The Forestwalker

by Sarah Wheeler

Table of Contents

Chapter 11

It took them two weeks to reach Devrost, and fortunately the days passed completely without incident. As time passed, Gareth found himself being treated less like a slave and more like an equal, especially by Kastor. This, unfortunately, led to him dreading their return to civilization, however brief it would be. It wasn't going to be easy for the three of them to pass unnoticed through Devrost; two children who looked like street urchins accompanied by a slave were bound to attract some attention, but there was no way for them to hide what Gareth was, and it would be dangerous to even try, so all three of them would just have to do their best to blend in and hope no one looked too close or asked too many questions.

The day before they had to leave the forest to set out on the road towards Devrost, they stopped near another pool made by the stream early in the afternoon. All three of them bathed in the stream, Gareth washed and mended all their clothes and packed their belongings so that they would look just like any other travelers on the road, then they built a fire and ate a small dinner. Gareth made sure to gather enough food to sustain them on the road for the next few days, filled up the canteens, then approached Kastor with the chains to his shackles in his hands.

“What do you want me to do with those?” Kastor asked, looking up at Gareth in confusion as Gareth set the chains down at his feet.

“That's up to you, sir, but we'll be returning to civilization tomorrow, and slaves who aren't fettered or obviously owned by someone run the risk of being arrested or abducted and sent to the slave market. I don't want to risk us getting separated, sir, and keeping me in chains will also make the fact that I am traveling with you look more legitimate.”

Kastor scowled at his clothes, which were looking more than a little worn, and at his bare feet. “No one's going to believe that two kids looking like us would own a slave,” he said with sudden realization. “What's to stop the authorities from taking you away from us anyway?”

“Forgive my boldness, sir, but I think that you are more than capable of convincing people that you are the son of a wealthy landowner and my master no matter how you are dressed.”

Kastor looked up at Gareth with a critical eye, and Gareth made sure that he kept his eyes downcast so that his young master wouldn't see the wry smile playing over his face. “That's a fair assessment,” he said after a moment, then he looked down with a sigh and stirred the pile of chains with his finger. Reluctantly, he pulled out the longest chain. “I suppose I could leash you, just so everyone knows that you're my slave, but anything else would be too restrictive. If anything happens, I want you to be able to run with us, and protect Shanna. Okay?”

“Yes, sir. Thank you, sir.” Gareth took the rest of the chains back to the knapsack and packed them away with relief. Not being able to move freely on the road or in the city – where anything could happen – had been worrying him. He was glad that Kastor shared his caution and had come up with a reasonable solution.

But the logic of Kastor's decision didn't make it any easier for Gareth to approach him the next morning after breakfast. He was glad that he didn't flinch as Kastor locked the chain to his collar, and he did his best to act indifferent and unconcerned about being put on a leash again. Shanna, unfortunately, was neither unconcerned nor understanding about what Kastor had to do. When she saw Gareth wearing his leash and carrying all their belongings again, she was furious. She demanded that Kastor remove the chain, and insisted that they all carry the bags like they had been doing for the last two weeks, and when Kastor tried to explain to her why that wasn't possible any more, how they had to keep up appearances on their way into the city, she refused to listen. Finally, in exasperation, Kastor turned to Gareth with a pleading look.

“It's alright, miss,” Gareth said softly as he went to his knees in front of her and looked her in the eyes. “This is how things have to be for now. I am a slave, so I have to act like one, and it must be clear who my master is when we are traveling where others can see us, or I risk being arrested or stolen and sold to someone else. I don't want to risk being separated from you again, miss, so think of this as your way of protecting me now, okay?”

She studied him skeptically for a moment, but finally seemed to decide that what he was saying made sense. “Alright,” she sighed as she gave him a hug, but she still glared at her brother as he reached out to take Gareth's leash in his hand, and he had to remind her sharply several times not to talk to Gareth, or walk beside him, or try to hold his hand as they headed out of the forest and onto the road leading to Devrost.

Fortunately, the road was not heavily traveled, so the children only saw a few merchant caravans that passed them on their way into the city. Several of the occupants of those caravans gave them quizzical looks, but no one stopped to ask them their business or inquire about their destination. Gareth did his best to be silent and invisible while Kastor walked with his shoulders squared and his head held high, a look of confidence, determination, and just a hint of arrogance on his face. He also did his best to hide the last of his injuries. The bruises on his face and the welts on his back had faded, but he still had the cast on his broken arm and the stitches in his hand. Kastor held Shanna's hand to hide the small bandage that covered the stitches, and he held Gareth's leash in his other hand and kept it down by his side so that the cast was less noticeable. Shanna needed a little coaxing to act self-assured and indifferent to the looks of passers-by or the fact that she and her brother were leading a slave, but once on the road she seemed to realize the importance of keeping up appearances and did her best. They all worked together to make sure no one had any reason to look or think about them twice, and, fortunately, they succeeded.

It took them two days of traveling on the road to reach the city, and by then they were all feeling comfortable in their old roles again. Still, it took a significant amount of self-control on Gareth's part not to look around and stare in amazement at the size and bustle of the city as they entered it. He remembered his first impressions of Devrost very clearly, but when he had been brought here five years ago to be sold he had been seeing it all as an outsider, as someone who had known nothing about the society and culture of the people who had built this city. His opinion of it had changed little, he decided as he followed Kastor and Shanna through the streets. It was still overcrowded, and dirty, and devoid of green and growing things, but now the sight of it filled him with sympathy rather than disgust, because they just didn't know any other way to live and prosper. And, as it turned out, the crowded bustle of the city provided better cover for them than Gareth had expected. Everyone here was too busy rushing about and minding their own business; in the press of the crowd on the main streets, no one afforded them a second glance, and few even bothered to give them a first. They didn't get any attention unless they wanted it.

Their first goal was to find information that would lead them in the direction of the northern forests. Kastor said they could find maps and information at the public archives building, so their first order of business was to get directions. They headed straight for one of the city's many markets, and Kastor stopped at the nearest stall. The man was selling meat pies, and he was happy to give Kastor directions to the public archives building, though he was a little annoyed to find out once he'd done so that Kastor had no intention of buying anything from him. He didn't pay any attention to Gareth, though – a fact which Gareth took full advantage of. Once they were on the move again, Gareth got Kastor's attention and directed them to a secluded alley, where he pulled three hot meat pies out of his shirt. He'd stolen them from the stall while Kastor had been talking to its vendor. He had been conflicted about doing so, especially without permission, but it was going to be nearly impossible for them to find food here in the city without resorting to theft, so he hoped that Kastor would understand.

Not only did Kastor understand, he thought it was a brilliant idea. The three of them devoured the meat pies – after weeks of subsisting on fruit, nuts, and berries, they were a welcome treat – then Kastor suggested that they visit several other stalls in the market on the pretense of asking for directions so that Gareth could 'requisition' enough food to get them through the city. By the time they left the market and headed up the High Street towards the government buildings, Gareth was carrying three more meat pies, a loaf of bread, a small block of cheese, and several sweet pastries. As they walked, he surreptitiously transferred the pilfered items into his reed basket with the rest of the food he had gathered in the forest. It would be enough for a few days, but they would have to find another forest to forage in after that. He hoped there were wooded areas between here and the northern forest. If there weren't, getting through this city unnoticed would be the least of their worries.

When they finally reached the public records building, Kastor and Shanna went in to find the maps and information they needed, but Gareth had to stay outside. He sat on the stone steps leading up to the building, his leash locked to the railing, and kept his head down, dozing in the warm sun while he waited.

“Psst! Hey, you!”

Gareth opened his eyes in surprise at the proximity of sharp whisper, but didn't look up.

“Hey, kid! Slave! Down here!”

So the voice was talking to him. Cautiously, Gareth turned his head just a little bit. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a kid standing next to the stairs, out of view of the street, his head on a level with where Gareth was sitting. He was a street urchin, a few years older than Gareth; his clothes were worn and heavily patched, his brown hair was dirty and raggedly cut, and he was thin and underfed, but he was sporting a roguish grin and a mischievous twinkle in his bright blue eyes. “Yes, sir?” Gareth asked quietly as the boy came closer.

“Whatcha doin' there, kid?” the boy asked.

Gareth thought that was a pretty silly question, but he answered anyway. “Waiting for my master, sir.”

“You want me to let you go?”

Gareth's eyes went wide, and he turned to stare at the urchin before he could stop himself. “Sir?”

“The name's Tamris. Call me Tam. An' don't look so surprised. You're just a kid. I know what people buy kids like you for. I can pick the lock here,” he had his hand on the end of Gareth's leash where it was locked around the railing, “and you could come with me. No one'll ever find you, and you can be free. What's your name?”

“Gareth, sir,” Gareth said, still looking at the earnest young man in amazement, not entirely sure this was for real. “But I don't want to be set free, sir. I don't mind my position, and my master doesn't treat me badly.” It hurt to say those words, to lie to this kid who sincerely wanted to help him, but he couldn't run away again. Kastor and Shanna needed him. Under any other circumstances, though, he would have accepted Tam's offer without a second thought.

“Like hell he does,” Tam said, and Gareth stiffened, wondering if the boy had sensed his lie. He couldn't afford to explain further. Would Tam insist on setting him free even if he didn't want to be? “You look awful. When was the last time you had a decent meal, or a new set of clothes? No one wants to be a slave, Gareth.”

Gareth silently relaxed. All Tam had seen was the evidence of a month spent surviving in the woods. “Yes, sir,” he said, lowering his eyes, “but still... my master needs me. I can't leave him.” That should be explanation enough.

Just then, he heard a familiar voice behind him. “We found it!” Shanna said as she came running down the steps and grabbed him around the neck in a hug.

“Shanna! You can't do that here!” Kastor hissed as he dragged her off of Gareth's neck. He was carrying several rolled-up pieces of paper under his arm and looking very satisfied with himself. He crouched down in front of Gareth and pulled out the key to unlock the chain from the railing, talking softly as he did so. “I copied a couple of maps. We take the High Street out of the city to the west and follow the road to the village of Westerbrook. It should take about a week. From there, it's north across the wilderness to the forest, but that's as far as the maps go, so you'll have to take us from there.” As he took Gareth's leash in his hand, he suddenly turned and asked, “What are you staring at?”

Gareth turned to see what Kastor was looking at and realized that Tam was still standing by the stairs, staring up at him and Kastor in confusion. When he saw Gareth looking at him, not with fear but with an apology in his eyes, he asked, “Is this your master?”

Gareth nodded, but it was Kastor who spoke. “Yeah, he's mine. What's it to you?” His arrogant tone was masking nervousness, and his fingers closed possessively around the chain leash in his hand.

“Nothin',” Tam said, backing away slowly. Clearly, Kastor was the last thing he had been expecting. “Sorry, kid,” he said to Gareth. “Guess you got lucky.”

“Wait, please,” Gareth spoke up, stopping Tam in his tracks. Kastor hissed angrily at him to stay quiet, but Gareth ignored him. Kastor's description of the route they would have to take to the northern forest had confirmed all his worst fears. They would never be able to find or steal enough to survive that journey on their own. “Can you help us?” he asked Tam.

“How?” Tam asked, while at the same time Kastor said, “We don't need his help!”

“Not here. Do you know a safe place where we can go to talk without being seen or overheard?” Gareth asked. When Tam nodded, Gareth turned to Kastor. “Please, sir. If we're going to get enough supplies to make it to the forest, we're going to need help.”

Kastor glared suspiciously at Tam for a moment, but he finally seemed to realize that Gareth was telling him something important. “Fine,” he said with a short nod. He helped Gareth stand up, then the three of them hurried down the stairs and joined Tam in the shadow of the building. Tam immediately turned and headed for the nearest alley, foregoing introductions. With a warning glare at Gareth, Kastor took Shanna's hand and followed him, and Gareth followed them dutifully, certain that he had made the right decision despite Kastor's doubts.

The three of them followed Tam for almost ten minutes, winding their way through narrow, dirty side streets and alleys into the poorest part of the city. Everything Gareth hated about this place was magnified a hundred-fold here: the filth, the poverty, the disregard for basic human needs and comforts. Wealth and poverty had been novel concepts to him when he had first been brought into this strange world, but now he understood them all too well, and they depressed him. He knew that there were probably more people living here in this one city than in the entire northern forest, but why did that stop them from taking care of one another? If people who were wealthy and successful – like Master Teskar – used that wealth to help those who were not – like Tam, or the people who ended up as slaves – there would be no slums like this, no poor, disenfranchised people, no slaves. Everyone would be equal, everyone would help one another, and though their society might not prosper or advance as quickly as it did right now, Gareth was sure that all the people that made up this society would be better for it. And in the end, a society was really no better than the people who made it anyway. Eshara and Shasta may look prosperous and advanced compared to the northern forests, but they were rotting from the inside out.

Finally, Tam stopped in front of a building that Gareth hoped was rotting from the outside in, and not the other way around. It was rickety and ramshackled, with broken, boarded-up windows and crumbling brick walls held up by ancient, rotting boards. Tam held open a wooden panel covering a doorway that looked like it led into the building's basement and gestured for them to follow him. They let Tam lead them into the building and cautiously down an unstable flight of stairs. Kastor made Gareth take the lead as they walked through the door, and as they followed Tam he whispered in Gareth's ear, “If he steals our stuff and leaves us down here, you'll regret talking out of turn, slave.”

Gareth nodded, flinching inside as Kastor called him 'slave' for the first time in two weeks. He breathed a great sigh of relief when Tam pulled back a ragged grey sheet covering a doorway at the base of the stairs and invited them into a cozy little room. Its walls were covered with tattered, brightly-colored tapestries, it was lit by a large fireplace in the center of the far wall that was surrounded by worn but comfortable-looking chairs and cushions, and the floor was covered with an eclectic assortment of old rugs and carpet scraps.

“Make yourselves comfortable,” Tam said as he went over to stoke the fire and brighten up the room. “I know it's not much, but we won't be bothered here.” At a nod from Kastor, Gareth gratefully divested himself of the knapsack and their other bundles, then waited for Kastor and Shanna to take Tam up on his offer to sit down, but neither of them seemed inclined to do so. “Come on, I won't bite!” Tam said brightly when he stood up from the fireplace and saw that none of them had moved. He looked puzzled when Kastor just stared at him, then understanding flooded his face, and he gave them a guilty smile as he crossed the room and held his hand out to Kastor. “I already introduced myself to Gareth, but I forgot we hadn't had the pleasure. I'm Tamris Patrice. Everyone calls me Tam.”

Kastor, mollified, shook Tam's hand. “Kastor Crane, and this is my sister, Shanna,” he said. Shanna smiled shyly at Tam, then looked to her brother to see if it was okay to go sit down, but Kastor had turned to Gareth. “So what exactly are we doing here?”

Gareth opened his mouth to explain, but before a word could escape him, Tam spoke up again. “Business is best done relaxing in front of a warm fire. Come sit down. I insist. But,” and suddenly his face grew very cold, “if you want my help, you're gonna hafta start by taking that off Gareth.” He was pointing at the chain locked to the collar around Gareth's neck.

Kastor looked taken aback, but it was Gareth who protested. “I can't, sir. If anyone saw a slave on the street not under his master's control...”

“Well, this isn't the street,” Tam broke in. “And I insist upon it. I may not be able to remove your irons or set you free, but as long as you're here, you're not a slave.”

Gareth didn't know what to say to this ultimatum. He turned to Kastor with a helpless look on his face, hoping to explain before he got slapped or threatened again for bringing them here. But Kastor was staring at Tam, apparently stunned by what the urchin had just said. Then, to Gareth's surprise, he nodded and pulled the key to Gareth's chains from inside his shirt and, instead of unlocking the leash himself, handed the key to Gareth with a nod and a trusting, considering look. Gareth unlocked the chain from his collar and slipped it into the knapsack, then placed the key around his own neck as he followed the others over to the fire. He took a seat in one of the comfortable chairs next to Kastor and Shanna curled up on a cushion at his feet while Tam reclined in a pile of cushions across from them.

As soon as they were all comfortable, Gareth, at a subtle nod from Kastor, explained why they were here. “Tam was talking to me at the steps because he was trying to set me free, sir,” he told Kastor. “I turned him down, of course, sir, but he seemed like the kind of person who would be willing to help us anyway, which is why I asked.” Then he turned to Tam. “We were traveling towards Devrost with a merchant caravan around a month ago when it was attacked by bandits and we were left stranded in the woods. The bandits took everything, including my master, Teskar Crane – their father – and now we're trying to get west to Pan'sho'Ke to their mother.” He pulled out one of the maps and unfolded it on the floor in front of them. “If we take the road west out of Devrost, sir,” he said, addressing Kastor as he pointed out their route on the map, “we won't be able to survive and forage like we did coming here, at least not until we get past Westerbrook. And we can't risk stealing everything we'll need to make it that far. We already draw too much attention as it is. That's why we need Tam's help, if he's willing to give it.” He turned to look at their new friend hopefully and was glad to see Tam nodding as he looked at him, clearly impressed.

“Long as you're willin' ta work for what ya need, I'll help ya any way I can,” he promised, then he glanced curiously at the map and chewed his lip thoughtfully. “That's quite the trip, headin' all the way west like that. You plannin' on takin' the train? 'Cause that's pretty damn expensive, even for the cheap tickets, and I don't know anyone desperate enough to risk bein' caught as a stowaway halfway across the open plains out there.”

“No, actually, we're planning on going through the northern forest,” Gareth explained. “Once we reach Westerbrook, we'll head north and fend for ourselves from there. We just need food and supplies for the week or so we have to travel on the roads between here and there.”

“The northern forests? That's pretty gutsy of ya. You sure you can survive out there?”

Gareth nodded. “I was born and raised in the northern forest, sir. We'll be safer there than we are here.”

Understanding dawned in Tam's eyes as he studied Gareth's face intently for a moment. “I thought you looked like one a them forest types,” he said, nodding sagely. “I've seen a few a your people before... always as slaves, though.” He trailed off apologetically.

Gareth nodded, suddenly depressed again. “Not surprising,” he said softly as he looked down at the shackles on his wrists. “We never leave the forest voluntarily.” At least he wasn't the only one, he supposed, but it wasn't exactly comforting to think about his fellow forest-dwellers being captured and sold into slavery the way he had been.

Shanna reached up and laid a comforting hand on Gareth's knee, which made him smile as he looked down at her. Dwelling on the past would not help anything right now. He ruffled Shanna's hair affectionately, then turned his attention back to Tam, who was talking to Kastor now. “I'm afraid Gareth won't be able to help you make the money you need,” Tam was saying. Kastor nodded; it only made sense, since slaves couldn't earn money. “I'll talk to the other kids, and we'll do our best to find you honest work. It doesn't pay as well as stealin', and it ain't as easy as beggin', but it's safer and more dignified than either of those choices. Just be prepared ta work long, hard hours for little money. None of us makes much, but we get by, and you will too. And we're more than happy ta let you all stay here and share whatever we have until you save enough to be on your way again.” He stood up and gestured for them to do the same. “Come on, I'll show you where you can stay.”

Kastor stood up and followed him, but he looked wary. “Just how many people live here?” he asked.

“Oh, there's only about ten or so stayin' here right now, but there's a couple a boltholes and safehouses like this scattered throughout the city. We never want them ta be too crowded, so as not to draw attention from the police or slavers, and we always want a place nearby in case anyone gets in trouble and needs ta hide for a while.” He pulled back one of the tapestries on the wall to reveal a doorway to another room, which was large and full of hammocks, thick mattresses scattered across the floor, and piles of pillows and blankets. “Make yourselves at home. No one's picky about where they sleep, so you can pick any bed you want.”

Kastor stood there for a moment, seeming overwhelmed by Tam's generosity, then he strode across the room and held out his hand. “I can't thank you enough, Tam,” he said as he and Tam shook hands again. “If I can ever find a way to repay you...”

“Don't worry about it, Kastor,” Tam said disarmingly, but Gareth saw the young man glance at him over Kastor's head, and he knew what Tam was thinking. Tam wanted Kastor to free Gareth, and it was only the understanding that Gareth didn't want to be set free that kept him from demanding that of Kastor as payment for his help. Gareth vowed to explain himself better to their new friend once he got the chance.

Shanna, in her characteristic friendly way, ran up to Tam and hugged him. “Thank you,” she said as Tam looked down at her in surprise. As Kastor walked away to get their belongings, she tugged on Tam's sleeve and whispered something in his ear when he bent down to see what she wanted. Then, she ran back to Gareth. “I wanna sleep in one of the hammocks,” she said, tugging on his arm to lead him towards the other room. “Can you show me how?”

Gareth smiled and nodded as he went with her to help Kastor carry their belongings into the sleeping room. They chose a mattress and two hammocks near the back of the room, then Kastor got blankets and pillows for all of them while Gareth helped Shanna into her hammock and showed her how to sleep in it without falling out. Once she was tucked in, with her doll clutched to her chest, Gareth made up Kastor's bed for him, then sat down on the floor next to the mattress while Kastor made himself comfortable.

“Thanks, Gareth, for convincing me to let this guy help us. That was some pretty quick thinking on your part.”

“Thank you, sir,” Gareth replied humbly.

“He really wanted to set you free?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Can I ask... why didn't you take him up on it?”

“Because I made you a promise, sir,” Gareth said frankly, “and your father too, and I intend to keep that promise. If he set me free, I'd have to leave you again, and I can't do that. I won't deny that I would like to be free, but my first responsibility is to get you and Miss Shanna home safe, no matter what.”

“Have I told you how sorry I am that I treated you so badly for so many years?” Kastor asked, sounding depressed and contrite.

“Not today, sir,” Gareth said with a smile, which made Kastor laugh weakly.

“Well, I am. I'm sorry for the way I treated everyone, especially you and Shanna, and I just hope I can make up for all of it some day.”

He was already well on his way, given how much he had changed in just the last few weeks, but Gareth wasn't about to tell him so, given Kastor's tendency to backslide. “Well, sir, for now you should get your rest and worry only about getting home,” he said instead, and Kastor, who was already half-asleep, nodded and lay down. Within seconds, he was sound asleep. Gareth wasn't surprised; after weeks of sleeping outdoors on the ground, this place was the height of luxury. But he wasn't tired, so he got up quietly so as not to disturb Kastor and Shanna and returned to the main room.

Tam was sitting in front of the fire again with a pensive look on his face, but he looked up with a smile when Gareth came in. “I can't thank you enough for helping us, sir,” Gareth said as he sat down next to the older boy.

“No need to call me 'sir',” Tam said. “I'm just a kid, like you.”

“Yes, sir,” Gareth said. He saw Tam scowl, so he changed the subject. “So, do you offer to free every slave you meet?”

Tam shook his head. “Just the kids, mostly, when I see them on their own like you were. Grown-up slaves that are followin' their masters around a town like Devrost are usually too brainwashed ta even pay attention to me, and they're also old enough ta take care of themselves. Kids are a special case. You're the first that's ever turned me down, though.”

“You understand why I did though, right?” Gareth asked.

“Yeah, I get it now. You're their only chance of gettin' home ta their mother. I know that's why you couldn't come with me when I asked you on the steps, but now... I could have a guy over here in less than half an hour. Your irons would be removed before your master woke up; there would be nothing he could do about it then, but you could still take them safely home.”

It was a supremely tempting offer, but Gareth shook his head. “Kastor only trusts me to lead them home because I am his slave. He knows I can't escape that just by running away from him, so he trusts that I will stay with them and lead them home safely. If I was free, he'd never give me a chance to help them. He'd strike out on his own instead, not caring that he knows nothing about the real world and would be at the mercy of the very first thug or slaver they ran into, and something horrible would happen to him and Shanna both. I can't risk that happening again. I made a promise, and I intend to keep it, even if that means remaining a slave after being given the chance to be set free.”

“Again?” Tam asked cautiously.

“Kastor didn't trust me to help them when we were first lost in the woods, and he punished me severely for trying. Shanna couldn't bear to see him be so cruel to me, so we both decided to let Kastor have his way for a while, but she set me free so I could watch over them and protect them as they traveled through the forest without being under Kastor's fist the whole time. But I failed them. A week into our travels, they ran into bandit slavers on the road while I was relaxing by a stream in the woods. The bandits took them prisoner, intending to sell them here in Devrost, and they experienced a week of being captives and slaves themselves before I was able to rescue them. Kastor's changed a lot in his attitude towards me since then, now that he knows some of what it's like to be a slave, but our cordial relationship still stands on a razor's edge, and I don't think he entirely trusts the sincerity of my intentions, since I didn't warn them about the bandits in the first place... I've never been able to bring myself to tell them why I wasn't there to protect them.”

“That's rough,” Tam said. “I don't blame ya for not tellin' him. But you're stronger than anyone I've ever met, Gareth, for stayin' with them when ya could be free. Kastor must be a pretty amazing master, to have earned such complete loyalty from you.”

That made Gareth laugh sardonically. “To tell you the truth, he was actually a horrible, cruel, mean-spirited little brat,” he admitted. “When we crashed in the woods, I would have run off and left him if it hadn't been for Shanna. She's a sweet, lonely little girl, she's like a sister to me, I'm the only friend she has in the world... and I owe her my life. I'm glad that Kastor has changed, but even if he hadn't, I still wouldn't leave her.”

He looked up just in time to see Tam turn away from him, his eyes unusually bright. “She's lucky ta have ya,” Tam said hoarsely.

“Yes, sir,” Gareth said, feeling awkward. He wanted to ask Tam what was wrong, but he didn't know what to say. “Can I ask, sir, were you a slave?” That seemed like a safe icebreaker question.

Tam shook his head as he got his emotions under control again. “My little sister Tela was, though,” he said softly. “We lived in Jesra, Shasta's southern coastal city. Our mother died givin' birth to my sister, and our father, a fisherman, was lost at sea a few years later, an' we were left as homeless orphans. The poor and homeless are fair game for slavers, especially children. Tela was captured by them one day, when she was no older than Shanna. It was my fault; I should have looked after her better, kept a closer eye on her. I tried ta get her back, but I failed. I stood in the crowd at the slave market in Jesra and watched as she was sold to a fat, sleazy merchant. I tried ta find him afterwards, plannin' ta bargain with him or trade myself for her, but he was gone. I searched for him for years, hopin' ta get her back, an' I finally found him here in Devrost. But it was too late.”

He choked up for a minute and buried his face in his hands, and Gareth sat in silence with a heavy heart while Tam regained his composure. Finally, he continued, his voice shaking. “The man was a monster with a taste for little girls. He tortured and abused Tela, destroyed her, body and soul, then used her up and threw her away. She was only eight years old when she died. I hunted the bastard down an' made sure he'd never hurt another child, an' ever since then I've made it my purpose in life ta find and free child slaves.”

So that was what Tam had meant when he said he knew what people bought kids like Gareth for. Gareth felt heartsick for his new friend. “She'd be proud of you for trying to help her, and for helping so many others since then,” he said softly, and he was glad when Tam looked up at him and nodded gratefully.

They sat in silent empathy for a while, then Tam asked, “Can I ask how you became a slave? I didn't think forest-dwellers ever left the forest, and I didn't think you guys used slaves, but I've been seein' more forest-dwellers being sold at the market lately than ever before.”

That made Gareth's heart sink. “I was captured by slavers because of a stupid mistake,” he said hesitantly. “I was on my first solo trip into the forest – it's a right of passage when we turn eight years old – and I got lost trying to find my way home and ended up on the border between the forest and the central grassland, where I was captured by a group of slavers who were patrolling there. My parents had warned me about going too far south – we all know that the slavers patrol the forest border hoping to catch people unawares – but I thought for the longest time that I was the only person who'd ever been stupid enough to get caught. Now I don't know which is worse: thinking that I was the only forest-dweller who'd ever been unlucky enough to be captured and sold as a slave, or realizing that I'm not.”

“I'm sorry, Gareth. I don't expect this ta be comfortin', but you should know that your people aren't the only ones who're sufferin'. The slave trade's been gettin' worse everywhere. They're in such high demand that no one's safe any more. Maybe not even your master – the one who was taken by the bandits. There's better money ta be had in slavery than in holding someone for ransom, and a lot of bandit and slaver groups have started workin' together, passin' captives from one caravan to another, sendin' captives taken in one part of the world to another so that they aren't enslaved in familiar surroundings by their own countrymen, and organizin' in order ta take more people at a time.”

“That's what I was afraid of,” Gareth said with a sigh. “The bandits that took Kastor and Shanna wouldn't even consider holding them for ransom, even though Kastor told them his family was wealthy, and they talked about how well-bred, well-educated slaves would fetch them a better price. If even the wealthy aren't safe from slavers, what chance does anyone have?”

“Ya mind if we all come live in your forest?” Tam asked, sounded only half-serious. “It sounds like the safest place in the world right about now. You're smart ta take those kids through there; it should keep ya safe from human predators, at least.” Then, he suddenly got a very somber look on his face. “Do ya still have a family livin' somewhere in the forest?”

Gareth nodded. “I'm not going to go looking for them, though. If we're lucky, we won't see anyone while we're traveling through the forest.”

“Why?”

“I don't want them to see me like this,” Gareth said, touching the collar around his neck. “I don't want to have to justify my choices, or endure their questions and pressure to escape... and I really don't want my parents to know what happened to me. Going back to my old home without being able to actually go home is going to be hard enough without all those added complications.”

Tam nodded sympathetically, then he moved on to lighter topics. He told Gareth all about the city of Devrost, which Gareth wasn't going to get much chance to see, and about all the great kids that he had met and helped in the three years that he had been living here. As they were talking, several of those kids arrived home, entering quietly and cautiously in ones and twos and greeting Tam with the fruits of their daily labor – mostly food and money, but some bringing clothes or other essentials – which they pooled and shared equally among everyone. Gareth was greatly cheered to see such camaraderie and cooperation among these street children. It was one of the few things he had run into here in the outside world that reminded him of home: the way all the villagers had supported one another, sharing successes and suffering hardships together rather than leaving individuals to survive alone. Here in the city, some people had found out that working together really was the best way to get by. If only it could catch on in other areas of Esharan society, there might be hope for these outsiders yet.

All of the children were excited and happy to meet Gareth. Some of them, mostly escaped slaves or those who, like Tam, had lost family members to slavery, were initially incensed that Tam had not removed Gareth's irons, and it was difficult for them to accept the fact that Gareth didn't want to be set free, but, over dinner, Gareth told them all his story, and in the end they all understood why he had chosen not to be freed, though some of them still tried to convince him otherwise. Gareth appreciated their earnestness and was not offended by their questions and entreaties – in fact, he would have been disappointed if they hadn't tried to persuade him – and they were all soon well on their way to becoming good friends. All of the children were also eager to meet Kastor and Shanna, but they were all considerate of the fact that the newcomers needed their rest after the ordeal they had been through, and they entered the bedroom quietly so as not to disturb the sleeping children when Tam decreed that it was time for them all to go to bed.

Gareth joined them gratefully, exhausted now from his emotional conversation with Tam and from the excitement of meeting so many new, friendly people. As he curled up in his hammock with a contented sigh, he glanced down at his young master and over at his young mistress and was relieved to see peace and contentment in their sleeping faces. They would not have any nightmares tonight, he was certain, and they would wake in the morning well-rested and refreshed, as would he. Safety and comfort were wonderful things, he thought as he allowed himself to drift off to sleep, and their time spent here with Tam and the other children would hopefully give them the strength they needed to make it to the forest.