by Evan Winter
Jayyed's five, accompanied by Themba, who clung to them like a flea, and Oyibo, who stared at everything with moon-eyes, found an empty table and sat. The house-man came over in short order, with seven jugs of MasMas. He laid them on the table and was about to walk away when Hadith stopped him.
"You have Jirza-Gaum?"
The house-man, skin so dark he could be half-dragon, looked Hadith up and down, then nodded.
"I'll take that," Hadith told him. The house-man sniffed, scooped up one of the jugs and went to the get Hadith his drink.
"Gaum?" Tau asked. After his last experience with it, he couldn't imagine drinking the stuff for pleasure.
"He's trying to be fancy," said Themba. "In Jirza, they don't drink Gaum at the manhood ceremony only. They mix a couple drops of the scorpion's poison with heated water. It makes it weak enough to sip, like you're a proper Noble."
Tau screwed up his face.
"It's better than rotted cactus milk," said Hadith, peering at the yellowish-white brew in Tau's jug.
"Lies." Uduak lifted his emptied jug high into the air, signaling the house-man to bring another.
"To Goddess and Queen," said Themba, raising his jug.
"To Goddess and Queen," they all said, before guzzling back the thick and lukewarm liquor.
Tau swallowed some wrong, coughed, and burped. The others laughed. He glared, burped again, and Yaw guffawed, spitting a mouthful of MasMas on the table as the house-man returned with Hadith's watered down Gaum and Uduak's second jug. The house-man gave Yaw a look for dirtying up his table and Hadith tried to smooth it by thanking him graciously. The house-man pursed his lips, but left, saying nothing. He wasn't five strides distant when the initiates burst out laughing. Tau too. He couldn't help it and it felt good.
"Empty," said Uduak, glaring into his jug like it had offended him.
Tau stole a look at the small purse on his belt. He had enough of his stipend to carry the circle. "On me," he said, turning toward the house-man and raising a hand.
"A blue Noble, this one!" said Hadith, grinning.
That annoyed Tau, and he going to make his annoyance clear when he saw her walking down the street. He thought he was dreaming. His hand dropped, his mouth fell open, and he couldn't move, but she didn't vanish. She was real. Zuri was here, in Citadel City, and in the black robes of the Gifted.
"Ordering?" asked Uduak.
Tau dropped his purse on the table and walked out of the drinking house.
Chinedu called after him. "Tau?"
Themba must have seen her first. "Leave him. He saw a girl. Anyway, he left his purse. Like the man said, the circle is on him."
As Tau got to the street he heard Hadith's reply. "That's not a girl. That's a Gifted."
It was her. Tau was several strides back, but there was no mistaking her figure or her gait. It was Zuri.
He called to her, still feeling like he was in a dream. She turned at her name and his knees went weak. Memories, history, the life he had wanted to live and lead with her, it came flooding back in a torrent that threatened to knock him flat.
"Tau?"
"It's me," he said, going to her, reaching out for her, praying she wouldn't reject him. She let him take her hands and the soft, warm skin of her palms and fingers soothed him, calmed the rage in him faster and more completely than the drink and the jokes could ever have done.
"It's you," she said. "It's really you." And then, she brought him pain. "Did you... did you kill him? Are you trying to kill them?" There was fear in her voice. "Is that why you're here?"
Tau stiffened, letting her hands go. "It's not," he said. The admission stung, but he forced himself through all of it. "I'm not here to find them. I... I'm not ready."
She nodded, as if she understood, as if she was trying to understand. "Lekan, though?"
Tau didn't know what to say and he could feel her eyes tracing his scar.
"Ekon told me what Lekan did to Anya and her family," Zuri said, her voice little more than a hush.
He'd almost forgotten his scar. He'd almost forgotten Lekan. "Lekan...." He trailed off. What could he say?
"He's dead and burned, ashes. He doesn't matter anymore," she said with enough venom for Tau to know he still mattered quite a lot. "Thank you, for that."
Tau didn't want to talk about Lekan. "And you're here?" he asked. "A Gifted? I thought—"
"I was afraid to become this. I guess I was more afraid of running away on my own."
He couldn't tell if her tone held an accusation. "I had nothing—"
"Of course," she said too quickly, brushing his unfinished excuse away.
"I don't know this place. Is there somewhere... I would like to talk."
"Of course," she said again. She began to reach for his hand, to hold it, and to lead him. She stopped herself, paused, and said, "Follow me."
Tau followed. They didn't go far. There was a circle just a couple paths away from the drinking house. At the circle's center was a small fountain that was so dry it looked like it had never seen water. Along the periphery, near the adobe buildings that formed the circle's walls, were stone benches. Other than a Maimed, sleeping on the bench with the most shade, the circle was empty.
Zuri led him to the bench furthest from the sleeping man. She sat and he joined her.
"It doesn't feel real," she said.
"It doesn't," Tau told her. "Zuri," it was good to say her name, "how long have you been in Citadel City?"
"Two moon-cycles. They took me... I left not long after you did." She looked at his sword and clothes. He was wearing the slate-gray uniform the Isikolo provided for all initiates. "You're an Ihashe?"
"I'm an initiate," Tau said, unable to ignore the question in her voice. "As an Ihashe, I can duel Kellan Okar."
"Kellan Okar?" she asked, before realization came. "One of the men who—"
"I can duel him within the law. They won't come for my family. Then, when I graduate, I become a military man. I can demand a blood duel of Abasi Odili."
Zuri's eyes widened. "The Guardian Councillor? He'll have a Body, an Ingonyama. Did you know that?"
Her question made his plan seem mad, impossible. He refused to let her see his doubt. "I do."
"Tau..." Zuri shook her head, and her eyes slipped to his scar again. It was too close to pity.
"They murdered my father!"
"That's not it. You know that's not."
"I have to do this."
"I see." She said and Tau knew she didn't.
"How are you?" he asked, changing the topic. "How are you, here?"
Zuri gave him a small smile. "I'm well. It is both better and worse than I expected."
Tau tried to lift her spirits. "You outrank Umbusi Onai."
Her smile grew. "I'm looking forward to seeing her again, and asking her to wash my underthings, for once."
Tau laughed, it was forced, but the tension between them eased.
"Do they have you doing witchcraft already?"
Zuri guffawed, covered her mouth, and snorted, her eyes gleaming. "You heathen! Gifts!"
"Ah yes, Gifts. Of course."
Her smile was large and real. "And yes, they do. I'm still learning, but I'm doing well. Very well." She lifted her chin with pride. "I'm one of the strongest in my cycle. Can you believe it? Me?"
"I believe it," Tau told her.
The compliment made her look down and away, pleased and shy in her pleasure. "I've hoped for this day," she said.
Tau hadn't dared hope, but he nodded. Zuri reached for his hand. He met her halfway and their fingers touched. She looked up at him, a new question on her face. He tried to read it, but heard footsteps and laughter. Zuri snatched her hand away as three Indlovu, first cycles by the look of them, came into the circle. They were drunk. Tau tensed.
The first Indlovu, two heads taller than Tau and half again as heavy, a Greater-Noble, noticed them first. Zuri's black robes stood out, identifying her as Gifted. The Greater-Noble thumped a fist int
o his chest saluting her. That was when he got a good look at Tau.
"Lady Gifted," the Indlovu said, "you are well?"
"Thank you initiate, I am."
There was an uncomfortable silence. The Indlovu wanted to do more, say more, but wasn't certain enough of protocol to push the issue. He tried another tact. "May we escort you home, my lady? Are we worthy?"
"Ever worthy, as are all men of the Citadel. I am not on my way home, but I thank you again. Good evening and may the Goddess smile upon you."
The other Indlovu were watching Tau during this exchange, their hands close to their swords. Tau had to fight his instinct to reach for the weapon at his side.
"And may She smile on you as well," the lead Indlovu said, turning his attention to Tau. "The sun is setting little Lesser. Time to run home."
Tau's hands itched. He pictured drawing his bronze and attacking. He knew he'd die before bleeding the first one. He held himself as still as he could and nodded his assent. It wasn't enough and the man waited, his huge hand sliding along his belt, towards his sword.
There was nothing else for it. Tau stood. "It is late, Nkosi. Thank you." He bowed to Zuri. "Lady Gifted, your advice and time have been more than I deserve."
Zuri was tense too, but she had a part to play, if violence was to be avoided. "It is our duty to serve, in what ways we can."
Tau bowed again and walked away from her. He heard the Indlovu walking closer, believed they planned to attack him as soon as he was out of Zuri's sight, but they stopped nearer to her and Tau heard the Greater-Noble talking about the pleasant coolness of the evening. The man meant to stay with her, to be sure Tau wouldn't come back.
Tau had few reasonable choices and so he returned to the drinking house, grinding his teeth hard enough to make his jaw ache. He saw the others, as they were leaving.
"Tau!" Yaw called.
Hadith smiled when he saw Tau and threw something across the distance. Tau snatched it out of the air. It was his purse, empty.
"Two circles!" Hadith said. "Had enough for two circles."
"On us, next time," Uduak said.
Themba wobbled into view. "I'm drunk."
"A nice long march will sort that out," Hadith told him, making Themba grimace.
"Tau? You well?" Yaw asked, while Oyibo blinked at him, his eyes bleary and round as moons.
Tau wasn't. He nodded anyway. "Fine." He moved alongside the men and they left the city, heading for the meeting place.
Halfway through the march, Hadith drew apace with Tau. He'd been waiting for a moment alone. Tau didn't want to hear what he had to say.
"You knew her from home." Hadith wasn't asking. "Maybe she was someone special, but she is Gifted now." Tau marched on, as if he wasn't listening. It didn't deter Hadith. "She must marry one of them, a Royal-Noble, eventually. Do her part in producing more Gifted." Tau shot a dangerous look at him, confirming the things Hadith had been saying. "You knew her, but don't anymore."
Tau picked up the pace, walking away from Hadith, and marching to the head of the Scale, alongside Anan. Anan glanced at him, saw his face, nodded, and kept marching.
Tau ground his teeth until his jaw locked from pain. He hadn't wanted to hear that. What he wanted was to beat one of those feckless Indlovu into the dirt.
He swore to train harder in the upcoming days. Scale Jayyed would fight in the next skirmish, and his eyes were open now. Jayyed had made sure of that. He had shown Tau the odds, and there was no hiding from them, but Tau didn't want to hide. He wanted to destroy.
SHIELD
In the days that followed, Tau trained as one of Jayyed's five in the early mornings, trained with the rest of the Scale in the days and, at nights, he trained with the men being punished for misconduct. Yaw joined Tau throughout the day, skipping the night workouts. Shadowing Tau seemed to amuse the vicious fighter and the extra sparring sessions gave him plenty of opportunity to jab, poke, and injure other Ihashe.
Seeing that Tau hadn't chased Yaw away, Oyibo began to tag along as well. He kept up with Tau's brutal regimen, but Yaw dropped out after several days. Then, for some reason Tau couldn't understand, Yaw decided to tell everyone who would listen just how hard Tau trained. The stories, Tau decided, weren't such a bad thing. They gained him a measure of respect and that meant the other initiates treated him like less of a pariah.
That was how it began. At first the other initiates admired his dedication. Then they were forced to heed his capabilities.
With his wrist healed, Tau sparred with shields more often. They slowed him. He fought with smaller ones. They brought little in the way of defense and nothing in terms of offense.
He was left-handed now. That was clear. A single season at the Isikolo had improved his swordsmanship more than the lifetime of work that had come before. Tau accepted that, but had more trouble accepting his struggles against the Isikolo's best — Hadith; a recovered Itembe, who would not speak of his experience in Isihogo; Yaw; Runako, who moved faster than a striking scorpion; and Uduak, the last man among the initiates who won more than he lost to Tau. It was in attempting to find a solution to his difficulties with Uduak that Tau took up the second sword.
Tau hadn't sparred Uduak in several days and knew Jayyed or Anan would make the match soon. Their fights had become an event and, once word spread, many of the other Scales and even Umqondisi would wander over to watch Uduak do his best to take Tau's head from his shoulders while Tau raged against the much larger man. The betting was fierce and it was not uncommon for an entire moon-cycle of stipends to trade hands when one, or the other, ceded the match.
In preparation, Tau trained at nights with two swords. He asked Oyibo to help and swore him to secrecy. Oyibo swore the oath with no hesitation.
It was awkward fighting with two blades and Tau came close to giving up the gimmick. He didn't though. He had never been good with a shield and needed an alternative. His theory was that a man couldn't cut you down if he was too busy trying to stop you from doing the same to him. Keeping that in mind, Tau trained harder, determined to master the trick.
It was a few days later when Anan called on Tau and Uduak. The sun burned high overhead, its heat near enough to smelt metal. The rest of the Scale, already having a sluggish day, put down their weapons and got comfortable, happy to cool off and ready to bet on the fight's outcome. The word went out and initiates from the other Scales wandered closer. Most of the Umqondisi followed their men, putting on a show of casual disinterest.
Anan was set to officiate the match and Jayyed stood off to the side, chewing a blade of dried grass. Uduak stepped in the fighting circle, warming up with his oversized wooden sword and shield. Tau, holding his wooden sword, followed him into the ring and the betting began in earnest.
Anan raised his hand to start the match and Tau asked for a moment. He stepped out of the circle, with Anan and Uduak watching him like he'd lost his mind and then looking certain of it when he walked back with a second wooden sword. Tau swung his two swords in circles, flowing the blades in opposite directions.
Uduak cocked his head. "Two?"
Tau stilled his swords, ready.
Uduak shrugged as if to say, one or two, he'd break the man who held them. Tau watched Anan, waiting for the call.
"Fight!" Anan shouted.
Tau attacked and Uduak stepped into the fray. Tau wanted to distract him with the second sword. He planned to use it to keep Uduak's shield busy while he found openings with his left blade, his strong-side. The plan worked and he scored two quick hits.
Uduak adjusted and came on harder. This put Tau on the defensive and the extra attention needed to dual-wield was taxing. Tau realized that if he played this match according to plan — distract and engage — he would lose. So he changed the plan and let go, allowing the instincts bred into his right hand over cycle after cycle of training with his father to take hold. This allowed his stronger left-side to reap the full benefits of countless spans of training in the Isikolo.
He attacked full on and full out, each blow capable of maiming or killing if it had been dealt with bronze. The effect was instant and Uduak began to buckle under the pressure of Tau's twin blades as they whipped against his sword, shield, and body. The men who had gathered to watch stood without words and the only sounds in the broiling air were the clashing of wooden weapons and the painful grunts from Uduak as Tau hit him over and over.
But Uduak refused to fall. He bellowed, his temper lost to Tau's flurry and struck out as hard and as fast as he was able. Tau's blades met his anger with equal rage, greater speed, and finer skill. Uduak's shield arm was bludgeoned, his helmet crunched in on its right side, and the big man could not get past the stinging swords.
Uduak began to retreat, no other option left. Tau came forward, blades whirling, and he beat Uduak to his knees, forcing the massive Lesser to drop his sword and use both hands behind his chipped and cracking wooden shield. He would not surrender though and Tau no longer saw an initiate of the Isikolo. He no longer saw a sword-brother. He no longer saw Uduak.
In his place was Kellan Okar, then Dejen Olujimi, and, at the last, Abasi Odili. Tau let his anger spill out in a storm of blows that rained down on Uduak's shield and body, but Uduak would not surrender. Tau smashed his shield in two, clubbed the helmet from his head, and went to cave his skull in, when Jayyed called the match in a stunned Anan's place.
"It is done," Jayyed yelled, moving to stand between Tau and Uduak.
"Move," Tau snarled, swords held to strike.
"It is done, Tau."
"Uduak has not called for the Goddess' mercy," Umqondisi Thoko said.
"And that is why the match is declared a draw," Jayyed told the circle of men, causing an outcry. "This is sparring, not a blood-duel. I'm not keen to see good Ihashe injured. I congratulate the efforts of both men and Uduak is an example to you all. Think on his bravery the next time you face an Indlovu in the Crags."
