Selmere had disappeared behind them days ago.
The Crown Mountains, elegant roads, stone bridges, and cultivated fields were gone. Here there was only the Mirefen: black water, colossal trees, walls of reeds, mist, raised timber halls, smoke, wet earth, leather, animals, and swamp.
The final stretch had been made aboard a wide covered river barge.
Seven women had been placed inside. Seven names drawn by Lottery, and every one of them was a term of the treaty Selmere had signed.
Inside, Marenza remained composed. Tamsyn stayed close to Sennah. Kestrelle's jaw was clenched. Peronel's nervous humor had vanished. Beda watched everything through guarded eyes.
Then the barge struck timber.
THUD.
Outside came shouting.
SKARNHOLLOW MAN:
"Get the fuckin' mooring line!"
ANOTHER SKARNHOLLOW MAN:
"I got it!"
SKARNHOLLOW MAN:
"Then tie the bastard instead of standin' there holdin' your cock!"
ANOTHER SKARNHOLLOW MAN:
"Piss off!"
Men laughed. Inside the barge, none of the women did.
Then the covering was pulled aside. Light flooded in.
And beyond it waited Skarnhollow.
Apparently every bastard in Skarnhollow had heard they were coming. Men crowded the dock, workshops, railings, and raised walkways. They abandoned work simply to look. There were almost no women among them at all.
Near the front stood Chieftain Gormund. His son was considerably less patient.
KERROW:
"How bloody long does it take to tie one godsdamned boat?"
GORMUND:
"Longer when some impatient bastard keeps distractin' the men doin' it."
Kaddock barked a laugh.
KADDOCK:
"Called you a bastard."
KERROW:
"I heard him, cunt."
KADDOCK:
"Just makin' sure."
VURN:
"He's been complaining since sunrise."
KERROW:
"Eat shit."
Behind them, Maddock leaned sideways to see around Kerrow despite being seven feet five inches tall.
MADDOCK:
"They here?"
VURN:
"No, Maddock. We all came down here to stare at a boat."
Maddock looked at the boat.
MADDOCK:
"Oh."
VURN:
"That was sarcasm."
MADDOCK:
"Then why'dja say it?"
Kaddock immediately started laughing.
KERROW:
"Got you there, arsehole."
Thren stood nearby, silent. Rhosgar wore a small smile.
KERROW:
"Why're you smilin' like that?"
GORMUND:
"Enough."
The barge opened fully. Every man's attention snapped toward it.
Marenza was led out first, chin up and composure stubbornly intact.
A whistle shrilled from the walkway.
SKARNHOLLOW MAN:
"Bloody hell. Look at the tits on her."
ANOTHER MAN:
"Move your fat head, shit-for-brains."
KADDOCK:
"Shit. She's got an arse on her too."
VURN:
"Six seconds. You've inspected both ends."
KADDOCK:
"Didn't wanna be rude an' neglect half of her."
KERROW:
"Real gentleman, this cunt."
GORMUND:
"Any bastard falls in the mire tryin' to get a better look, he can drown in it."
That earned laughter, not shame. The staring went on.
Tamsyn appeared next and moved quickly toward Marenza.
MADDOCK:
"She's scared."
KERROW:
"No shit."
MADDOCK:
"Why?"
KERROW:
"Look around, dumbass."
Maddock obediently did. Hundreds of men, weapons, mud, smoke, bloodied hunting gear, and shameless eyes fixed on breasts, hips, legs, faces, and backsides.
MADDOCK:
"...Oh. Aye."
Kestrelle came third, jaw tight and eyes hard.
KADDOCK:
"Godsdamn. Look at that one."
KERROW:
"Which bit?"
KADDOCK:
"All of her, asshole. Though that arse ain't hurtin' matters."
A man above gave Kestrelle a long, slow whistle. Another called down that Selmere had finally sent Skarnhollow something worth waiting for.
KADDOCK:
"She's got the look of a woman who'd bite."
KERROW:
"Probably start with your cock."
KADDOCK:
"Still worth it."
VURN:
"You're defective."
KADDOCK:
"An' yet Mother kept me."
VURN:
"She didn't have a choice."
Sennah, Peronel, then Beda followed. Each arrival brought more whistles, filthy comments, winks, propositions, and elbows between men fighting for a better view.
ANOTHER MAN:
"Ignore him! Come sit on my lap instead!"
THIRD MAN:
"With that mouth? She'd sooner sit on your face and shut you up."
The dock erupted.
KERROW:
"Bunch of horny bastards."
KADDOCK:
"You're starin' at tits while sayin' that."
KERROW:
"I can do two things at once."
VURN:
"A historic achievement."
Six women stood on the dock.
KERROW:
"That's six."
KADDOCK:
"Aye."
KERROW:
"Supposed to be seven."
KADDOCK:
"Maybe the last one ran."
Maddock looked toward the barge.
MADDOCK:
"Door's still shut."
VURN:
"It's a door. It opens."
Maddock considered this.
MADDOCK:
"Could be stuck."
VURN:
"Yes, Maddock. It could be stuck."
MADDOCK:
"Whaddya keep it shut fer anyway?"
GORMUND:
"So she gets a minute to breathe before the whole dock gets a look at her."
MADDOCK:
"She wanna be looked at?"
KERROW:
"Wouldn't you?"
Maddock looked around Skarnhollow, then at the six women surrounded by a dock full of staring, whistling men.
MADDOCK:
"...Aye. Reckon I would."
Kaddock burst out laughing.
KADDOCK:
"Fuck me, I love this bastard."
Maddock looked at him.
MADDOCK:
"Don't wanna fuck ya."
Silence.
Kerrow made a strangled sound.
Vurn turned his face away.
KADDOCK:
"That's not what I fuckin' meant!"
MADDOCK:
"Then whaddya say it fer?"
Kerrow doubled over laughing.
KERROW:
"Fucking hell, Kaddock."
KADDOCK:
"Fuck off!"
MADDOCK:
"Yer the one who said it."
THREN:
"He's got you there."
KADDOCK:
"Oh, now you fuckin' talk?"
Then movement inside the barge cut the laughter dead.
There was still one woman left.
The seventh name drawn in Selmere's Lottery.
You.
You emerged last, hands at your sides. Your appearance beyond what you yourself establish, your expression, thoughts, feelings, and whatever you choose next belong to you alone.
But one established fact was unmistakable.
Of all seven Lottery women, you were the most beautiful.
And Skarnhollow noticed.
The dock went dead silent.
Not polite silence. Stunned silence.
Then somebody whistled.
SKARNHOLLOW MAN:
"Gods fuckin' damn."
ANOTHER MAN:
"Look at her."
THIRD MAN:
"I'm tryin', prick. Move."
The hush lasted three seconds. Then the dock erupted. Men leaned over railings, shoved friends aside, and catcalled from both walkways.
SKARNHOLLOW MAN:
"Selmere was hidin' the best one!"
ANOTHER MAN:
"Sweetheart, you need a husband?"
THIRD MAN:
"She needs one with a cock, so you're out!"
Roaring laughter.
KADDOCK:
"...Shit."
VURN:
"There it is."
KADDOCK:
"I had words. They're gone."
Kerrow said nothing.
KADDOCK:
"Kerrow."
Nothing.
KADDOCK:
"Kerrow."
KERROW:
"I heard you."
KADDOCK:
"Then why ain't you talkin'?"
KERROW:
"I'm thinkin'."
VURN:
"That's new."
KERROW:
"Eat my arse."
KADDOCK:
"Nah. You're too busy lookin' at hers."
Kerrow's head snapped toward him.
KERROW:
"Shut your bloody mouth."
KADDOCK:
"Oh, he's got it bad."
KERROW:
"I don't have shit."
VURN:
"You're arguing with an observation."
KERROW:
"You can piss off too."
His attention went straight back to you.
KERROW:
"Where the hell was Selmere hidin' her?"
THREN:
"From you."
Kaddock nearly choked.
KERROW:
"You barely speak an' that's what you choose?"
THREN:
"Aye."
KERROW:
"Prick."
Another whistle came down from above.
SKARNHOLLOW MAN:
"Turn around, gorgeous!"
KERROW:
"Keep shoutin', cock sucker. Maybe she'll climb the fuckin' railing just to slap you."
KADDOCK:
"Jealous somebody else asked first?"
KERROW:
"Jealous of that shit-for-brains? I'd rather shove my cock in a hornet nest."
VURN:
"A rare moment of good judgment."
Maddock was still looking at you.
MADDOCK:
"She's real pretty."
KERROW:
"Don't you start."
MADDOCK:
"Start wha'?"
KERROW:
"Just-shit. Don't."
MADDOCK:
"Didn't do nothin'."
He looked back at you.
MADDOCK:
"Still pretty."
KADDOCK:
"Oh, hell. He's jealous of Maddock."
KERROW:
"I am not jealous of Maddock, you arsehole!"
VURN:
"You're shouting."
KERROW:
"I'm gonna strangle you with your own bloody guts."
RHOSGAR:
"You do seem rather taken with her."
Kerrow stiffened.
KERROW:
"Piss off, Rhosgar."
RHOSGAR:
"There it is again."
KERROW:
"What?"
RHOSGAR:
"Nerves."
KERROW:
"I ain't nervous."
RHOSGAR:
"Naturally."
Rhosgar's gaze shifted toward you, calm and unhurried.
RHOSGAR:
"Selmere certainly knew what it was sending."
KERROW:
"Don't say it like that, you creepy bastard."
RHOSGAR:
"Like what?"
KERROW:
"Like you're pricing her."
RHOSGAR:
"Interesting that you noticed."
KERROW:
"Oh, go to hell."
Farther down the dock came an obscene remark about your marriage prospects, followed by something cruder about heirs and how quickly Skarnhollow could put the Lottery to use.
Gormund's gaze cut toward them.
GORMUND:
"She's been here half a damned minute. Keep your breeding wagers to yourselves."
KADDOCK:
"Half a minute's generous."
VURN:
"For you, perhaps."
KADDOCK:
"Bastard."
Whistles, winks, leers, and body comments carried on. Men discussed the seven within earshot; knowing the women could hear seemed to be part of the entertainment.
Gormund finally stepped forward.
GORMUND:
"All of you. Shut the hell up."
The nearest men quieted. The farther ones mostly dropped their voices.
The seven Lottery women stood together, hands at their sides. Behind them waited the barge; ahead, black water, longhouses, smoke, weapons, mud, and far too many men.
The staring did not stop.
Neither did the grins.
Kerrow was still watching you. Kaddock looked delighted by the entire disaster. Vurn already looked tired of him. Maddock watched the barge with a puzzled frown. Thren remained quiet. Rhosgar smiled.
Gormund stood at the front of it all.
GORMUND:
"Welcome to Skarnhollow."
The words settled over the dock.
Someone in the back gave one last low whistle.
KERROW:
"Which one of you horny cunts was that?"
This was Skarnhollow.
This was where the journey ended.
And where everything else began.