In Flint's latest brothel, the room cleared of customers, Alex knelt on the floor in the corner, a rumpled bedroll behind her. The smell in the room was overwhelming: the dust of the road and fear. She crept to a slump in the corner and found a filthy girl, underfed and misused.
"Don't be afraid. I'm here to take you to safety." Alex extended her hand and hoped the little girl wasn't too terrified to obey. "I'm a Guardian. My teammates are rescuing all the girls here as well."
"Please, Guardian, may my brother come?"
"Brother?" Alex had unhappy flashbacks of families who sold their little girls into prostitution.
Had this brother done that? Was he hanging around profiting from his sister's slavery?
Suddenly, Alex wanted to meet him. "Where is he?"
"Here I am." A little boy, smaller than the girl, crawled from underneath the bedroll. The bony frame of the little boy was delicate and thin, the ribs and vertebrae of a child still in its growing years. His head was small in size, his eyes were the same color as his sister's, but they were slightly lighter. He hadn't been fed or cared for by anyone at this brothel other than his abused sister; Alex could tell that much from the looks of him.
How could anyone treat a child this way? Was he hurt, too?
"Please, Guardian, take him with us. I . . . I won't go without him."
Alex was speechless at this brave little girl, trembling in fear, but willing to lose her own safety for her brother.
"She's so fearsome," the little boy whispered. "It's no good when the big ones are silent."
The sister shushed him. "If you can take only one, then take him." She clutched her brother, who shook his head. "Mother put me in charge of you. Remember, it's not so bad for me since I'm female. It'll be worse for you as a male."
The little boy shook his head again and his sister looked into his face and said urgently, "Flint said he had a special customer for you tonight. You have to go. I can't protect you anymore. This Guardian can." The little girl tried to quell her sobbing breaths. "I'll be okay."
It was too much for Alex. The two children watched, fear over their faces and bodies trembling, as she swelled with rage.
"You traded your body to keep your brother safe?" Alex's voice shook.
The little girl hung her head while her brother tried to comfort her.
"You take my sister, Guardian. I'll grow up big and strong and kill them all." Now the little boy tried to push his sister forward, but she clung to him.
"You are both coming with me." Alex's voice vibrated with rage. "Tomorrow you will both start on the basics of knife and sword training." Alex held out her hands, but they were frozen, either in shock or disbelief so Alex knelt down in front of them. "If you want, you can both become Guardians." They still stared at her, un-moving. "We have the same roots, you see. My life started in prostitution and now look at me."
Both children flung themselves onto her and hugged her fiercely around her neck. She clasped them close and indulged in a long cuddle.
"Now for some fun, little ones. We fly."
Alex arrived at the Mercy Tent with two astonished, but happy, children. She found Raba first and explained briefly.
"Oh, a little boy." Raba was dismayed. "How could they?"
"They didn't, thanks to his big sister. But what are we going to do?" Alex hadn't meant to blurt that out in front of the children.
I have a terminal case of foot-in-mouth disease. At least I didn't tear her a new one for being more outraged about a boy being raped than a girl.
"Why, it's easy. We'll feed them and clean them up and introduce them to the girls of the Mercy Tent while you have a little discussion with Cale," Raba said easily.
The raid was over, so Alex was able to find Cale quickly at Rake's sword training ring. He and his students always met there after the raid for debriefing and the brothers decided to join in. The night was clear but succumbing to the chill of the evening. The stars spread in a patchwork circle above them in the sky like diamonds on black velvet, with only the occasional cloud to disturb the pattern. The moon was a crescent of mother-of-pearl that hung, not full, in the sky. The sword ring was dimly lit, torches mounted high in stands kept it shadowy and low to the ground.
"Cale, it's so awful!" Alex broke down into her usual post-raid tears.
Cale frowned and put his arm around Alex to comfort her. Rile came over and they took their customary spots on each side of Alex. Gabe was still busy in this phase, giving orders and talking with Rake.
"There was a little boy inside this time," Alex sobbed.
She suddenly had everyone's full, focused attention, including Gabe and Rake. She looked up at the tense silence and saw all the formidable glares. She sighed inwardly at the sexism yet again. Then another wave of emotion crashed over her.
"But his sister protected him. She . . . she . . ." Alex drew in a shuddering breathe because she didn't want to cry in front of Rake. She knew she looked terrible right now, covered in dust and sweat-streaked tears through the dust and dirt on her face.
"You don't need to elaborate," Rake said, holding up both hands, color draining from his hide.
"But she said Flint had a special customer for him tonight." Alex said, carefully watching Rake's reaction. She now saw a useful ally in Rake and was more than happy to exploit his weakness.
"Then I will find him." Rake's face fell, as if carrying a great weight. "Ever since Aris was murdered, I was suspected of having such . . . tendencies. Now it will be useful to me," he said, looking wan and weak.
Rake had just cemented her unwavering admiration and Alex judged by the brothers' expressions that they were firmly in her camp.
"Rake, I told the girls that they could start taking knife and sword lessons tomorrow. Would you be interested in teaching them?" Alex asked.
"Of course. I have a new class of striplings. Although I have no female students."
Alex was glad that at least Rake looked a little ashamed of that and she narrowed her eyes at him, measuring her next words.
"Why don't you have Raba act as chaperone for a girls' class?" Alex had wanted a class for a while, but was reticent to bring it up to the formidable Rake and wasn't sure how he would treat the girls.
Rake drew patterns in the gravel with his boot while he spoke. "Before I joined your raids, I never would have even considered such a notion. But the harsh realities of child prostitution have changed me in one way and seeing Dola and Raba care for the little girls have changed me in another."
Alex had a sudden thought and leaned close to Cale. "Could Rake adopt that little boy and girl?" she whispered.
Cale smiled at her. "Great minds work alike. Yes and no. Agama society is complicated and both children need a mother figure." He nodded significantly at Raba.
"You're kidding," Alex whispered to him and he waggled his eye-ridges at her in such a ridiculous manner that she stifled a giggle. Then she said in a louder voice, "Should I sleep in the Mercy Tent tonight?"
"I think you should spend it with that little girl and boy." Cale nodded his head at them. "They need extra attention. I'll work on Rake."
"Fine with me, but you better start them on theology lessons. That little boy plans to grow up and kill all those who abused his sister. I heartily approve."
"I'll start first thing in the morning," Cale assured her. "Why don't you introduce me to them?"
Alex led him to the large wooden dining table outside the Mercy Tent. The two children had just finished eating and eagerly greeted Alex. They turned, eyes wide but their faces as thin and sharp as knives.
"This is my teammate, Cale," she said, putting her arms around them. "I don't know your names."
"Call me Baca," the girl said with bitterness.
Alex saw shock flash across Cale's face, replaced with sorrow. The little boy looked unhappy as well.
"No, tell us your name," Cale urged softly.
"Call me Baca." She closed her eyes as if she were trying to shut everything out of her sight.
"What's going on?" Alex held the girl tighter. "What's Baca?"
"It means weeping, as in wailing, despair."
"That was the past," Alex assured her. When she saw the girl was unconvinced, Alex said, "I'll call you that for one lunar cycle. Then, either you tell me your name or I'll give you a new one."
"And your name?" Cale asked the boy, who edged away from him.
"Call me Hexei."
"Translate!" Alex demanded.
"It means 'come the day'," Cale explained.
"That is a fabulous name. I hope I see that day. If I do, I'll help you, Hexei, rain justice down on all that abused your sister and other children." Alex drew him closer.
Alex never, ever, got up for dawn classes the day after a raid. Her soft sleeping robes and the scents of the tent, of warm wool, and the smell of burning wood was comforting to her. She slept in and wanted to eat a leisurely breakfast with the temporarily-named Baca and the more-permanently named Hexei, but they were bouncing to start lessons with Rake.
With a groan, she stretched, got up, and changed. They were too excited to eat so Alex made herself a mug of tea from the kettle on the fire outside the sleeping tent and dragged her fingers through her hair.
Mug in one hand, the scent of chamomile wafting about, Alex escorted Hexei and Baca to Rake's class. They were the first young students at the ring but Rake was there with three of his oldest students. The Sword Master nodded sharply to Alex and then held out wooden practice daggers to both young ones.
Hexei's expression was so disappointed that Alex whispered that she would buy him a real knife as soon as Rake said he was ready. Shy Baca didn't say anything, but Alex saw her look and promised to buy one for her as well. Then she left them to their lesson.
She tracked down Eber the Weapons Maker. His swords and daggers were on display at his stall, but he wasn't there, so she walked to his forge. She had let him borrow her forearm shields to copy and they were all the rage. He now had two journeymen and five apprentices to keep up with demand. Alex had refused payment, but every so often, a special knife or dagger would show up under her bedroll. She had Cale help her barter and loved having spending money for once in her life. Once she was good enough with bartering, she wanted to surprise Rile with a special gift.
Eber was a rather young adult Agama, but with a worry line between his eyes, though he smiled enthusiastically when she approached. When she walked up, they clasped forearms. There were Agama pounding on four anvils, the heat seeming to have no effect on them. The scent of burning coals and metal coated the air like a fine mist.
"What can I do for you, Guardian?" Eber indicated that they should walk away. "I know you don't care for the heat of the forge."
"I want daggers with smaller handles to accommodate a young female's smaller grip." When Alex saw him hesitate, she said, "Do you want me to tell my horror stories of my raids on the child brothels until you beg me to stop?"
Eber surprised her with a very somber look. "Please don't. I have sisters and I love them very much. Each girl will have her own dagger. But who will teach them? You are a very busy Guardian."
"Rake."
Eber guffawed in his good-natured way. "That female-hater with a fossilized heart?"
Alex smiled enigmatically. "He and his students have been attending the raids, didn't you know?"
Eber sobered. "I heard rumors. Bad enough to change even Rake?"
Alex nodded, no longer smiling. Eber patted her shoulder in a brotherly way.
"I'll make the prototype. You bring the first girl to try it. Once we polish the design, I'll have my journeymen and apprentices take over."
"Thanks, Eber. Look, the day after a raid we always have a welcoming feast to make the girls feel special. Why don't you attend with a journeyman or two and you can meet the girls in an official status?"
Eber clasped both her shoulders and shook her a little more heartily than he probably intended. "Excellent, Guardian."
The sun was setting in a blaze of orange and red as the long table outside the Mercy Tent was set up. Venison accompanied with bread, fruit, and cheese was laid out along with cups of diluted wine. There was the scent of fresh bread and spices filling the air.
Each girl was dressed in clean robes appropriate for their age, tan fabric with lines of bright embroidery, either green or blue or fire-red. Their hides were freshly scrubbed and oiled and the delicate scent of the flowery oil wafted about.
Gabe presided over the feast, full of reassuring grace and strength. Cale also gave a short talk, telling the girls that they would be learning new trades and proper worship from the priest's own books. Rile declined to make any speeches, but his obvious adoration of Alex boosted their morale a hundred-fold.
Eber explained about the daggers and there were several weavers, seamstresses, and bakers present who also spoke. Even the Master Carver was there, a short, quiet Agama who smiled readily and was known for his generosity as well as his shyness. He and Eber put their heads together during the feast and spoke, which made Alex smile as she envisioned dagger handles carved by the girls.
Once the food was finished, the girls surrounded their teachers and peppered them with questions about their new lessons. The teachers happily answered every question, even those that were filled with surprising naivety.
***
A/N
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