Chapter 14 - The Sales Pit

"The Sales Pit!" Rowan finished his sentence, but this time he made no gesture with his hands as he had done before, even though he presented this as 'the grandest thing at the market'. Instead, he moved his body slightly closer to Jenny's, so that they almost touched each other. "Stay close to me if you don't mind. Both for yours, but mostly for my protection," he said to her, whispering the last part.

Jenny frowned slight and turned her head a little towards Rowan, "why would you need protection?" she asked, whispering as well.

"I'm just being cautious. Possibly overreacting, but better safe than sorry. I will explain later… please?" he said as he seemed to struggle with keeping a smile on his face.

Jenny nodded, "yeah, of course, no problem. No problem at all." She kept nodding a little and turned her head back to look at 'the pit' in front of her, the frown on her face didn't disappear, however.

They walked into the area of the spectators around the pit and Rowan escorted her to a comfortable seat. Some people and a little commotion were going on down in the centre of the pit, where a small woman seemed to be yelling at a man with a very stern look on his face.

"What do you think they are arguing about?" she asked as they had taken their seats.

Rowan looked to the commotion for a while with a slightly nervous look on his face, "probably either the prize or the bought commodity wasn't to her or her employer's satisfaction."

Jenny blinked a couple of times, "and by commodity you mean…"

"People," Rowan answered and nodded, "work or mostly favours of a kind that makes it more popular around the later hours of the day."

For a while, Jenny said nothing. At first, she only managed to make her head do a little nod. She had expected the answer, but it was still strange to hear that such a thing could be taking place today and seemingly out in the open.

"And how are you… involved in all of this?" she finally asked, after some time considering whether it was the right thing to do. Did she really want to question him like this? Would he even be comfortable answering?

"You don't know?" Rowan asked.

"Don't know… what exactly?" Jenny asked though she had a very clear idea now, she just didn't want it to be true. She could assume it. She wouldn't believe it until he said it.

"Don't know that I have been sold in a place like this?" He blinked a couple of times. "It is some years ago now of course, but this place is where I work, where I get clients." He paused for a moment as if he didn't know how to continue. "Maia came here as well. She didn't buy me of course, but she bought my services."

Jenny closed her eyes. "I told her not to… Well just to find me… someone, someone suitable of course. I told her not to tell me how or where, but…" Jenny sank the lump in her throat and tried to cool her head down as she could feel it turning bright red from heat. "I suppose I didn't want to know how these things… work. But certainly, I never imagined that…" She paused. To be true she had never considered it, she had pushed every thought of it away to focus on her own issues as if they were the only thing that mattered in the world. What a fool she had been, how very selfish, she admitted to herself, thought she could never say it out loud. She feared it would simply be too true if she said it out loud.

She didn't see the expression on Rowan's face, but she could imagine that he was fighting a great deal of emotions – at least she would have, had she been in his shoes – from anger to annoyance to complete and utter astonishment at her ignorance. Instead, she only heard him sigh.

"Quite frankly I understand. It is easier to close your eyes than to see." He placed his hand on her thigh, and Jenny turned slightly towards him.

"But for now," he continued, "we will have to pause this conversation," he said and might a slight nod to something behind Jenny. "Please say nothing unless I indicate you should."

"Indicate…" Jenny said vaguely before her question was interrupted by a loud voice behind her.

"Oh, well if it isn't my favourite lover!" the voice proclaimed, "Rowan! Always a pleasure."

Jenny turned around to see a tall woman with bright green eyes and hair as dark as the lack of light. Her face was slightly pointed and decorated with a million freckles.

Rowan stood up and made a slight bow accompanied by a nod of the head, "Miss Alli."

"Oh don't 'miss Alli' me," the woman said and kissed him on the cheek. "Introduce me to your… friend, why don't you," she said with a broad smile, but as soon as her eyes met Jenny's her expression changed to something quite sinister.

"We really should get going," Rowan began and dragged Jenny to her feet, "we were just taking a look around to get her familiar with the place. It's so much easier in the daytime."

"And you were expecting to avoid me, weren't you?" Alli said and laughed, "now, I will hear no more of this nonsense of leaving so soon after you got here. You will both come back to my place, won't you?" she asked, but didn't wait for a response, "now, what was your name dear?" She turned towards Jenny and this time; she did seem to be waiting for a reply.