"Love" by Réka Szabó

Taorna, the glorious Taorna was deep in sleep. The choking hot air of the month of Harvest trembled above sweet or uneasy dreams of a million people like the flames of a torch. The slave girl was also trembling, but her tremor was the result of anxiety. The small, finely ornamented scroll case she wore around her neck on a thin thread of leather jerked at every nervous beat of her heart. Had it not been Him to ask her so, she would not have stolen the documents from her master. But for His sake she would do anything...

She hurried towards freedom, her knees shaking and shaking with the sweet dread of breaking the bonds of slavery that bound her to the Amadrias house forever; of the thought that by sunrise she will be on a slender, fast ship flying towards the much awaited unknown. And she would be flying with Him.

Finally she reached the bridge. The riverside was dark and empty. Since the river was very shallow at this time of the year, the ships of Taorna were forced to wait for the autumn rains in the dry docks. The river, not much more than a brook now, stretched lazily in the bottom of her bed, and flapped against the stone stairs of the bank with a tepid glumness. The girl rushed down the stairs; meanwhile she peeped under the bridge in fear. What if He didn't come? What if He had deserted her? But He was there, now uncovering a lantern which shed its feeble, gloomy light on a thoroughbred Sudramani steed and a handsome young man of the same country.

She burst into running. He was a tall and very good-looking Sudramani man, for Him she did not mind betraying her master and her homeland. Anything for Him...

'I'm here', she breathed with her throat clutched by anxiety.

'Do you have it?' the man whispered back, and even his whisper was coarse with greed.

'Aye', she nodded vehemently. She took the fair little case from her neck, but she did not hand it to him yet. 'Will you free me as you've promised?' she asked, her eyes filled with true despair. He smiled.

'I will free you. Forever.' and the man, opening his arms and his dark cloak, embraced her wildly. She did not even have time for surprise.

The bloody corpse was found the next morning by half-drunk dockworkers. They feared that the police might accuse them - so they tied stones to the body and threw it in the remains of the river. By that time a merchant ship had departed from the nearby Larina. On board the faithful Sudramani patriot had had a substantial breakfast, and now he opened the ornamented little case with great satisfaction. This scroll, he reckoned, might help his homeland to victory against the Empire; and it might help him to a fair reward from the king. He slowly unrolled the fine vellum and started to read its contents, written in exquisite northern calligraphy. As he read on, his handsome southern face grew paler with every letter he read. Then he flung the scroll - the sea put a wet end to the career of the finest Edera vellum - and he broke into a terrible scream.

Lord Mervalos Amadrias, admiral of the emperor's navy, never learned what happened to his slave. Neither did he learn who had so desperate need of a last year report on his sheep in Tiras Mernos province. It's a pity, for he would no doubt have enjoyed the story very much...