He hastened to ready himself for the day, unwilling to miss the slave auction. His other business could wait until tomorrow. The slave auctions would be held today; the market would still be going tomorrow. His original plan of visiting the cloth merchants early in the morning vanished. It no longer mattered if he got to the best cloth first. He simply must be at the slave auctions. He counted his money. It would certainly be enough to buy a slave and he would still have enough to purchase the goods he needed for his orders.
Erik arrived at the building where the slaves were to be auctioned. Buyers stood around outside, waiting for the slaves to be brought out so the auction could begin. Judging by the growing crowd, there was plenty of interest in slaves today. Erik began to wonder if he would face stiff competition for the red-haired girl. It didn’t matter; he was determined to do everything he could to buy her and set her free.
At last, the slave-keepers brought out the first line of slaves, all males. They invited the buyers to come close and inspect the men before bidding and many of the potential buyers went to the dividing fence for a closer look. Some of the slaves scowled while others kept their countenances neutral. For the first time, Erik wondered what it would be like to be on the other side of the fence, about to be sold to a new owner. It was a thought that was uncomfortable and he wondered why he’d never considered it before. Although he’d never owned any, thralls were such a part of daily life that they were invisible.
One by one, the male thralls were sold; each buyer was given a token that matched a thrall. Then the thralls were returned to their temporary quarters until the buyers came to collect them. Many of the buyers remained in the crowd, eager to purchase other thralls. Erik felt a growing sense of impatience as he waited for the other lines of slaves to be sold. Where was the woman with the red hair?
At last, the slave-keepers led a line of female slaves out and Erik saw her red hair glowing brightly amongst the more subdued tones of the blondes and brunettes. He caught his breath: she was even more beautiful than he’d remembered. Standing there awaiting her fate, there was a quiet dignity about her that spoke of both strength and vulnerability. She kept her beautiful eyes lowered, unwilling to make contact with a future owner. Erik’s heart hammered in his chest and he felt an ache that he’d never known before. Somehow, he must buy this woman. He must!
At last, the slave-keeper invited the buyers to come closer to inspect the slaves and the crowd surged towards the dividing fence. Erik pushed and shoved until he was standing right in front of the woman. He noticed the wounds on her wrists from the rope; her skin was fine and milky white. A handful of freckles danced across her nose and cheeks and her gloriously vibrant hair tumbled around her shoulders. Her features were delicate and she had long eyelashes and a dainty mouth with full lips. She was exquisite.
At that moment, she raised her eyes and looked right at Erik. Surprise flickered through her stunning green eyes as she recognized him from the day before. He was stricken by the pain that followed before she dropped her eyes again, smitten by the realization that she saw him simply as another potential owner who wanted her only for her body or what she could do for him. It made him squirm as he thought about how she must see him: just another man who wanted to use and abuse her. It was an unpleasant thought.
At last, the auctioneer turned his attention to her. “Here we have a fine slave from the land of Eire,” he began.
Erik was surprised. He hadn’t considered that she might have been taken from a foreign land.
“She is young, fit and healthy and would make a fine addition to your bed.”
Bawdy laughter greeted the statement and Erik cringed at the crude remarks flying around the crowd as they acknowledged it. He hoped the woman couldn’t hear the comments or that she didn’t understand the language well enough to comprehend the crude remarks.
“She will bear you many children if you take her as a bed-slave,” the auctioneer continued. “But if you already have enough bed-slaves, she is strong enough for work in the fields or around the farm or longhouse. The choice is yours.”
A moment later, the bidding began and Erik soon found himself in a fierce bidding battle with numerous other buyers. It seemed that everyone wanted to buy the beautiful woman with red hair. Erik began to grow alarmed as the price went higher and higher and finally, had to shake his head in dismay as it went well beyond his reach. He simply could not afford to pay that much for her. He felt sick as the bidding reached a halt; it was almost three times the usual price of a female slave. He did not doubt that
