“I told him you were the lost princess of Kelmaars, called Masuura,” Qaansoole said, wiping the blood from Sabit’s lip. “You are fleeing from an arranged marriage to an ugly, vicious man. You have two rewards upon your head. One from your betrothed and one from your father. Heguir was delighted and dispatched emissaries to invite bids from both parties.”
“Clever as always, Qaansoole,” Sabit replied. “Kelmaars is so distant it will take him weeks to discover the lie. By that time we shall be free and Heguir shall be dead.”
“This is not so simple as it was in the Arena of Justice, Sabit,” said Qaansoole.* “Those were chains of metal. These marks of magic upon our flesh cannot be so easily broken. I have faced a hundred battles, but never have I known a terror as sharp as that which flows from this sorcery.” She rubbed her tattooed her shoulder.
“I know the bite of this fear in my heart as well,” Sabit said. “But I will not allow that wretch to hold me like some pet on a leash. Fear will not confine me to a corner, cowering like some frightened beast. I am Sabit and I shall not allow it.”
Qaansoole’s face lit up with inspiration. “No, you shall not allow it. And that shall be the key to our escape. I know what we must do.”
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* Sabit and Qaansoole’s escape from the Arena of Justice is described in Wayfarings of Sabit: Broken Justice.
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Wayfarings of Sabit: Chains is copyright (c) 2018 by Michael S. Miller. All rights reserved. New chapters post every Thursday (and the occasional Monday). You can support this and other stories on Patreon: https://patreon.com/michaelsmiller Find more sword and sorcery fiction at http://ipressgames.com/fiction/.