Chapter 13: An Unintended Party Comes Together

  Roshana was awake at dawn and walking down to the courtyard. She was about to approach the gate guard to be let out when she heard a twang and thunk. She glanced across the courtyard to see Ninah, bow drawn, fitting another arrow to it as she aimed at a tree across the courtyard. Roshana watched as she landed a second arrow just above the first one in the trunk then a third arrow just above that. She was an excellent marksman. This gave Roshana an idea.

  She approached Ninah who had placed a fourth arrow and was taking aim. “Good morning, Ninah!”

  Ninah released the arrow and still found her mark. “Oh! Hello, Roshana! I didn’t expect to see you up so early! I thought I would get some training in after yesterday. You never know when you have to draw an arrow on someone these days I suppose.”

  “True enough,” said Roshana. “Um…do the Athelward mind you using the tree for target practice?”

  Ninah stopped as she was drawing a fifth arrow. “You know…I don’t know. I only practiced on trees and when hunting animals in the mountains where I lived.” She looked worried toward Roshana. “Do you think they will be upset that I have been shooting their tree? Some people can be so picky!”

  “I’m not sure. Do you want to accompany me again today?”

  “Really? Even after yesterday?”

  “Of course. I need the protection and you look like you can provide it.”

  “But…how will I know when to…um…start protecting you? I didn’t know yesterday.”

  “Well…I’ll tell you.”

  Ninah bobbed her head, her new braid swinging back and forth like a horse’s tail. “Oh good. It makes things so much easier when someone tells me what to do. Where are we going now?”

  Roshana led her toward the gate. “Out of town. I thought I would talk to the surrounding farmers today since no one inside the city seems accommodating.”

  “Oh! A trip around the countryside! I like it! Will we have lunch along the way?”

  Roshana nodded to her pack. “I have something packed away.”

  “That is good. I was reminded of the importance of having food always ready on hand by E’Tar.”

  “Who?”

  “The big fellow from yesterday! He was so nice! But very shy. He didn’t say anything really except the food thing. Did you know that-”

  “You can tell me as we walk,” said Roshana.

  *

  Amos was awake before dawn, having hardly slept all night. His mind had been whirling with thoughts of his brother and with the choice set before him by Torun. Eventually, he thought it best to think about one thing at a time. He sat up as the morning light filtered through the hole in the roof. His face tensed in resolution and he shoved E’Tar in the side. E’Tar snorted and raised himself quickly, trying to leap out of bed. He crashed into Amos and they both tumbled off the bed and to the floor. Amos cried out as the giant figure in his loincloth fell on him. “E’Tar, ow! Get off me!”

  E’Tar scrambled up, hitting his head on the roof and nearly putting another hole in it. He pulled Amos to his feet instantly, disorienting him. “I’m sorry. What is it? What’s wrong? Ow…” He rubbed his head, blinking blearily.

  “Nothing’s wrong, don’t panic. I just want to find Avner again. Maybe, if I convince him that I am useful-”

  “How? Why are we still talking about this?”

  “I don’t know how…I don’t know why either.” Amos waved his hands in frustration. “I just…I can’t get him out of my mind. He left me as a kid so long ago. I always wondered what sort of adventures he was having. Now might be my only chance to participate in it.”

  “Participate? Amos…” E’Tar rubbed his eyes in his bent-over position and put a hand on Amos’ shoulder. “In the three years I have known you, you have been too scared to do almost anything new. His work is probably dangerous.”

  “Maybe I don’t care.” said Amos, unconvincingly. “Maybe I want to leave what I’m comfortable with.”

  “And how will you help?” asked E’Tar, yawning. “You can’t use your powers and Ari’El wouldn’t like it if you left.”

  “Who cares what she thinks,” said Amos, throwing on his tunic. “Hurry up and get dressed. We need to catch him before he leaves the palace.”

  Amos climbed down the ladder as E’Tar began to dress, grumbling as he did so. He had just made it down when the door opened and Ari’El walked in, looking tired but cheerful. “Oh…what are you doing up early, Amos?”

  “I…I’m…we’re,” all his bluster gone Amos stuttered in front of her. She heard E’Tar getting dressed and she cocked her head, shutting the door behind her. “Amos…where are you two going?”

  “We…we’re going to find Avner and see if we can help him.”

  Her face immediately darkened and she scowled at him. “No, you are not. Don’t you have work to do? Or lessons to learn with Torun?”

  “Torun is busy and I don’t,” said Amos.

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  “Well, don’t you think you should go find work for once?”

  The snap in her voice caused him to freeze momentarily. “I know. I know you are always disappointed in me for not working hard enough or being smart enough. But Avner was never disappointed in me.”

  “You were ten-years-old then. What was there to be disappointed about except your little boy smell and how you were always crying and complaining.”

  “That’s…” Amos began to turn red. “Typical. Always seeing faults in everyone but yourself. Well, maybe I will just find Avner and work with him at his latest job and earn some money there…how’s that for work?”

  “Don’t be silly, Amos. You couldn’t do his work even if you wanted to. You can’t use your powers and you don’t know how to fight or…do whatever he does. You don’t have those skills.”

  “I won’t ever unless I try.”

  “So that’s it? Avner comes and you suddenly want to be an adventurer and mercenary. Living off violence and doing jobs for vile people.”

  “You don’t know anything about his life! That is a cruel assumption to make!”

  “Neither do you know! You really want to be that kind of person?”

  “It’s better than living here, day after day. I hate being poor. I hate how nothing changes. We struggle and you are miserable day after day! Why do you think I kept encouraging you to find someone? Find some happiness maybe? Neither one of us likes living this poor life but you act like a martyr, shouldering the burden of working hard to feed us,but complain every day about it. You aren’t happy about anything.”

  He stomped past her and opened the door. He turned back with a parting remark, “At least I am trying to make a change and stop living a life I don’t like. Maybe I won’t like Avner or his life…but it's better than the one we have and it's better than what the Athelward have to offer. Come on, E’Tar.”

  The last comment was to E’Tar, standing awkwardly by the ladder where he had descended in the middle of the argument. He shifted past Ari’El, muttering some sort of apology and following Amos down the street. Ari’El stood frozen in the doorway, shaking in rage and sadness. Tears filled her eyes as she quietly closed the door and sat in a chair beside a broken table.

  She gazed down at her shaking hands in her lap. She rubbed a tear angrily from her face as it started its trek down her cheek. She muttered to herself, “I can be happy…”

  She trailed off, remembering words from earlier that were quite similar from Kyros. “Am I happy? Anything at all?”

  Her face rose and she studied her small, shabby house. Her eyes lit up and she stood quickly, grabbing a purse from under her pillow as it jingled. She pulled open the door and headed into the bright new sunlight, making sure to dry her eyes before anyone could see.

  *

  Roshana and Ninah were walking along the dusty path outside the city of Hatisep. Ninah chatted as usual and Roshana tried to listen intently, interjecting from time to time to start Ninah on another conversation. They noticed a trio of figures across a stretch of heathland. Two of them seemed to be arguing as they meandered, staring at the ground, and a third, clearly a woman in fine clothes, stood some yards off with arms crossed.

  “Oh, look!” cried Ninah, “Isn’t that the two men that rescued us yesterday? And that very cross woman is glaring at us.”

  “I see them.” Roshana kept walking.

  “Shouldn’t we stop and say hello to them? They were so kind to us yesterday.”

  Roshana stopped and sighed, closing her eyes. “I suppose we should. It would be proper to thank them again.”

  The pair moved toward the group. Avner and Haran were, in fact, in an argument as they studied the ground to determine what tracks were before them and whether any split from the main group. “I swear these are some right here…”

  “Those aren’t tracks, Avner! That’s just the rock formation!”

  “How can it be a rock formation?! If you look closely, you can see it’s…a rock formation.”

  “Well…what have you found?”

  “I have found a mess of tracks and animal feces, what else?”

  “Excuse me,” said Suti, moving toward them. “Give your tracking skills a rest. We have guests.”

  The two men looked up to see the ladies moving toward them and Avner smiled broadly. “Ah! Just our luck! Two fair ladies to greet us! How are you two today? No troubles that we need to sort for you, I hope. We might have to start charging if it becomes a regular thing.”

  “Good day to you, Avner,” responded Roshana. “We just wanted to stop by and thank you again for what you did yesterday.”

  “And ask what you are doing now,” said Ninah. “You seemed to be studying the dirt.”

  “Yes…” Avner stared at her. “Right on the first guess.”

  “What are you looking for?”

  “We are looking for any tracks that split from the main group. We suspect that…”

  “Is it wise to discuss business with them?” asked Suti. “It isn’t like they have anything to…”

  “Tracking? I trained in that all my life,” said Ninah. “Mother took great pains to teach me while we lived in the mountains. How to track animal life as well as people, usually so we could avoid them.”

  “Really?” said Avner and Haran together while Suti stared at her with a bug-eyed expression.

  “I said so, didn’t I. Do you need help?”

  “But, Ninah…” Roshana stepped in. “What of me?”

  “What of you?” asked Ninah. Her expression shifted to shock suddenly. “Goodness, I forgot! I am sorry!”

  “What, what?” asked Avner, “What is wrong? Can you help us?”

  “I promised to help protect Roshana while she traveled about to outer farms to offer her healing services to others.”

  “Oh, but…surely you can do that later? I could use your help at this moment.”

  Ninah glanced at Roshana who looked quite distraught. Roshana shook her head.“Oh, dear…I need to go about my work so I can move on. I really would like her protection and company.”

  “Really?” asked Ninah. She smiled foolishly. “No one ever really wants my company. And now…two people want my company.”

  “There is a difference between need and want,” muttered Suti.

  “I’m being fought over,” giggled Ninah.

  “Listen,” said Avner, moving closer to Roshana. “You are traveling alone for now. How about I make you a deal. If you lend your friend’s skills to us today…we will accompany you to your next destination and act as protection. Free of charge.”

  “What?” asked Haran. “You want to bring her with us?”

  “Not bring her…escort her. Until she gets where she doesn’t need us anymore…or want us.”

  Suti glared at him but said nothing while Haran rolled his eyes and sighed.

  Roshana stared into Avner’s bright green eyes, glancing over his scruffy face and curly hair. Her gaze snapped away from his pleasant features as she brushed the dust from her dress, allowing her veil to cover her face. “Very well. But I have no interest in going back to the city. I will follow you for now. Perhaps if you finish early with her, I will still reach some farms.”

  Avner smiled, extending an arm, “It’s a deal…oh.” He hastily removed it, realizing his mistake. As he did so, she extended a hand to take it only to clasp empty air. She blushed and withdrew as he reached out again. He caught her hand and he smiled charmingly. He bowed courteously.

  “What do I get for doing this?” asked Ninah. “Oh wait. Maybe some of those coins?”

  “You…get the joy of having people need you.”

  “Oh.” Ninah deflated for a moment before perking up again. “Ah, this is probably better than coins.”

  Add Amos and E’Tar arriving.