thing. I am a Silver of the Eighth Generation.
Though my father is quite well-to-do I am considered of the lowest
class. Last year I went with my family to celebrate the Festival in
Truth. The City War Leader saw me, and burned for my youth.
17 Rather than court me, and make me his bride, he had me kidnapped and
kept secretly in his house, where he abused me day and night, for many
months. To gain some freedom,in the house I pretended submission, and
after a time found the means of escape, but escape without vengeance
was not my desire. So one night as the War Leader slept beside me, I
cut his throat with a broken bottle, and escaped from his house.
18 Now,I was a woman marked for death, for by our law, no matter what a
man does to a woman, she cannot hurt him. Her family may demand
restitution, but if in any way she harms him, she is burned at the
stake. For it is heresy against The One God for a woman to do injury to
a man.
19 While I was attempting to escape from the city, soldiers caught me
in the marketplace. I would have been taken for trial, except a group
of bandits rescued me, killing the soldiers.
20 They took me to their hiding place; secret rooms beneath an inn, and
for several weeks I kept company with their leader, who treated me very
well. Then, they showed me their great secret.
21 When digging a hiding place for their stolen treasure, they had
discovered a secret tunnel that ran under the city walls to a beach on
one of the rivers. Through this, they got me out of the city, and of
all the luck, the first thing I run into are your troops coming up the
river, and I was taken captive.
22 As soon as I was put in the boat with the