Valley People, Evelyn J. Steward [top business books of all time .txt] 📗

somewhere deep inside he realised he was a prisoner, a prisoner with a purpose.
A younger woman came in after several hours and washed his face and brushed his hair back from his contorted face. “Where am I?” he asked. “What are you doing to me?” She said nothing but carried on making him less sweaty. She also fed him some of the meat stew from the deer he brought in. Gave him more liquer to drink. He could taste something drying on his palate and then fell down on the bed in a stupor.
This went on for several days and each morning he felt used. He asked to be let loose. He asked for the headman, but his request was denied. His anger each morning was soon dissipated when he spoke to the young woman. “What is your name?” he asked.
“Acer,” she replied demurely. “I have to take care of you for the new maiden tonight.” And with that she carried on with her daily tasks.
“Acer, help me get away!”
“I cannot, I would be killed.”
Chual noticed her eyes glazing over. No ladies man, he was at a loss as to what to say to her to comfort her.
“I would take you with me,” he replied. Not knowing where that thought came from. Gazing gently at her face, her demure manner, hands wringing in her lap.
“I am too frightened.” Fear hid behind the tear that started to drop from her eye.
Tonight, before anything happens. Throw the liquer away and I will pretend to have drunk it. Come back just after dark and we will escape together. Acer nodded her assent and threw the liquer behind the bed. Just Then the headman came in and looked at Chual who immediately lolled his head and passed out on the bed. The man grinned and left, signing that Acer should leave too. Acer, now full of hope, grabbed her things and left the hut. “I will be back,” she whispered softly, as she reached the open doorway, than left the hut.
Chual, hands now free of bonds, untied the ropes around his ankles but left them loose so that at a casual glance he would still look to be tied up. His mind, now not befuddled with drugs, he starting mulling over why the Headman had done this to him. It was obvious that he wanted new blood for what other reason was there; he had just left his own village for that very reason and here he was fulfilling someone else’s purpose. He was angry but sane enough to hide that anger for now. Escape was on his mind and now he had someone else to worry about in escaping.
Night could not come fast enough for Chual. Soon enough a new maiden dipped through the doorway but Acer accompanied her. She was not much past childhood and scared. Acer brought her to the bed and told Chual to do his duty…
Chual, acting drugged, lay across the girl and pretended to fall asleep.
“He was given too much. You must go and say that he was not well enough and you will come again tomorrow night,” Acer said to the maiden who nodded, grateful that she did not have to go trough this ordeal.
When the Headman found out he came and looked at Chual who slept on oblivious. Luckily it was just a cursory glance.
“Watch him girl,” he said to Acer. If he wakes get the girl back and make him take her,” His eyes bore into Acer’s, a hint of menace in his look, Irritated and frustrated in his plans, the Headman left the hut. Acer was frozen with fear. She ran over to the bed. “He has gone now,” she told Chual.
“We will wait until it is well dark and everyone is asleep. Do they keep guards at night?” he asked her. Acer shook her head. “Then we wait and wait,” said Chual.
Darkness fell over the village but Chual waited until a long time had past to make sure all were sleeping, then slipping the ropes, he grabbed Acer’s hand and slowly moved to the doorway. Listening, he determined that the village was silent. Slipping around to the far side of the hut, they crept between other smaller dwellings and headed for the trees. Going through the woods at night was hard as they stumbled many times over fallen logs and twining branches and plants. Chual set a fast pace and Acer was hard-pushed to keep up. After a long run, they stopped to rest for a few minutes.
“We must make a good run, the sun will rise soon and we have to be long gone. I will not put up with that again.” They started again and the woods thinned out and the going was better. They ran faster. The ground rose gently but the going was good.
Dawn broke and the sky was red and golden. Pretty, had they time to look at it. Acer slowed. She needed to rest. Chual stopped and listened, thought he could hear shouting in the woods far off. “We must go, now!” he yanked Acer up from the ground, held he hand tightly and ran fast. Then stopped. The ground ended in a drop-off. Just below trees grew tall and spread their branches. “We have to jump, no other way,” he urged her
They ran back a little way and then made a mad rush leaping off the cliff top and catching the branches. They were scratched and bleeding but climbed down to where the trees were thicker and they would be hidden from sight. They soon could here the Headman and his men searching for them. Acer and Chual stayed until it was dark then started their descent, away from the village, away from the maidens away from their duties to freedom.


Copyright 2002 continued 2010.


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Publication Date: 02-18-2011

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