Sea of Shadows (Age of Legends 1)

She heard Moria's voice, talking to village children she'd caught stealing or striking a smaller one.

Do you know what happens to little savages who mistreat others? They grow tails like monkeys, and then they're sold to King Machek. For his zoo. Have you heard of the Denovoi zoo? They say he keeps monsters there, locked in cages, and people come and pay money to see them.

Ashyn looked at Belaset, at her scaled face and arms.

"No," she whispered.

"You know who he is, then?"

"The zoo. They mean to sell me and my sister to him. For his zoo."

Belaset laughed softly. "No, child. You're bound for his harem. King Machek collects oddities of all sorts. Some for his zoo. Some for his bed. As for where I'll end up, that has yet to be seen. While the choice should be obvious, the king apparently has . . . unusual tastes."

Ashyn tried to process all that, gave up, and shoved it aside. "They've made a grave mistake. I have to tell them who I am."

"It won't matter who your family is, child--"

"No, who I am. Who my sister is. We are twins. The Seeker and Keeper of Edgewood."

"Seeker and . . ." Belaset stared, much as Ashyn must have stared at her moments ago. "The hound. I . . . had forgotten the stories."

"There are a Seeker and Keeper in the imperial city as well. Have you not seen them?"

"I'm casteless, child. I would not dare show my face anyplace they would be."

"Casteless?"

Ashyn had heard of such a thing, though there were no casteless people in Edgewood. They were the lowest of the low--those not permitted an occupation.

"My parents cast me out when my skin began to harden. I was allowed to live but stripped of my caste, as I was clearly cursed by the goddess for some sin or other, though I was but five summers old."

Deformity was believed to be a punishment. But a child of five could not possibly have committed a sin grave enough to deserve this.

"We need to tell them who I am," Ashyn said. "Harming me is an affront to the goddess."

Belaset laughed. "You truly are a child, aren't you? Do you think the king of Denovoi cares for the goddess of our empire? Now I suspect the slave trader knows exactly who you and your sister are. He would not speak too loudly of it, for there are men in his employ who might object, but he will be rubbing his hands, imagining the fortune that is to come. King Machek has no love for Emperor Tatsu. How much will he pay to be able to tell the great man that a young Seeker and Keeper warm his bed?"

"We need to escape, then."

"And we will, when we reach Denovoi. This is my plan, and I'll gladly take you and your sister with me if you help."

"No, we must escape now."

Belaset shook her bald head. "It sounds as if the other men have left to fetch your sister, but there is still an armed warrior outside our door. To escape, we would need--"

Ashyn pulled her dagger from beneath her cloak. "It seems they did not think to search a mere girl."

"A blade? And you can use it?"

"Adequately."

Belaset nodded slowly. "Yes, then. We can call the guard in. I will create a distraction, and you will slit his throat."

"S-slit--?"

Belaset's eyes flashed with impatience. "You said you can use it, did you not?"

"Yes, but I have never killed a man." I've never stabbed anything more than a pig carcass. "Perhaps we could just disable him."