Page 86 of Seized to Sacrifice
‘Taken?’
‘Aye. Most of my family was killed. I was just a child with …’ she shook her head. ‘It doesn’t matter. Anyway, I grew up in the Camp. I always wanted to be part of a unit, so that's what I aimed for. I became a soldier and almost finished the trials to become a full Brother, but something happened. I had to leave, or at least I thought I did. I spent time with some priests and then my unit found me. I was bound by them and brought back. I became Quin’s steward and that was that.’
‘Are you happy here?’ Elle asked.
‘With my Brothers, with Quin, yes.’ A frown took over her face. ‘With the Army itself, no. It’s difficult being a woman in this place. The laws of the Camp are for the men’s benefits, not ours.’
‘Can Quin not do anything to change them? He’s the Commander, isn’t he?’
Maeve gave her a wan smile. ‘He works slowly to alter things, but many of the laws are steeped in tradition, old stories of the better times, men who believe their ways are best. Change takes time I suppose.’
She led Elle along the busy main avenue. ‘It'll happen one way or the other. I just wish it would be faster.’ She rolled her eyes. ‘Apologies. I didn't bring you with me to lament the fates of the females of the Camp.’
Elle regarded her. Maeve was trying to make things better. Gaila had created the Army before the wards existed to keep this realm safe from the constantly infringing Dark Realms, but over the years her vision of what they were had been perverted. They were now practically an unstoppable force and, though there were good people here, the Dark Brothers was now an army of mercenaries. This wasn’t what they were meant for.
‘Actually, I'd like to see more of it,’ she said. ‘The men haven't told me much about how the Camp works. I've only seen the main parts really.’
Maeve nodded. ‘Very well. We have a bit of time before we need go to Lily’s tent.’
She veered off the main path, down in between the tents, taking Elle to a very clear perimeter.
Outside of the main camp there were ramshackle, patched tents, people dressed in rags milling around small, dwindling fires. She’d noticed this place on the way to their tent, but none of the men had remarked upon it.
‘Out there is where the rats live,’ Maeve said. ‘These are the people the Camp doesn’t want, those who couldn't be sold as slaves, but can still serve a purpose.’
Elle looked up abruptly, but Maeve ignored her, continuing on with her explanation.
‘They come into the Camp to steal sometimes. When they're caught, they’re killed usually, and some argue that they should be destroyed completely. But, in truth, they provide labor the Camp can’t do without. They follow where the Camp leads, surviving off whatever dregs are left, picking villages clean after raids.’
Maeve turned away. ‘Want to see more?’
‘Yes,’ Elle said. She wanted to see everything.
They came across a large tent, looking drab from the outside as well as what little could be seen through the open flaps to the gloom within. There were noises coming from within that made Elle shiver.
‘What's in there?’ she asked.
‘One of the pleasure tents for the soldiers,’ she said. ‘I hope you never see inside one.’
‘This is where a woman who comes to the Camp as spoils ends up?’
Maeve nodded. ‘If she’s pretty enough. There are other tents too, for the soldiers and for the Brothers. If she’s old, or homely looking, she becomes a cook or some other menial laborer. If she’s not strong or she’s too old and frail, she becomes a rat … if she isn’t killed outright. If the pleasure tents are full and no women are needed, then she’s sold as a slave.’
‘Quin allows this?’ Elle asked sharply.
Maeve gave her a look. ‘As I said, he works to change these things, but too much too quickly and he’ll have a revolt on his hands. Then another man will take control anyway and things will get even worse for us. He’s stopped the slave sales for now, but who can say for how long? Come on. There’s nothing we can do here. It's too late for those poor wretches.’
They went up to the main thoroughfare again, and past another tent. This one looked to be better maintained. There was giggling and laughing inside, as well as theother sounds.
‘Another pleasure tent,’ Elle said.
‘Aye. This is for the Brothers. Nicer. Prettier girls. They're better treated. Some of them even get paid a coin or two so they'll pretend they like it.’
‘Can they ever leave?’
Maeve shook her head. ‘Sometimes they're lied to, told if they do their time, they’ll be free, but usually when they're ‘released’, they’re simply taken to one of the soldiers’ tents.’ Maeve looked away. ‘Let's just say that more women are needed to keep the soldiers’ tents full than the Brothers’ ones.’
‘Come,’ she said. ‘Lily will be awaiting us.’
