Suddenly, he realized that everyone was watching him, waiting for him to show them what to do next. He closed his mouth with a snap and jerked his mind back to the present.
“I will show you where you will stay for now,” he muttered.
“Thank you for giving me my freedom,” Inger said shyly, touching him on the arm.
He felt a strange surge of affection for the old woman. She reminded him of the grandmother who’d died when he was a small boy.
“I am glad I could,” he told her, putting his arm lightly around her shoulders. “You are welcome to stay at my home if you wish or you are free to go wherever you want to.”
“The truth is, I have nowhere else to go,” Inger said quietly. “I have been a slave for a long time and I have no family to care for me. I am happy to stay and serve you however I am able.”
Erik sighed. Slavery of the mind was not as easily fixed as slavery of the body, it seemed. “I do not require you to serve me, Inger,” he said gently. “You are free to go or stay, to work or not work. But I would appreciate your help around the house in exchange for your keep. I have a servant at the moment, Alvilda, but she will be leaving to live with Einar and his bride.”
“Then that is what I shall do,” the old woman declared.
Erik turned to Brendan. “While we are on this topic, what do you think you would like to do?” he asked.
“I did not expect to receive my freedom,” Brendan answered. “I am so very grateful and I owe you a debt. I think I would like to stay close to here and perhaps find work as hired help. That is if people in this area ever hire help instead of owning slaves.”
“You might be fortunate,” Erik replied. “Merilant is a Christian village and they do not own slaves. You might find work there.”
“Then I shall ask,” Brendan declared. “If I can find work, I will save enough to repay the debt I owe you. And after that, I think I would like to return to my homeland. Perhaps my wife and child will still be alive and waiting for me.”
Erik thought that was unlikely but he didn’t want to destroy the fragile hope that freedom had kindled in Brendan’s heart. “That is a good plan,” he said. “I am happy for you to live here while you bring it to pass.”
“Oh, look at him,” Leopolda crooned as Kappi explored the interior of her house, sniffing at all the unfamiliar scents. “He is beautiful!”
It was true. Kappi had grown into a regal beast, with long, dense, fur and a majestic head. His tail was thick and fluffy and his eyes were a vibrant green. The tiny, lost kitten had turned into a young cat with the promise of true magnificence. Tara was relieved; it seemed that Leopolda would be happy to have Kappi as a member of the household.
“I think he will be happy to make this place his new home,” she said with a smile.
Leopolda went to fetch a saucer of milk. “I have never had a cat before,” she said. “But I like animals.” She placed the milk in front of Kappi and he sniffed it with disdain before continuing to explore his new surroundings.
Tara laughed. “He has a mind of his own,” she said. “He will drink it when he is ready but he will not do anything according to our timetable.”
Leopolda looked at her curiously. “It is odd for a young man to buy a slave to set her free,” she said tentatively.
Tara decided to trust the woman who had so far been kind to her. “It is,” she agreed. “But I am not complaining!”
“I think perhaps young Erik has love on his mind,” the older woman said slyly.
Tara blushed. “Well, he has said nothing to me,” she said. “I thought at first that he would wish me to be a bed-slave or work for him. It took quite some time for me to realize that he did intend to set me free.”
Leopolda sighed. “In this land, you are never truly free once you have been a slave,” she said.
“What do you mean?”
“Former slaves do not have the same rights as freeborn people,” Leopolda said sadly. “It takes four generations for a family to enjoy full freedom.”
Tara’s heart sank. Even though Erik had set her free, it seemed she would still be tainted by the curse of slavery.
“What does that mean for me?” she asked cautiously.
“You will have more limited opportunities than a freeborn woman,” Leopolda said, trying to be as kind as she could. “Of course, here in our village, things are a little different as our people do not follow the same beliefs concerning these matters. But we are still bound by the laws of the land.”
Tara’s elation at being set free began to fade as the implications of Leopolda’s words sank in. Although she was not sure what it meant, she realized that it could be more difficult than she’d thought to live in this land as a freed slave. As for her desire to return to her own people, how could she possibly achieve that? Not only would it be costly, but she would need at least one or two men to go with her to protect her from being taken into slavery again. She did not believe for one moment that she would be safe from further exploitation if she were to venture out alone. So for now, she would have to be content to accept the lodging that Leopolda offered and her
