When I came back Paltrice and Anna were clothed in nicely tailored silk gowns, and their sacrificial gowns were on their beds. To their eyes, those silk gowns would be five times value of the garments they had taken off. All the clothing in the closet is expensive, well tailored, and the materials were highest quality cottons, silks and linens. Chasta was still in her peasant dress.
"You didn't find anything to your liking?" I asked Chasta as I came in and collected the gowns.
"This is no gown." she said -- there was a hint of blush as she said it.
"We're not trading here. Just find something you like." I said.
"Good night, and sweet dreams." I left them for the evening.
These sacrificial gowns were valuable... if you knew the right people. I know collectors of fine memorabilia who will pay handsomely for these because they are well-crafted and exotic.
But, the value of their gowns was not why I asked these ladies to give them to me. I ask them to switch to new clothing to begin their acclamation to their new life, should they choose it... not all do, about one in ten I end up taking back to the cave. The women chosen for this honor are women of high principle, and if I'm unsuccessful at convincing them that their principles are not being compromised, I must take them back.
Tomorrow, we would talk seriously about their futures.
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