Chapter Text
Isrel and Bessa lay in the bed together. Normally, Keldar shared the bed, too, but that night, Sen had called the First Wife to his bed, allowing the two Underwives to have some time to talk quietly, among other things.
The two of them had formed an instant bond. Bessa, aged just thirteen, was Sen’s newest Wife, and two months pregnant. Isrel was older, eighteen, with a four-year-old son, Andrean, and a 2-year-old daughter, Vrisa.
And yet, despite the five-year age difference, the two understood each other perfectly. And so they looked forward to these nights, when it was just the two of them and Keldar was the one in Sen’s bed, even if it meant one of them was made to get up for Vrisa or one-year-old Keltev, who could sleep through the night, for the most part, though they would still wake up if they had wet themselves.
As the youngest Wife, Bessa was supposed to be in charge at night, unless Sen had called her to bed. But if Keldar was with him, then she and Isrel split the task evenly, taking it in turns, or, if one of them wasn't feeling well, taking on the task themselves.
That had been the case quite often since Bessa had first begun having morning sickness, though Isrel assured her that it would go away soon enough. All Bessa knew was that she felt miserable, though she trusted Isrel to no end.
“We’ll probably be seeing the winter raiders, soon,” Isrel said, her voice barely a whisper.
“I know. They scare me.” Bessa was no louder.
“They scare me, too, but this year, they may well be our deliverance.”
“What do you mean?”
Isrel rolled over on her side and kissed Bessa’s brow. “We deserve better. We and our children. We deserve safety. Andrean, Vrisa, and the little one inside you deserve to grow up with love and kindness. Vrisa shouldn’t be forced to endure what you and I have. Neither should yours, if it’s a girl. And you shouldn’t be forced to carry another one. Neither should I. We could use the raiders as a distraction, and we could run.”
“But how? We don’t know where we can go. And during the summer will come the Tedrel Wars. And we know nothing but how to do what all Wives do. How will we provide for ourselves and for our children?”
“We will have to rely on the true will of the god and goddess,” Isrel said. She reached over and rubbed Bessa’s stomach. “But if we waited until the Tedrels started crossing over in summer again, it would be too close to your time to give birth. So let’s do it now.”
Bessa frowned. “I still don’t know how we will run. Keldar will make sure that the doors are locked. We women and the littles are all supposed to stay inside the house.”
“We will find a way,” Isrel said, “even if I have to steal the key from her belt.”
***
The first winter raiders came sooner than either Isrel or Bessa expected them. “Keep the other littles busy,” Keldar ordered. “Justus was learning to help in the barn, and I must go fetch him.”
Keldar left, then, and the two Underwives saw their chance. “What about Keltev? He's only a year old,” Bessa said.
Isrel shook her head. “We will be in enough trouble running and taking our own children. We must leave Keltev with his mother.”
Bessa nodded. They had two bags packed that they kept under a loose floor board. She picked up the sleeping Vrisa as Isrel gathered up Andrean.
“What's going on?” Andrean asked.
“Raiders are attacking,” Isrel said. “We're going to a special safe place to hide from them.”
“Okay,” Andrean said. “What about Keltev?”
“Keldar will follow us with Keltev and Justus,” Bessa assured him. She hated lying to him, but it was best they were far away before they explained the truth.
They made their way out the back door. Once on the main trade road, they ran, following it, until they came to a clearing with a small building.
“We can stop in there and feed the littles,” Isrel said.
“We can't go in there! That's a Herald’s waystation!” Bessa protested.
“And there's no Herald there, but we need somewhere safe for a bit,” Isrel reminded her. “Come on. We can explain things to Andrean and Vrisa while we're at it.”
And so the two young women went in. They set Andrean and Vrisa, who had woken up, on the bed while Bessa swept and Isrel got a fire going. Then, they found some of the supplies and got a simple stew going. Carefully, they set a small portion of stew in front of each of the littles.
“What do you need to explain to us?” Andrean asked.
“Where are Keldar and Keltev and Justus?” Vrisa asked.
“And what about Father?’ Andrean asked.
“We’ve left them all behind,” Isrel admitted. “We’ve run away, so that your father won’t hit any of us anymore, and so that Vrisa will never be sold off into an unwanted marriage.”
“Or my baby, if it’s a girl,” Bessa said.
“Where are we going?” Andrean asked.
“We’re not sure,” Bessa admitted.
“At least to the next town, but likely further,” Isrel said. “We’ll run as far north as we have to in order to feel safe. But know that Mama Bess and I will love you and your new sibling, and do our best to take care of both of you, no matter what.”
“Don’t you love our other brothers?” Vrisa asked.
“We do, but they need to stay with Keldar,” Isrel said. “Children should stay with their mothers, when possible, and since Keldar would not come with us, then she should at least get to keep her sons.”
“Now eat up. We’ve got to get back on the road, very soon,” Bessa said.
They heard a horse outside, then, and someone approaching. Afraid it might be Sen or another Elder come after them, Bessa poured water on the fire hurriedly while Isrel shoved the children into the room with the supplies. Then, much to Bessa’s surprise, a protective Isrel shoved her in and followed her before shutting the door.