Talwar and Khanda--Assassins in Love

by Barbara G. Tarn

  Closer to the source, the Pila was much narrower and also wilder. Most of the land around the Lone Mountain was not inhabited because people believed it was cursed. The town of Leland had been abandoned and was now in ruins on the shores of the Pila, a ghost town where nobody went for fear of being cursed too.

  The old man suggested they join a caravan headed for the coast. The tribe was meant to meet with another tribe in a few days and would break camp in the morning. The camel would allow Talwar and Khanda to simply follow the nomads through the wasteland and they wouldn't get lost, since there would always be someone who knew the routes.

  Thus from nomad tribe to nomad tribe, never letting go of Dromy, Talwar and Khanda made their way to the coast, through sandstorms and mud hut villages, dunes and rocky hillocks. They hunted their food and shared it with the rest of the travelers, mostly traders moving through the desert and headed to the main fairs.

  They spent a couple of nights in a mud hut village because Khanda was sick. The local wisewoman gave her herbs that helped her recover, but she was still very pale when she climbed back on the saddle. But she refused to stop until they reached a town.

  One caravan even took them close enough to see the crumbling walls and broken buildings that was all that was left of Leland. None of their traveling companions turned to look and Talwar thought he heard ghostly voices screaming in the wind in full daylight. He was relieved that they didn't stop in that haunted place. He didn't really want to see it at night.

  The Lone Mountain stood to their left and the sun set behind it when, after a full month of travel, they reached Zarapur. Built at the mouth of the river Zara, Zarapur had the Lone Mountain looming over its walls on one side and the treacherous ocean on the other.

  The caravan of camels entered the outer walls through the southern gate. Round towers stood at regular intervals around the gate and the wall reached the sea on one side and the river on the other. Talwar saw an inner, taller wall that probably protected the old city.

  The caravan stopped between the walls in the merchants' suburb. This was the newer part of town, built outside the original walls and later reinforced with a second wall to protect the newer buildings from incursions.

  Talwar and Khanda had to part with Dromy at that point. They were headed for cooler weather and the camel could only hinder them. But by selling it, they'd have more money and could spend a few days in town.

  Khanda's eyes were wet when she caressed their faithful mount one last time. It was bought by one of the tribesmen of the caravan they had traveled with, so he was taking it back south, maybe even to its previous owner.

  Talwar squeezed Khanda's hand and led her out of the animals' pen. Time to find an inn and figure out if they could make a new life in the city of Zarapur.

  ***

  Khanda was both sad and relieved to be in a town again. Sad to leave their faithful travel companion, Dromy, but relieved since medical assistance was better among stone walls. The midwife of that mud hut village had helped her with her miscarriage, but she hoped to find better healers in town.

  Her periods would probably come back now, and she was happy to have real bath chambers to wash herself. And possibly a private room to cuddle with Talwar.

  She felt she needed him more than before, but she wouldn't bother him with what ailed her. Women's things anyway. The journey was taking a toll on her. Maybe she should wait until they settled to have Talwar's baby.

  The poor man was oblivious, but it wasn't something a woman discussed with her husband. Khanda started to think they should live in a town where they could make new friends and have assistance to start their family.

  She felt much better now, but still empty inside. She hoped Talwar's love would fill her again soon and that they could find a place to call home. The adventure was becoming burdensome, especially if she became pregnant again.

  But she didn't want to keep Talwar at arm's length until they settled. She loved him and enjoyed his touch. Dromy's swaying gait probably hadn't helped, but if they used other means of transportation to go further north...

  The salty air from the sea and the smell of fried fish mixed in her nostrils. Thank the gods her nausea was gone. She was actually quite hungry and stopped to buy crab skewers that smelled delicious.

  "We better find an inn for the night," Talwar said, amused. "I look forward to a real bed!"

  ***

  The Drunken Dagger Tavern was large, shady and grungy. The female bartender greeted them immediately. She was heavily armed and smiled at Talwar, ignoring Khanda who frowned.

  "What will you have, handsome?" the bartender asked, offering a menu written in an ornate hand.

  Talwar noticed that the drinks were vastly overpriced and of poor and limited quality while the food was also overpriced but there was a good variety and it at least smelled decent. The place was very crowded and the noise level loud and cheerful. The crowd had many shady characters, but that didn't worry an assassin like him. Most patrons were sober and openly armed, like the bartender, and stared at them with open curiosity from their pillows and carpets with tray-tables or nargileh.

  "Do you have rooms?" he asked, putting down the menu, a little shocked. He had never been to a city inn before, and wasn't aware of how much travelers paid when they reached a new town. Their money wouldn't last long unless they found a job.

  "Ah, no, all the rooms are occupied." The bartender looked disappointed. "But if you'd like to try our special menu of..."

  "No, thank you." Talwar would have refused even if Khanda wasn't squeezing his arm, muttering to leave immediately.

  "She was flirting with you!" Khanda grumbled as they quickly left the tavern. "Snake!"

  "Are you jealous, Wife?" he teased, reminding her how he had stopped her dances in the mud huts village.

  She smiled despite herself. "Of course. I'm yours, but you're mine and no woman should dare try anything with you, understood?"

  "Yes, my lady."

  "And you won't take any more wives, will you?"

  "Certainly not. My father has only one wife and he loves her very much. I'm afraid I'm a lot like him in that department."

  She smiled and held his arm tighter. "Good, because I know Khopesh would have surrounded me with other wives and concubines!"

  "You have married me, not him."

  "And I married you because I trust you and you promised not to hurt me."

  "Don't worry, dilbar, you have me wrapped around your finger," he replied, squeezing her hand.

  The straight street ended on the beach and they saw a pier to their left with ocean-faring ships docked. "Do you think we should try one of those?" he asked, frowning again.

  She stared at the ships for a moment, her eyes as blue as the sky and the sea mixed together.

  "No," she said serious, looking at him. "Let's find an inn, I'm tired. We'll explore the rest of the city tomorrow."

  "We will find a place where we can live in peace," he promised as they headed back along the inner wall that also had round towers at regular intervals. They passed by the inner gate and continued along the straight paved street that curved only with the walls after they crossed the way in.

  "I'd love to see a map of this city," Talwar mused. "Although the streets seem straight enough not to get lost in them."

  "You mastered Agharek and didn't get lost in Lakresha... you won't get lost in Zarapur either," she teased, grabbing his arm and holding it tight.

  Near a newer temple built between the two walls, before they reached the river, they found the Painted Snake Inn. It was large, decently clean and looked of overall good quality. Everything seemed overpriced in Talwar's eyes, but they didn't have much choice. The inn had medium and large rooms and about half were vacant, so they booked a medium room with a double bed for the night.

  The bartender glared at them and gave them a menu torn around the edges. He was missing an eye and seemed suspicious of strangers, but their coins made him relax. Both sat on a thick carpe
t to look at their options leaving room for the tray-table of food that would come out of the kitchen.

  There weren't many drinks to choose from but a decent variety of food that proved very good. Maybe they were just tired and hungry, but the mutton with vegetables and the lentil soup felt delicious after a month of travels.

  The main room was crowded and the patrons were loud and cheerful. A few shady characters, about half the patrons drunk and only some armed, it didn't look like the night could turn sour. The burly, threatening bouncers would probably take care of any troublemaker, ready to throw out whoever was too high on whatever he was smoking.

  With a full stomach, Talwar and Khanda retired to their room. It was unbelievable how the thick walls and floors made the upper floor quiet, compared to the main room. As soon as they closed the door, silence wrapped them.

  Talwar closed the shutters while Khanda washed her face in the basin. They took off their clothes and climbed onto the bed, cuddling under the sheets.

  "We must find the public baths tomorrow," she said sleepily, eyes already closed. "And you must shave before kissing me..."

  He chuckled and squeezed her. "As my lady wishes," he said. "Sweet dreams, dilbar..."

  9.

  For the next couple of days they explored Zarapur. They found out that it was somewhat large, that the inner wall was more or less a square while the outer wall was a demi-circle. In the old city there was the former royal governor's walled fortress. It had been built on the shore at the mouth of the Zara, controlling both the river and the ocean.

  The Zara had been the border between Rajendra and Akkora, and although the two kingdoms were never openly at war, Zarapur kept an eye on its neighbor from a privileged position. Now that the kingdoms had fallen, it thrived on its own, not following Agharek's directions anymore. Considering how far it was from the former capital, it wasn't surprising it had acquired the autonomy of a city-state.

  The main attractions of the city were sculptures and it was famous for its acrobats and thieves. There were few guards and the locals overcharged outsiders – as if Talwar hadn't noticed already. They couldn't find a cheaper room than the one at the Painted Snake and were considering their next move. Zarapur was too expensive for their means, unless they found some kind of job.

  There was some crime and a lot of trading, especially herd animals, but with all the ships coming and going there were also exotic fabrics or weapons or artifacts from beyond the sea. The government was open election for all, although you had to be a resident citizen to be elected.

  The streets were poorly labeled and the buildings were often two stories high but it had a very simple layout, so Talwar never got lost. A few houses had spread to the other shore of the river and were served by a ferry system. That part of the town was smaller and had only one wall – the continuation of the inner wall – with two gates, one going west, the other north.

  Talwar found a map in a shop that specialized in poisons but also provided maps and adventuring supplies. The room was large, well lit, gaudily decorated and smelled of herbs. Inside there was a female apprentice, a nobleman, an elderly man. The expensive items were locked up, but the maps were all spread on a table and he could look at them for free.

  The shopkeeper was arguing with a guard and sounded pessimistic. He had very attractive features, narrow soft brown eyes, sallow skin and medium brown hair. He was overdressed and kept an eye on everything as he argued.

  Talwar stared at the map of the city, then Khanda showed him one of the former southern kingdoms. That might be more useful, unless they went north by ship. Either they bought another means of transportation – an elephant or a horse – or they bought passage on ships going north.

  "It was easy following the Pila, but then we joined those caravans," he mused. "Should we keep following merchants' caravans, offering ourselves as bodyguards against bandits?"

  "That would be an idea, but we need more weapons," she said. "I can't be a bodyguard with only my dagger, my bow and my noose."

  Thus they dropped the maps and went looking for another kind of shop. Traveling alone wasn't safe, not even for two trained assassins, especially since they were headed for unknown territory. It would be better to follow caravans again, or maybe use the last of their money to buy passage on some merchant's ship.

  They found a shop that specialized in axes but also provided concealable weapons and daggers. The quality was above average and the price was good, but there were no swords among the weapons.

  The shop was spacious, the interior brightly lit and decorated in earth tones. Occupants included a dog, a cat and a young man who was checking the concealable weapons, probably in search of some self-defense dagger to hide in his clothes.

  The shopkeeper was young, female and heavily armed. She had piercing blue eyes, golden-brown skin and very long light brown hair. She'd been checking inventory when they entered the shop, but she greeted them immediately.

  "My name is Liluna, how can I help you?" she asked eagerly.

  "Ah, we're actually looking for swords, do you happen to have any?" Talwar replied, eyeing the hilt of her saber from behind the counter.

  "Swords? Curved or straight?" she asked.

  "Curved... I already have a straight blade on my pole-arm."

  "So you have a pole-arm and a dagger, and I'm sure your companion also has a dagger... and you want swords?"

  "Yes, Liluna, can you sell us swords or should we look elsewhere?"

  "No, no, you're in the right place!" She signaled the young man who'd been listening to the exchange. "What do you think? Do we have swords for them?"

  The young man – who obviously wasn't a customer, maybe a co-owner – came forward. His piercing eyes gave both Talwar and Khanda a once-over. Talwar glared back at him, but then noticed the bracelet on the man's left arm. A silken noose.

  Puzzled, he looked at the man's face again. The young man smiled.

  "Yes, I believe we belong to the same secret guild," he said. "Where are you from?"

  "Agharek," Talwar answered warily. He checked the woman's wrists, but she had silver bangles and no sign of the silken noose.

  "And what are you doing this far north?"

  "Starting a new life. Together."

  Khanda pressed herself against him, and he put a protective arm around her shoulders.

  The young man scoffed. "So you eloped..."

  "We are married," Talwar snapped. "We got married in Lakresha."

  "Ah, you must be the runaways who tricked Chilanum and Peshkabz into a quick wedding ceremony!" The other grinned. He must be more or less their age, with brown curly hair and gray eyes. "Liluna, close the shop for today. We have guests."

  The shopkeeper smiled and obeyed as the man signaled to follow him through the backdoor of the shop.

  "Wait, who are you?" Talwar said, frowning.

  "Katar, Head of the Assassins' Guild of Zarapur. We're distant cousins. Relax, Talwar, I will not send you back to Agharek. I might be your only way out of this mess."

  Talwar exchanged a puzzled glance with Khanda then followed the other young man to the living quarters of the building. Liluna joined them and started making tea while they sat on the thick carpet of Katar's living room.

  Katar looked at his guests with an amused look on his chiseled face.

  "So, I've heard Peshkabz's version, or better, I had a letter from Chilanum, but I'd love to hear your side of the story," he said. "Did you forget to inform your father about your marriage? And why did you leave the next morning without saying good-bye to anyone?"

  "Because Lakresha is too close to Agharek, and we didn't feel safe," Talwar replied.

  "Maybe you shouldn't have omitted the fact that she'd been betrothed to your cousin, the son of the Head of Agharek's Guild..."

  "My uncle would have sent me back immediately to ingratiate himself with Sosan Pattah," Talwar muttered. "Besides, Khanda didn't want to marry Khopesh and he did try to force himself on her."

 
"Yes, I've heard of your deeds." Katar smiled. "Your father almost killed the abbot for giving you that pole-arm. I'd love to see it, by the way. Where do you keep it?"

  "I left it at the Painted Snake Inn while looking for a sword. Will you sell me a scimitar so I can be a bodyguard for a caravan headed north?"

  Katar shook his head. "It would take too long. I can speak to a sea captain for you, though. He'll take you to Nilapur and from there you can try to reach Argantael either by the river or following it."

  "Why are you helping us?" Khanda asked, wary.

  Liluna brought the tea and offered a cup to the guests before going to sit near Katar.

  "I also married against my family's will," Katar said, squeezing Liluna's hand. "I fell in love. As you did. We could compare beauties, but I'm sure each of us will keep thinking he has the most beautiful wife."

  Talwar smiled despite himself. "Liluna is not from an assassin's family?"

  "No, but she's so fierce she could be. This is her house and shop, by the way. She's the daughter of a weapons dealer. I didn't give her a weapon's name, but she is as lethal as Khanda, I'm sure. And that's why I'm the youngest Head of the Assassins' Guilds of the south. I can also thank the distance from the fortress and Agharek and its intrigues, of course. Zarapur is not as bad as the white city and former capital!"

  Katar smiled proudly and Talwar could only smile back. Even Khanda and Liluna exchanged a smile.

  "Now go get your things from the Painted Snake. You can stay with us until we manage to get you out of here," Katar said.

  ***

  "So, how did you manage to marry a member of the Assassins' Guild?" Khanda asked, helping Liluna in the shop while the men were out looking for passage north. "I mean, in Agharek our parents would never allow us to marry outside the guild!"