She had known she was on the way out as soon as the sergeant-at-arms had shown up at the brothel house, a sack of coin in hand and a smarmy smile on his long horsey face.
The sergeant had a habit of carrying platinum coinage around rather than gold or silver. He generally bought women in bulk and usually just before a sweeping and expansive Norrin push into the west or the south. He was the man in charge of buying up camp whores and, frankly, she wasn't surprised at all to see her name had made the list. She was a moderate money maker because she was pretty, but she wasn't easy or a pushover. Her often hostile behavior had annoyed the owner enough, especially when it had lost him a sale or two.
One of her only consolations was that two of the girls she was closest to had been purchased as well.
"I don't mind Norrin soldiers but a whole army?" Fellis squeaked from beside her, voice pitched high and obviously nervous. The shorter woman's hand tucked into Arden's elbow and squeezed them closer. "Just five of us for all those men?"
"Doubt he's only buying up from this brothel, Fell. Calm your tits," Jin argued, voice low but still hedging with slight concern. Jin was tall, her skin a warm brown, dark and rich. She kept her braids tied up and back, every inch of her muscled and naked as she peeked back out their shared bedroom window. "I bet we're headed south."
Arden studied her friend, head tipped as Fellis hugged tighter from the side. "You just want to try to escape."
"Maybe I just miss Endris cock."
"Hell," Arden shrugged, "I miss Endris cock."
"I've never had it," Fellis added with a little laugh.
"Probably a good thing," Jin told her, pushing away from the window and lifting her fist and forearm straight up in the air. "Thickest you've ever seen. Likely split you in half, Little One."
"She exaggerates," Arden assured the suddenly concerned and small blonde at her side. "Mostly."
Jin's laughter would be the last pretty thing she heard for days. If not longer.
*
Two days later they were gathered up on the second floor of the gatehouse at the southern crossroads. There were around twenty girls in total, the lot of them grouped together into the corner of the one spacious and drafty room. They'd been ordered to disrobe and wait and she could hear Fellis shivering beside her just by the chattering of the plump little blonde's teeth.
"They're going to separate us," Jin said under her breath, the door opening just before Arden could ask how she could possibly know that for sure.
Three soldiers entered first, all of them wearing the Norrin royalty insignia. All the air sucked from the room as all three of the men studied them, silently appraising them as they moved closer. They started really looking the girls over in earnest, grabbing the women closer, touching and groping them. Arden purposely stepped in front of Fellis as the tallest of the three men got close to her. His eyes caught the shift and he cocked his head at her, staying silent as he continued to grope another girl's breast. He quickly brushed the girl off, shoving her toward the larger of two groups.
Jin had been absolutely correct. They were being separated.
She could only assume that the royals got first pick.
And he took advantage of that, leaning around her to pull the blonde she had been shielding closer.
"Spread your legs," he murmured to Fellis, just loud enough for all three of them to hear it.
Arden was suddenly distracted as one of the other soldiers pulled Jin toward him and rubbed her into his front. The entire room could hear the groan he made as he grabbed her ass and grasped her into his groin. She was torn, concerned for both her friends as they were molested, groped, and appraised as property. Fellis whimpered as a gloved finger rubbed at her clit.
He frowned as he looked the blonde over, lifting his palm and shoving at her hip. His nod toward the larger group of girls was a dismissal. Arden watched as her two friends were pushed in opposite directions, Fellis in the larger group of rejects.
"Two each, Corso. You get one more."
He nodded silent agreement to the other soldier. They were very obviously related, likely brothers or cousins. They both had full dark hair, both had similar deep green eyes and broad shoulders. They carried themselves and their swords the same.
"Why shield her?" he asked as he reached for her, his hand pressing up her stomach to tease the underside of one breast. "Hmm?"
"She was frightened of you."
"And you are not?"
"Moderately."
"That's reasonable," he chuckled to himself. "Let me see your teeth."
She let him pry her mouth open, his gloved thumb rubbing the top line of teeth and then searching her back molars.
"Now spread your thighs."
He purposely took his time with his hand between her thighs, knowing they had everyone's attention by the time he lifted his fingers and sniffed at the dampened leather glove. He half smiled and nodded, jerking his head toward the smaller group. "Join your dark skin friend."
She caught sight of Fellis just before being shoved out the door and the last thing she saw were tears in the girl's eyes.
"You can't help her now," Jin whispered and grabbed at her hand. "Keep walking."
*
It would be warmer in the south but the northern nights were still cold, especially for the six naked women in the back of one half covered wagon. They'd been given a few blankets and furs to share and she had curled up close to Jin, her back pressed to one of the unfamiliar girls that had come from another brothel.
"Luta," the younger girl had told her. "I was traded at Serall"
"Arden," she motioned to herself as they snuggled close in the jostling wagon. She pulled her friend into her, clutching them together beneath the blanket. "This is Jin."
"We're lucky," Jin murmured into her neck, ignoring the other conversation. "The rest of them are bound for the barracks when we arrive."
