Shadows Return - Lynn Flewelling [61]
“What do you mean, it’s not a bad thing to be owned?” Alec whispered angrily.
Khenir was quiet for a moment as they continued on. He looked so sad that Alec slipped his arm through the other man’s again, covering the hand that held the chain with his own. Khenir gave him a grateful look that melted Alec’s heart.
“You don’t have to talk about it, if you don’t want to,” Alec told him.
“Actually, it’s a better memory for me than most. I’ve had a number of masters, most of them far more…demanding. The last was the cruelest of all, the one I ran away from, and he nearly killed me. Master Yhakobin saw me during a visit to the man’s country estate. He was so…”
Khenir paused, blinking back tears. “He saw the wretched condition I was in and took pity on me. He took me away with him the next day. I am so grateful for that! He saved my life with his elixirs, and ever since he’s been the kindest master I’ve had.”
“How many have you had?”
“Too many,” Khenir replied, and Alec thought again of the terrible scars he had seen on his shoulders.
“Well, he must think very highly of you, to trust you with me like this.” It struck him then that if he made a break for the wall now and did manage to escape, it was probably Khenir who would pay the price. So I’ll just have to take him with me when I go.
“Your collar is a lot fancier than mine, too,” he went on. “I took it for jewelry the first time I saw you.”
Khenir touched it self-consciously, as if he’d forgotten about it until Alec mentioned it. “I’ve earned his favor.”
“Do masters ever let a slave go?”
To his surprise, Khenir nodded. “Sometimes, if the slave has done some extraordinary service. Or sometimes, a favored slave is bequeathed his freedom when the master dies. Usually, though, we’re passed along to the heirs with the rest of the household goods, or sold off to buy new, younger ones. It’s a frightening time, when a master dies. You don’t know where you’ll end up.”
Once again Alec sensed there was a great deal going unsaid and too many painful memories. He tightened his arm through Khenir’s and said, “There was a nobleman with Master Yhakobin today.”
“The Overlord’s legate. I served him breakfast this morning. A very powerful man, that one. Ilban was quite nervous about his visit, and what news he’ll take back to Benshâl. I hope you behaved yourself?”
“I must have. Ilban gave me tea and talked about alchemy.”
“See? It’s just as I said. Behave yourself and he’ll treat you well.”
“Do you know a lot about alchemy?”
Khenir smiled and shook his head. “I just do what he asks of me, grinding elements and cleaning the glassware.”
“He doesn’t have much good to say about Orëska magic, but I don’t see much difference.”
“Well, it’s all the same to us, isn’t it?” Khenir drew him over to the fountain. “Come see the fish.”
“Fish?”
As they approached the broad basin a pair of white doves that had been drinking there took wing. Coming closer, Alec saw that there were water lilies growing there, and clumps of small, striped rushes in sunken clay pots. Large, sleek fish were swimming among the submerged stems. They were shaped like trout, but their markings were like nothing he’d seen before. Their bodies were white as fresh snow, with spots of brilliant orange and velvety black.
Khenir took a crust of stale bread from his pocket and showed Alec how to make them swim up for crumbs. The largest would take the bread from their fingers.
Alec grinned as a very large one with an orange face sucked greedily at his finger. “I wonder how they taste?” His mouth watered at the thought of a few of those plump swimmers spitted on a green stick over a bed of good hot coals.
Khenir chuckled. “Don’t let Ilban hear you say that. These are imported from some land beyond the Gathwayd. Any one of them would bring a better price than either of us.”
“Master Yhakobin must be a very rich man.”
“And a very powerful one, as well. He’s among the chief alchemists in Plenimar. The Overlord himself consults with him often, about his son.”
“What’s wrong with him?”
“The boy is very young