True to his word, the next morning, he returned to speak to Mother about buying Eos. "Lucky you," Tara sighed as they watched from behind the veiled curtains, "Master Azea is known as a good man to women. Much nicer than the way most men here treat us."
"I'd rather sleep with one man rather than a different one every night," Eos agreed.
Tara grinned a little, "It's a good thing Mother fixed our prices high, or it would be more than one man every night," she said, "but if you go- I will miss you. The other girls here only ever see me as competition."
"Don't pay any attention to them," Eos said, "They're just jealous that Mother gives you more attention and allowance money than them." Tara was the one who received the most money allowance by Mother not to mention the men who were smitten with her constantly sent her gifts, from expensive sweets to flowers to jewellery and shoes and dresses. Of course these were just gifts. Courting was different entirely. No one in the right mind would marry any of them no matter how smitten they were. Even if they showed signs of wanting more, their mothers put a stop to it at once.
Finally, Mother called sharply, "Eos! Come here," she said and Eos went at once. Mother was not one who liked waiting. She and Eos went to another room to speak in private.
"Eos, Master Azea has offered to buy you. He has given a handsome sum. However, you must understand, that if you agree to go with him, you will be equal to a slave. You must obey him, depend on him for protection and serve him. If he decides to give you no protection from other men or women, then you will suffer. But I have only heard good things of Master Azea and his ways with women. Though it should be fair to warn you, that his eldest brother is not kind to slave or common born girls. If Master Azea defends you from him, then you have nothing to fear. But you will no longer receive payment like you do here. You will be clothed, fed and watered, but how well? You will not be the one to choose. And whether you receive an allowance is all entirely up to him. Will you go?" she asked.
Eos nodded.
Mother heaved a sigh, "I do not wish to let you go, but if it's your decision, we will send you to him tomorrow. You will pack your things tonight. You will not serve tonight either."
"Yes, Mother."
The older woman looked at her and kissed her forehead, "Go with my blessing child. I hope all will be well."
"Thank you Mother," Eos said quietly, looking down.
Mother went back t tell Master Azea that Eos will be sold to him. Eos went to look for Tara, "Well?" she asked. Eos nodded and Tara hugged her, "If he lets you, you must come back and see us. I'd worry if you don't."
"And you must not let me worry. I wonder how you'll handle all those wives of your customers. You're always too meek with them. They should be blamed for not keeping a better eye on their husbands," Eos said. Tara laughed, "And you always get into trouble because of your tongue," she said, "Go with you. Maybe you'll be safer with Master Azea. Let's go. I'll help you pack your things.
The two girls packed the little possessions Eos had. They were mostly jewellery from other men. But her only worldly possessions consisted of a pendant her mother had given her. It was of a beautifully carved symbol. Eos kept it to herself, the only other person who had seen it was Tara. Her mother had said it belonged to her father.
She took it out from under her pillow and looked at it, meaning to wrap it in a linen cloth to keep it safe.
The sight of it often made her wonder why her mother had it if her father had left them. Had he given it to her and simply forgot about it? But when her mother gave it to her, she had said that, "it belongs to her father." That meant it was still his. Was he supposed to have come back for it? she wondered.
"You know, maybe you'll see your da again some day…" Tara said when she turned around and saw her.
"Things like that only happen in stories," Eos said wrapping the pendant at once, "You know; me finding my da is as likely as yours coming back for you."
"I guess so," Tara said, folding a simple dress and packing it into the pack before Eos could see it. When not working, Eos always preferred to wear men's clothing. She hated wearing dresses though Tara often forced her into one when she could.
Eos stowed the pendant into one of the other packs. In the end, there were only three packs that needed to be brought.
"Wow, you don't have much stuff do you?" Tara observed, "What are you going to do with the rest of the things you're leaving behind?"
"You want them?"
Tara looked at the filled jewellery boxes and expensive shoes and hairpieces. "Are you nuts? Of course I do! Maybe something good really is coming out of you leaving," she said, making Eos laugh. She was looking herself in the vanity glass, holding up a set of gold earrings with opal drops on them, already. "I can see that you're really cut up about my leaving. I'm really touched," she said.
"Yes, yes," Tara replied in false idleness.
It was odd that night. Eos sat alone in her room, one that she had lived in ever since she started dancing in the brothel. Across the courtyard, she could hear the night beginning. Tara had dropped by to see her before going to work. "It's weird," Tara commented as Eos read a book, dressed in a shirt and leggings, "I've never had to get ready on my own before. Not to mention serve on my own. It's going to be really boring. You always make the best remarks about the customers."
Eos smiled, "Just smile and bat your eyes while imagining what I would normally say."
Tara then departed with a huge, dramaticl sigh and a look of theatrical boredom.
Eos got to her feet and crossed the room to her packs. She wondered if she was right to agree to leave. After all, if she stayed on in the brothel, one day she might have enough money to leave it for good. But then what? She had no ambition of her own. However, she knew that she could not remain dancing for the rest of her life.
Feeling restless as she was too used to being active at night, Eos pulled on a cloak and pinned up her hair to make it appear short before pulling up the hood. She left her room and carefully slipped through the courtyard through the servant passage and out into the streets.
The night air was cold as usual and the streets empty, save few stragglers, late for their outings to the taverns and brothels. She looked up at the sky overhead and smiled.
Stars filled the sky, glittering and shining against the dark sky like diamonds. The moon was full and radiating a beautiful silver light that bathed the dark town in its glow. It was so magnificent.
She remembered the tales her mother told her of the Moon Goddess each time she looked up at the moon. She was a beautiful mortal once and one day the Sun God had looked down and fell smitten with her. He left Celestial Kingdom and came down to earth to be with her. But because of that, there was no sun on the earth and it grew cold. The crops withered and humans suffered. The Mother and Father of the gods found out and forced the Sun God to return. The mortal woman wept so many tears that went up to the sky and filled it. It showed the Mother and Father of her sorrow. Out of pity they had made her a goddess. But still, to punish them, they were to keep apart. But once in awhile, when the moon wanes, it meant the Moon Goddess had returned to be with her lover. Her tears remained in the sky. As some disappeared, they were replaced by new ones during her time apart with the Sun God. Those tears became the stars.
As a child, Eos thought the Moon Goddess had been stupid as well as the Sun God. Their love caused nothing but suffering for one another. Whenever the Moon Goddess could not be with the Sun God, she just wept.
Now that she thought about it, she wondered if her mother had felt like crying when she thought of her father. Certainly, she remembered times when her mother would hide her face from her. But now, she was a prostitute and felt no attachment to any men. She hoped she would not do such a foolish thing as her mother and the Moon Goddess had done.
Suddenly, Eos became aware of a few men walking down the narrow street towards her. She immediately turned and saw two more coming from behind. Something about their manner troubled her. They did not mean anyone well.
She turned into an alley. Taking several steps, four men loomed up ahead and blocked her path. Cursing silently in her mind, she turned round and saw the men from earlier blocking her path. "Give us whatever you have on you and we'll let you stay alive," one of the men said.
Eos didn't answer. She had no money on her. She had nothing valuable at all. But even if she said that, they would attack. If she spoke, they would know she was a woman and do even worse things to her. Her only hope was to try and fend them off a bit and run for it. There was no point calling for help. No one would bother.
Her silence annoyed the men, "Fine then, we gave you a chance," the leader said and they lunged in.
Eos grabbed a pole leaning against the wall and swung it round like how she had seen by some fighters. She drove one end into one man's gut and swung it round to hit the person in front and behind her. But her blows were weak and ill aimed. Her attackers recovered quickly and one managed to strike a blow on the top of her head. She stumbled and was about to get struck again, this time in the face.
For some reason, the first thought that came into her mind, instead of worry that these men would kill her, was that Mother would be angry if she had her face hit.
Suddenly the man was struck down to the ground. Everything happened in a blur. Another man, much more skilful and probably trained as a fighter had stepped in. Eos was dazed by the blow and collapsed onto the ground, sitting and holding her head. She blinked her eyes and looked round to see her saviour spin round and used his heel to kick the last attacker standing in the jaw. There was a cracking sound and the attacker's head slammed against the wall next to him before collapsing.
The man turned to look at Eos and went over to her.
"Are you alright?" he said drawing closer She didn't move. Her heart was beating rapidly and her entire body was numb from shock and fear. The man grabbed her upper arm and moved her out to a brighter location, "Are you alright?" he asked again. Eos looked up and saw a tall man. He was bald and had the dark skin of a typical desert dweller. He looked at least fifteen years older than her with scars on his face. His jaw was strong and his deep set eyes, dark even against his own skin, had a keen look to them
"I'm fine," Eos said, finding it easier to breathe.
The man suddenly frowned and pulled off her hood making her give a small cry and try to pull her hood up again. A woman walking alone in the streets after dark was ten times more likely to get attacked and in an even worse way.
He seemed to know this as well, "What on earth were you thinking?" he wanted to know, his voice reprimanding. He had the air and tone of voice to make her feel very small not to mention very stupid; like a silly child.
Eos found herself hanging her head. "Look at me when I'm talking to you, young lady," he said and she winced. She looked up nervously.
Never had a man talked to her in such a way before. The only other person who had scolded her was Mother, but her manner was much more different from this man's calm demeanour. "Now- kindly tell me what do you think you're doing out after dark. You should be ashamed of yourself. Out with it," he told her sternly. Eos snuffed her feet against the sand and pulled at her sleeve behind her back.
"Stand still," the man told her sharply, "Don't fidget. Really- it is not becoming for a young woman to wriggle about like a worm."
Eos stopped at once, "I was restless. I thought I'd go out on my own. I've always done that when I'm free," she answered, looking a bit sulky at his biting remark. "Surely not at night," the man said, "Didn't your mother ever teach you better? For shame!"
"My ma died years ago when I was little."
The man deflated a bit and sighed, "Very well- but even so- you should know. It's common sense after all. Where do you live? I'll take you back or you'll get in trouble again," he said.
Eos shifted uncomfortably, "I can head back on my own," she said.
"Yes, you certainly proved that you do excellent on your own so far," he said, "Come along."
The girl sighed, she didn't mind saying it, but what always irritated her were people's reactions to her line of work. And if she did mention it, this man, like so many other men, would think that she liked being taken advantage of.
"Well?" the man asked, tapping his foot.
"The Desert Gem," she answered at last.
There was a moment of silence before the man cocked his head to one side, "Right- where and what is that?" he asked, puzzled. She stared at him. How could he not know the Desert Gem? Everyone knew it, even if not all could afford it. Even foreigners have heard of it.
"It's a brothel. Just a few streets down from here."
"A brothel? Good grief- you should be ashamed of yourself, young lady," he said, "Really- I know things must be difficult for you. But what do you think your mother would say if she was still here now and knew you were working in a brothel of all places. Shame on you."
Again, he made her feel abashed for where she worked. It was the first time. All this while, she did not care that she worked at the Desert Gem. She didn't like the leering eyes or the fact she had to put up with degenerates with deep pockets, but she had never felt shamefaced for it. But here was this complete stranger, talking her down for being a prostitute and making her feel shameful. So many wives and men who pretended not to visit the brothel had hurled insults at her and they had never effected her the way this man's stern words were.
She hung her head again and he gave another sigh, "Very well- I'll walk you there. But for goodness sake, at least think of what I said. A brothel is not proper for a young lady. Neither are these nighttime wanderings."
The man led her back to the Desert Gem. He did not press advantage on her but kept a respectable distance from her as was proper for a man to keep when with a woman who was neither his wife nor concubine nor family when in public. With him escorting, no other strangers harassed her.
At last, he deposited her at the servant's entrance of the Desert Gem, "Thank you," she said, bowing her head.
"It's alright, but you should be more careful from now on."
"Yes, sir," she said before looking up at him, he was about Master Azea's height, making him a head taller than her, "I don't know your name…"
"My name is Menes."
Eos bowed, "Then, thank you Master Menes," and she slipped into the building.
Once safely back in her room, Eos dropped herself onto her bed and stared up at the ceiling. That man was certainly a strange one.
Usually, a passer by would ignore someone in distress. And a woman would be held in scorn for going without a veil over her head. And she was a prostitute as well. Even knowing that fact, he had still insisted to help her.
Now that she had calmed down and her heart had stopped beating so rapidly from her danger, her head cooled down and let her think. Menes did not have the common desert accent. He had probably lived in other countries. She wondered what they were like? She had heard tales from travellers who boasted in the Desert Gem.
They had told tales of green and trees as far as the eye could see. Rock mountains of steel grey with slippery green plants living on them, coating it like fur. Salty water that stretched so far, the sky and the water would meet in the distance. Cold white powder that fell from the sky and covered the earth like a blanket. And strange animals and people with bizarre customs. Even as she thought of them, the desire to go far and wide to see them stirred in her as they did at times.
But she had no such luxury to get up and leave by whim.
No, she had to be content with living in this town for the rest of her life.
With that thought, Eos rolled onto her stomach and made a disgruntled sound into her pillow. She wished she could be more like Tara.
The older girl never understood Eos' fascination with travelling and other lands. "Be content with your home," Tara often told her, "After all, we have our problems; so do those people." And she was probably right. Tara was the type who would have made a man the perfect wife. She was wise, quiet and kept her counsel. She was always content with the life she had, always looking at the brighter side of life. If she had a husband, Eos had no doubt she would make a better wife than those crazy ones that blamed everyone else but themselves about their husbands straying.
Eos once more creeped out of her room but this time she went to the small shrine at the back of the courtyard. It was the Goddess Rhyga, goddess of beauty. She was their patron goddess but Eos never cared for her. But for the first time, on her last night in the Desert Gem, she lit an incense. Shutting her eyes, she prayed for the girls at the Desert Gem, especially Tara. She prayed that the goddess would smile upon them all and bless them with a good life.
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