Squeak's POV
The last few weeks have been harsh, but we have managed to survive. Kaladin ended up getting sick, but our master paid for someone to heal the kid. And now everything is well. He's going to make it through the winter, at least. I imagine our master wants Kaladin in perfect health.
I haven't had much time to speak with the boy since I've been put to work, and he has been resting. But at least the harvesting is finally complete. The Sandervile region which is renowned for hills of rolling wheat, now lay barren. The chill of fall has truly settled in, and those of us who can survive the cold months are given a meager amount of protection against the cold in the form of extra clothing.
This time of the year is always my favorite. The hard work of spring and summer has ended. The temperature drops. It's the time of the year to be with your family and friends while you enjoy some good food and booze in the warmth of your own home. Sometimes you argue, other times you make merry. Usually, I would find myself in both camps, but sadly the reality is often much crueler.
Rather than spending my precious time with a beautiful woman or family, I get to enjoy my favorite time of the year with a moody Dark Elf child. I suppose I've had worse company over the years.
At least Kaladin hasn't tried to steal my winter clothes or challenge me to a damn arm wrestling competition. I doubt he is much of a drinker anyway. One drink would probably set the boy spinning for a week.
But on the bright side, at least he can hold a conversation. And I find that the more I talk to him, the more interesting I find the boy. Just when I think I have him figured out, he goes and surprises me. I was having a conversation with him now about runes, and although his knowledge was sparse, he knew more than most.
"How do you know so much about runes, Squeaks? Are you a runesmith or something?" Kaladin asked me. His voice has improved significantly now that he has been speaking.
"Once upon a time, I might have been. But it's been a long time since I've thought about runes."
"Why's that? You seem pretty creative to me. Who else would have thought to put runes on their body? You aren't like any Dwarf I've ever met."
"I got in a bit of trouble and had to make a promise to somebody. It's a long story. And just how many Dwarves do you know?"
"One Dwarf too many…" he smiled.
So even you can smile at times, huh?
"Old friend of yours?" I asked.
I'd rather have the boy remember better times. Sometimes escaping mentally from your current situation is the only thing you can do. It also helps you remember why you are fighting to survive.
"Yeah, I met him at school. I didn't get along with the other kids very well…" he trailed off.
Shocker…
"But he just walked up to my friend and me without a second thought. He didn't seem the least bit phased that I was disliked by the other kids and he was willing to be my friend. I think he might be insane but that's why I like him so much. He isn't afraid of saying what's on his mind… even if it will make the situation too awkward to bear," Kaladin said with a hint of fondness in his voice. "Hey Squeaks, are all Dwarves like that? Just big bundles of boisterous energy that never seem to stop."
"Sure sounds like a lot of Dwarves, I know. Not too sure about the whole making things socially awkward, but it happens from time to time. Most of my kin are very outgoing, especially if they have a few drinks in them."
"Then what happened to you?" he asked me.
"You little…" I was about to say something unseemly, but the boy always had such a serious look on his face. I thought he was messing with me, but he just seems to be genuinely curious.
I sighed. "Not sure. This is just how I've always been. There is always somebody that doesn't fit the mold, and I just so happened to be that somebody. It's not like I wanted to be this way. I just am, you know?"
"I get that," he responded.
The silence dragged on for a bit too long as Kaladin stewed in his thoughts. I didn't want him to sink any further, so I had to keep him talking. "Whatcha thinking about, Kal? Can I call you that?"
"Sure, my friends get to call me Kal after all. But, uh… I'm just hoping my friend is alright. It's been a while since I've thought about him."
"I remember you saying your village got attacked when you were captured and that you are from Syn'nari, right? So I'm sure your people are safe."
"Yeah, I think they are alright too, at least I hope they are. I know five incredibly strong fighters in my village, and that's not even including all the rangers."
"I've heard the Syn'nari Rangers Corps aren't to be messed with. Supposedly they are even stronger than the Republic's rangers," I said.
"Really? I don't know much about the Republic or even Syn'nari. I've never even been to the main island before, let alone the capital."
"Is that so? Well, I'm sure you will see it one day. I've never been myself, but I've heard Egillon is a beautiful place if you like the whole one with nature thing you Elves like so much."
"Egillion?" Kal said with confusion.
"That is the name of the capital of Syn'nari… the country you were born in… you knew that, right?"
Kaladin blinked. "Yeah, of course, I knew that… and I sure like nature, I mean the whole one with nature thing. My village had that kind of style," Kaladin said all too fast.
The kid knows about runes, tattoos, and other crazy things, but he doesn't even know the name of the capital of the country he was born in? What kind of teacher did this kid have that they would never mention the name of their capital…
"Anyways… where are you from? I don't remember you telling me," Kal asked.
"I was born in the Mists, but I was raised in Krunbar. Not all that much to say, really. It's underground, so everything looks the same. Standard Dwarven architecture, nothing to write home about, I guess."
"Mmm, I'd like to see Krunbar one day. I'm curious what an underground city would look like in this day and age," Kal said thoughtfully.
"What?"
"Oh, nothing… anyways, what are the Mists? I hear people talking about them, but I don't know anything about that place. I know a few people here are called Mist Walkers, but they just look like—… yeah, actually they just look like Mist Walkers," Kaladin stopped himself short.
What do Mist Walkers look like to you? They are just slightly different-looking Humans to me. I mean the people in The Dunes look different as well. The Humans from the western portion of Amoth have darker skin than Humans from, say this region. But Humans just look like Humans. It doesn't really matter if their skin is dark or light.
It's kind of the same way with Elves. High Elves or Wood Elves, what's the difference? I mean, the ears aren't the same, but besides that, they aren't all that different. Some have silver hair, blue hair, and blonde hair, but in the end, they all just look like Elves… Dark Elves just happen to be dark-skinned Elves with mostly black hair.
Guess that's just on the outside, though. People tend to be different on the inside. The Wood Elves of the Republic are probably pretty different from Syn'nari Wood Elves. Anyways.
"The Mists is a large cut of land to the right side of Amoth. The entire region is covered in perpetual mist that never wavers. The mist seeps out from one of the oldest dungeons in the world called Dragons Rest. It's a pretty silly name, in my opinion. The dungeon has never been cleared, and any attempt to go deeper has ended in failure. Legend has it that an ancient Dragon lives in the bottom of the dungeon. A Dragon so old even the Dragon Emperors couldn't stop it if it ever woke from its slumber," I recounted.
"So it's just a really old dungeon. Why don't they just cover up the dungeon to stop the mist?"
"The mist can't be stopped from what I've been told. I'm sure they tried everything at one point, but eventually, the mist became sacred to the people that live there. The Mist Walkers have adapted to the land, and it's become a part of who they are. I'm sure if the mists disappeared, they would have a full-blown crisis. All the mist dynasties might actually unite over something…"
"What, is the region not unified?" Kaladin asked.
"No, not really. I don't think they ever have been. It's just how the world works sometimes."
"You seem to know a lot, Squeaks."
"I've been around long enough to know some things about the world."
"Say, how old are you, Squeaks?" Kaladin asked.
"Eh… let's see… I think I'm almost fifteen decades old, give or take a few years…"
"Really? You don't seem that old to me..."
"Coming from an Elf, that means little. You can probably remember what your mother's breast milk tasted like, boy. But, say, how old are you anyway?"
Somewhere along the line, I stopped thinking of him as a child. Was it because the way he talked didn't match his age? I know he's had it rough, and he had to grow up fast, but something feels off. Is this one of the reasons I felt drawn to him? Because he's just so different from any child, I've ever spoken to? No, there had to be more…
"I'll be turning eight this year. My birthday is in late winter, I think. My birthday always happened around the rainy season in Syn'nari, so I guess that would make it winter for the City-States," he said.
"Barely eight years old… you are kinda weird; you know that?" I said honestly.
"Not the first time somebody told me that. And coming from the bald, high pitched, and rune-covered Dwarf, it means little," Kal said sharply. A faint smirk crept on his face.
"I guess you're right."
—
My time spent with Kaladin was nearing its end. I already knew what was going to happen, but it's different when it actually comes to pass. We arrived just outside City State Sandervile today. The giant walls protecting the city abruptly jumped out from the waves of rolling hills. Even directly outside the capital, the fields were used to harvest food.
If Ostela was the city-state of commerce, then Sandervile was the city-state of agriculture and warfare. By having so much excess food, they boasted one of the largest standing armies on the continent. Even for a single city nation, they were only a few thousand bodies behind the new Kingdom of Luminar in raw manpower at least. The only thing stopping this nation from overwhelming others was its crippling lack of material wealth. They also sold a good amount of their food just to pay the bills.
Quantity was its own kind of quality, but if half of your troops didn't even have metal weapons, it wouldn't matter all that much in the face of a highly equipped and trained army. Out of all the city-states, Whieland to the north had the most natural resources but lacked the arable land to field such a large army or maintain a large population. But that's neither here nor there. Today we are approaching City State Sandervile.
"It's not very impressive… It's big, but I was expecting more, I guess," Kal said honestly.
"Yeah, compared to Ostela, it's not all that, huh."
Ostela had the funds to make their city special, so they did. The White Palace of Ostela was renowned for its beauty and architecture. Seeing that first made one wonder why Sandervile seemed just so… plain.
"And what's with the burnt orange color… couldn't they have chosen a wheat color or something?"
"I don't think it's that bad. I think I kind of like it," I responded.
"Mmm, if you say so," Kal grumbled.
The line to get into the city stretched on for what seemed like forever. Many people were looking to stay in the capital for the winter and late fall since food was cheap and abundant. It was also a hotbed for slavers as well. The cold weather was typically harsh on slaves so having a country that openly accepted and housed slaves was a boon for many masters on a budget.
This continent's most prominent slave auction was also held during the winter in Sandervile. I guess with all this time people had on their hands, they had nothing better to do than meddle with the lives of others. But that's just something all Humans do… I guess I played a part in that, too, however.
—
After hours of waiting, we finally made it into the city before nightfall. I've seen this city enough to know its layout by now. I even spent a small amount of time being a slave here as well.
"So it's a multi-walled settlement? Do the walls separate districts or something?" Kaladin asked out loud.
"You guessed it. Every wall houses a different district. The deeper you go, the more luxurious the lives of the people who live there."
"Makes sense. How far have you gotten?"
"I went to the knight district once to deliver an order of repaired armor, but it was brief. Comparing the knight district to that of the nearby citizenry district was night and day. Where we are right now might look nice since it's the main road but go past the next few rows of buildings, and you can see what the slum district truly looks like," I explained.
"How many districts are there?" Kal asked.
"Well, this first district is the slums, although it's officially called the lower district. Next after that is the merchant/adventure district where you can find… well, merchants and adventures. Beyond that lies the citizenry district where a majority of the citizenry lives. After that, you have the knight district, where the knight academy is along with training fields and where most of the army resides. And past that is the noble district where you can find the Sandervile Academy. Then at the very core of Sandervile is the mayor's very own district where the royal mansion is."
"Mmm, that's a lot of districts… and the mayor gets his own district? How big is it?" Kal asked.
"Not sure, I've never been there, and I don't know how big the noble district is. The knight district was pretty big from what I could tell, so the noble district must be half the size of the knight district, which makes the mayor's district half that size."
Kaladin just grunted and stared off into the city. As we moved closer and closer to the city, Kaladin had begun to re-enter his little shell. It wasn't the same as before, but it was a different kind of shying away.
Perhaps he realizes our time together is coming to a close. No he most definitely does. If I've learned anything about him so far, it's that Kaladin is very observant. He probably understands what coming to this city means for him.
I was drawn away by the sound of a horse-drawn carriage heading out of the city. The carriage looked like it was fit for royalty and had a contingency of heavily armed knights riding along with it. Some mages were even sprinkled about on horseback as they guided the carriage down the street.
It must be some kind of emergency because usually, such a high-ranking noble would see to it that this entire street was cleared out before they came down it. I've seen it done myself a few times.
Even Kaladin was drawn in by the sight of such an opulent carriage. I mean, the carriage even has glass windows. The carriage passed us, and the rear guard trailed behind.
And just like that, our daily spectacle had come to a closure.
—
We have already been here for a month, and nothing significant has happened yet. This was one of the only times of the year we slaves got to rest. Of course, when winter actually came around, there would be work for us to do, but that was for the future me to be concerned with.
We were placed in our "communal" homes for the remainder of our stay in Sandervile. Calling this place a home, however, was a long shot. It was more of a barn than a house. But on the bright side, at least it was warm.
We were given large sheets of fabric to be used as blankets. The shared warmth helped keep people from getting sick quickly. Here in this little barn, the only thing we had to worry about was everybody getting sick, which was a very real possibility.
Of course, the second any slave who so much as coughed or sneezed was exiled into further reaches of the barn by others. It was for the safety of everybody in the new community we had formed. Even though many of us were strangers, we had to band together. Nobody wanted to die slowly of disease, so it was better for those who wouldn't make it to be sacrificed.
But it wasn't always so bleak. Sometimes people recovered from their illnesses and rejoined the group. It's often said that those who survive their first year as a slave are more likely to continue on living. And if you were alive, then one day you could be free again.
But that was wishful thinking as today was the day of the winter slave auction. Although it's still technically fall, they tended to have it early before the cold of winter began to bite at the toes. Not that these winters were very cold in the first place though…
Kaladin hasn't spoken a word to me in two days, and I haven't bothered to talk with him either. We both knew what was coming, and there was nothing we could do to stop it. I thought that helping the boy gain some light back into his life was a good thing, but I'm starting to second guess myself now.
Perhaps if I just left him as he was, this whole situation would be easier on him. If your mind was broken, did you really care about what happened to you? I can't say for sure, but I feel like I've given him hope that doesn't exist.
Our master said he had a buyer already lined up for the boy which means the deal has been set for a considerable amount of time already. And what kind of person would want a slave that has been toiling in the fields… a master that didn't care about the condition of the slave in the first place.
I shudder at the thought.
It was also decided that I would be sold in the open auction as well. This is going to be my fifth time being sold in the general auction. I'm always curious as to how I find myself back here every other year. Is it fate? Did Delpha damn me to pay for my sins by going through this over and over again? Maybe it was the nature of my promise… who knows?
ooooooo, crap. That is never going to get easier.
I was blasted out of my thoughts as cold water was splashed against my back. I liked the cold, but I could do without the cold water bath. Couldn't they just warm the water up a tad?
I turned to the person who couldn't manage to hide his grin. "Having fun?" I asked.
"Just a little," Kaladin responded.
After washing each other, we were to be separated. This was probably the last time I was ever going to see him. I wanted to say something heroic, but I doubt the boy wanted to hear such lip service. After all, we built our friendship on trust.
I wiped the water off of me and got back into what little clothes I could call mine. "Kaladin," I said.
"Squeaks," he shot back with a stoic nod.
I knelt down in front of the boy and thought I'd give him at least some kind of parting wisdom. "Keep your last name a secret. If people know you are from the Shadow Clan, it will only draw unwanted attention to you. But more importantly, keep that secret to yourself. It will probably help you if the time ever comes, got it?"
He nodded solemnly and looked down at the ground. His long black hair that almost went to his waist was covering his face, so I couldn't see his expression.
My eyes drifted to the person who was standing at the back, watching us. "When it comes to Vampires, the Dwarves have an old saying, 'The redder, the deader'. Don't let the bloodsucker fool you, Kal. She isn't all that strong. In a few years, you could easily take her out."
He nodded once more, but he chuckled lightly. "And remember why you wake up every morning. Just think about your friends and family who are still out there. Things are probably going to get harder for you now, but I know you can handle it. Even if it takes you decades to become a free man, I know you can do it. So don't give up again… okay?"
He nodded weakly again. Mmm, perhaps you still really are a child. I mean, you are, but seeing you like this is just a reminder. I sighed. What am I supposed to do now?
"ALRIGHT, YOU FILTH, HURRY UP AND GET OVER HERE!" a man screamed out into the room.
Grunts sounded off in unison as we all prepared ourselves for what was to come. "Well, this is goodbye, Kaladin."
I gave him a pat on the shoulder and stood up to join the others. There was no need to make this harder than it had to be as long as he has resolved himself enough. That's all that matters. I'm still not sure if what I did was the right thing or not but I'm glad I tried.
If these are to be his last days, then I hope they got to be filled with the memories of his loved ones. I gave him that advice in hopes that it would be useful, but the odds weren't in the boy's favor. Stay strong, young Shadow Dancer.
"Squeaks," Kaladin called out to me.
I stopped and turned to face him. The look on his face surprised me. I was expecting him to be sad, maybe a little angry but the face he was making was complicated.
"Thank you for saving me," he said flatly.
"Saving you? I didn't do—" He cut me off.
"Yes, you did. I was in a bad place. They made me watch… no, never mind, that doesn't matter right now. I want you to know that you saved me."
I saved you? Why would you say these words to me… you can't be….
"The more promises I make, the more it seems the world wants to break me. I've broken some on my own, but others… I never had the chance to fulfill them," he said thoughtfully. I haven't heard this much passion in the boy… well, ever.
"So when the time comes, I want you to make a promise to me."
A promise? No…
"When I am a free man one day, I am going to come to find you. When I do, I want you to promise me that you will come with me, no matter what. Even if I have to do the unthinkable, I want you to be free. I want to repay you for saving me in my darkest hour. So when that day comes to pass, will you come with me?"
I can't believe it. Could he really be the one? Can I really fulfill my promise? Is that what you meant, brother…
Best not to get my hopes up, though. But I couldn't be rude in front of him now. "Sure. I promise you, if that day ever comes, I'll come with you. No questions asked," I said honestly.
But now I had to do something. Maybe this will help him.
"Come here, Kaladin," I ordered.
My tone must have thrown the boy off, but he quickly came over. Slaves were beginning to push past us, so we were in the middle of a moving crowd.
"This is going to hurt, but I know you can handle it."
I slid my hand up to his inner thigh and began to go to work. I felt his skin sizzle, and the boy's eyes bulged from the pain, but he didn't scream. Slaves began pushing and shoving us, but we held our ground. It's only going to take me a few more seconds… done.
"Those are only going to work once. After that, you will know when they activate. Good luck, my friend."
I have my doubts, but you never know. Kaladin had a look of shock on his face as he inspected my handiwork. I knew it hurt, and I wish I could do more, but I don't have the time or resources. Perhaps this parting gift will be enough for him to keep his promises. It looks like we had more in common than I thought.
And maybe, just maybe, you can do it, Kal. I think I'd like to hope you would be the one to do it.