“That’s enough,” Dardanos said at last. He headed towards them. “We’re moving out. Leave her. Mr. Cotiso please go back to your wagon.”
The guards were stunned. “What?”
“You’re going to throw away a catch?”
“No!” She yelped in fear.
Another guard ─a young man with golden hair, who was much younger than the rest and who had been keeping his distance so far, objected as well. “We can’t leave her to die on the road.”
The girl dropped to her knees, “Please Masters, don’t leave me here.” She sounded close to hysteria.
The guard stepped back when she tried to kiss his feet. “Hey, keep your filthy mouth off my shoe you stinking bitch.”
“Please, I’ll do anything, please don’t leave me, I’m lost─”
“Why are you shouting like that?” The guard holding her wrist twisted her arm. “You got someone in the forest listening? Huh?” He put his foot on the back of her head as she dropped lower and pressed her face into the mud.
The girl whimpered in pain.
“Stop that!” Cotiso glared at him.
The guard took his foot off the girl’s and she looked up at Cotiso. “Master? Please.”
Cotiso took pity on the slave girl. He faced Dardanos. “Dardanos, we can’t just leave her! She will die.”