SWORN: PROLOGUE

@Copyright Maureen Lycaon, September 2002. All rights reserved 
under the Berne Convention.

AUTHOR'S NOTES: This prologue establishes the setting for my 
"Sworn" series. Reading it is optional, but helps establish the 
background for Rain's and Lord Michael's relationship.



PROLOGUE

The Clansfolk had fought a war to escape the yoke of their 
tribute to the Gathering of Lords, and failed. Now, a worse 
tribute was demanded: ten of their number, one from each great 
Clan, would become lifelong hostages, delivered over to the 
Lords to be kept as slaves.

The Clans and the Lords had parted ways centuries ago -- shortly 
after the time of the Firstcomers to this world. The Clans, 
cherishing their freedom above all, lived in near-barbarism in 
the Outlands. The Lords dwelled in what was still called "the 
City", supported by their serfs, accompanied by their servants 
and slaves.

The Gathering of Lords had no desire to build an empire, and so 
it had never made any attempt to govern or "civilize" the Clans. 
Instead, it exacted tribute from them to help maintain the 
Lords' lives of wealth and leisure in their vast City mansions, 
using what they still possessed of the technology of the 
Firstcomers to ensure themselves long lives surrounded by 
luxury.

Thus, the demand for hostages in the wake of the war. The 
gesture was meant to be symbolic, not crippling. The Gathering 
was fond of symbolism in such matters.

Even so, this was a heavy blow to the pride of the Outlands 
folk. They knew of the decadence and depravity of the Lords, and 
of what had happened to Clansfolk slaves in the past; they had 
no doubt of the victims' fate. No doubt all ten captives would 
suffer for far too long before their masters tired of them and 
put them to death in whatever unwholesome fashions pleased them.

Nevertheless, the Clans paid this tribute, to avoid utter 
destruction.

The folk of the Outlands were nothing if not brave; their 
culture revered courage and self-sacrifice. Several volunteers 
stepped forward for each Clan, offering themselves as willing 
martyrs. 

When the elders of each Clan had chosen a hostage, Clan and 
smallclan representatives took him to the agreed-upon meeting 
place to stand before a quorum of the Gathering and swear 
himself into slavery. Then, they handed him over to a Great 
Lord.

Great Lord Michael, one of the wealthiest and most powerful 
Lords of the Gathering, was the Lord selected to accept the 
Brightriver Clan's hostage, a young man named Rain Ashin.

(End of prologue.)