The stars came out one by one. The iron gates swung. The night had just begun.
He did not stop walking. Did not look back. His legs shook. His chest ached. The heaviness pressed.
"Cut the ropes, remove the collars and find a physician for them."
Kaelen touched his forehead. It was starting to ache. The pain sat behind his eyes, a dull throb that pulsed with his heartbeat. He pressed his knuckles against his brow. It didn't help.
"Leave," Kaelen said to the people. "You are free."
The words left his mouth and fell into the air. They hung there for a moment. The crowd did not move. The slaves did not move. They stared at him. The heavy iron collars around their necks caught the starlight. The metal gleamed dully, like the eyes of dead fish. They had heard words before.
Kaelen knelt beside a woman.
