Page 10 of Valka

Valka nodded approvingly. Delia was strong. “Should be Orc,” he mumbled as he rose to his feet and started back toward his cave.

~~~

Delia had tried many times to start conversations with the three other women there with them, but they were so shutdown that it was impossible to draw them into conversation. Sighing tiredly, she looked away from the three who wouldn’t even respond and lifted her head to the sky.

“I wonder where the other women are. If they survived, or if they drowned in the sea?” Delia said.

“Maybe they got away. There’s a chance, right? Maybe the skaevin didn’t see them,” Louise said.

“Maybe. Maybe not,” Delia said, her face lifted to the sky. It seemed like hours ago the sun had been directly overhead, and now it was lowering itself toward the horizon. She suddenly realized that the women might not know how to determine which direction they were going in if they ever needed it. “That direction is West,” she said, lifting her good arm to point toward the sun. “It was above us earlier, so I think it’s late afternoon now, and that direction is West.”

“Why would we care?” Patricia asked tiredly, her head resting on her arms. “We are where we are and there’s nothing we can do about it.”

“Because, if you ever have the opportunity to free yourself, you may not want to run West, because the shore is just over there beyond the cliffs, and these people will be waiting for you. Or perhaps you will want to run West, after you find out whatever other people lie to the East.”

“I wouldn’t even know where East is,” Patricia said, laying her head down on her arms again, which were holding her own legs tightly.

“I just told you how to tell where the East is. You wait until the sun sets, that direction is West. The opposite direction is East. Just walk away from the sunset and you’ll be going East. And if you need North or South, turn your back to the sunset and go either left or right accordingly,” Delia said.

“I’m so confused,” Patricia whined. “I don’t want to need to know that.”

“You can’t be that ignorant,” Louise said.

Patricia lifted her head and glared at Louise. “I am not ignorant. I am simply untrained in the things that husbands usually oversee. Like directions of travel. And protection of one’s self. And surviving in a strange land! I’ve never needed to learn those things! I was raised to have a husband perform those duties for me!”

“Which is exactly what ignorant means… not knowing.”

“Why don’t you know?” Bettina asked.

“I wasn’t schooled in such mundane things. I was schooled to be a gentleman’s wife and marry for position.” She smiled brightly as she began to speak of herself. “I can play the harp, and the piano. And I can sing, and dance. I recite poetry! Oh, the poems I can bring forth from memory!” she said, clasping her hands beneath her chin as her eyes took on a faraway look.

“Why aren’t you?” Bettina asked.

“Why aren’t I what?” Patricia asked, suddenly confused.

“Married to a gentleman,” Bettina said.

“I decided to marry for love, not for position,” Patricia said, her smile disappearing, her voice not quite as confident.

“Did you change your mind? Because I hate to point it out, but I don’t see a husband at your side,” Bettina said.

“I did not. I slipped away in the night and I wasted no time getting to our rendezvous. But he never came. I waited as he said to. I waited for a whole day and night. Then I began to inquire at the port where he said we’d meet. But they didn’t know of him. I sat for another day wondering what to do. My family wouldn’t have me back, I knew… I’d brought shame on them. I had nowhere and no one. I decided to book passage on a ship sailing for a land I’d never visited, where no one would know of my compromised reputation. I have much to offer any man in need of a wife. Only I never made it that far. I never expected to be here,” she said, her tears beginning to fall again.

Bettina and Louise shared a meaningful glance, knowing that whoever had made her believe they were in love with her had taken advantage of her.

“None of us ever expected to be here. We don’t even know where here is,” Louise said.

“It’s not your fault you were taken advantage of. Maybe using some of the things you were taught will help you stay alive through all this,” Bettina said.

“I can’t imagine any of them caring about my more refined training,” Patricia said, looking over her shoulder toward those of the tribe that could be seen in the distance going about their daily chores.

“How did you end up here, Louise?” Delia asked, taking the attention off Patricia.

“I made the mistake of refusing the brother of my husband after I’d been widowed. He took everything I had, driving me from my home in an attempt to force my acceptance of him. One of the few things I managed to take with me was a bottle of my husband’s best whiskey. I was fortunate to find a position in a boarding house as a scullery maid. Secured in my tiny room off the kitchen I drank myself to sleep one night. When I woke I was on the ship,” Louise said.

“That seems to be a common theme,” Delia said.

“Is that how you got here, too?” Louise asked.

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