“Come on now, who can get me started at 200? Do I see 200?”
The light at the far door was obscured by a large figure momentarily, before it started trying to push through the silent crowd.
“No?” The fox looked round. “Well, 100 then?”
“100.”
You saw an otter standing at the front of the room raise her dark furred paw.
“150!”
Someone shouted from amidst the crowd at the back of the room.
“That’s 150 gold to the mouse in the…”
“200!” The otter retorted quickly.
“300.”
This one came as a grunt from a powerful pig-lady, bulky, but her strength clear under the rough fabric of her overalls.
The figure at the back seemed to have been caught up in the crowd, his size a disadvantage in the tightly packed auction-house, but a slighter equine figure had broken free from the front of the audience and was frantically whispering to one of the auctioneers. You strained your ears desperate for any clue about your immediate future in their back and forth.
“… got left …”
“Only … today.”
“None? … my father’s … know that?”
“…not getting any favours …”
The bidding was up to 600 now, the otter was apparently out, the fight now between the porcine woman and a snake dressed in an elegant white robe woven with strange glyphs in gold thread.
“650.” The serpent’s tongue flicking out, the sound of reluctance in her bid.
“700.” The burly pig announced, smirking at the snake, confident in victory.
The fox at the front of the room glanced at the snake but he shook his head. “Very well then, going once, going twice…” he raised his gavel, about to bring it down.
“900.”
The pig spun to see who had out-bid her, lips drawing back in anger to show pearly tusks. Then she stopped, face flicking between rage and resignation as she took in who had just spoken.
It was the figure who had arrived as your auction started. He, and from the bulge outlined in the front of his fine tunic he was very defiantly a ‘he’, was very like the horse-man who’d been negotiating with the auctioneers, but considerably scaled up. The first equine was more wiry, he looked strong, but without much bulk. This second stood a head above most of the crowd and piston-like muscles slid past each other in his raised arm. White fur ran in a thin line down his long face and also stood-out on his forearms against a deep chestnut body.
You gulped.
“Ah, our dear magistrate!” Crooned the auctioneer, and you detected a hint of sarcasm creep into his tone. “As well timed as always...” The fox sighed. “Well, if no-one can beat 900 gold pieces?” The various animals who had been bidding on you shook their heads or growled in frustration. “Then sold!” The gavel struck the podium. “Come on, let our oh so wise and wealthy magistrate through to claim his latest toy.”
You saw the magistrate roll his eyes and hand a heavy bag to the second equine, who hurried over to the auctioneer. Taking the chain attached to your collar from the auctioneer he climbed up onto the raised platform, turning to address the room.
“My fellow citizens, I wish to remind you that you are all welcome at the party I shall host in the town square tomorrow to show my thanks for your support in this coming election. There will be entertainment for all tastes: a banquet by the finest chefs in the land, music, dance, and song from sunrise till sunset!”
Hey, maybe this won’t be so bad, I could deal with being a server at party or something…
“And for all those disappointed here, don’t worry, this fine specimen will be in the lottery, 5 lucky winners will get the…” and here he pauses, as if searching for the right word to tantalise his audience “…pleasure… of breaking him in. No charge to enter the draw, just collect a ticket from one of my servants tomorrow!”
Should have known it.
The porcine woman who he had outbid at the last still didn’t seem satisfied, accosting the equine again as he stepped down from the platform. “Lottery, you’re going to offer him out to everyone Marius?” She gestures around the room in contempt “He was going to be mine!”
“As I said don’t worry!” the horse-man said with a smile, then in hushed tones and bending down to her ear “Get a ticket tomorrow, then find me as soon as you can Helena, we can make sure fortune is on your side I think.”
And with this he was off, almost dragging you off your feet with his long strides, the crowd closing behind you as the next lot was led by his collar onto the stage.
Blinking in the light outside the auction house, you take in your surroundings. A rough cobbled street. One or two storey buildings, mostly wooden. A castle silhouetted by the low morning sun, watching over the town. The firm buttocks of your new ‘master’ in front. Each one tensing and relaxing in turn with his steps. Up and down, up and down.
You shook your head quickly, there were more important things to think about, firstly how to get out of this collar…
“For a last minute purchase we could have done much worse, father. I can see why that damn woman was so upset we brought him instead” A smooth hand slaps against your rear, causing you to yelp in shock “I can think of all sorts of uses for him in my bed-chamber.” Turning you see the younger equine from earlier, inspecting you up and down, and smirking at his own remark.
“And you will have to go on thinking Gaius. I’m glad you like him, but as you know I didn’t buy him so you could have a new play-thing”
“I was only joking! You really need to learn to relax again, it the reason all the guys in town can’t stand you. You’ve been like this ever since he…”
“That’s enough!” Marius turned sharply to cut off Gaius “Besides, we’re here now, there is still much to do, no time for trivial matters.”
You realised you had been led off the road and were heading up a path through a finely tended lawn. At its end, you could see a manor house over two stories, rough white walls and dark, aged timbers formed two wings either side of an arched entryway. All this supported a roof thatched in fine pale straw, behind which thin trails of smoke rose and you could make out the sound of horns and lutes, presumably practicing for the party.
The entryway contained arched double-doors, through which you are led, Marius passing your chain off to a servant dressed in rough cloth who was standing just inside.
“Sir, the prince’s envoy is awaiting you in your private study” another servant in a white tunic of finer material addresses Marius, proffering a wax sealed scroll.
“Thank you. I’ll be right there.” He takes the scroll and dismisses the servant with a tired wave of his hand, the turns to the one gripping your collar’s chain. “Now, this is to be the grand prize for our lottery tomorrow, I want you to look after him. Swap those rags for something more alluring and see if he has any skills, at the price I paid it would be good to get extra value from him. First, I think we will…”