by Tom Liberman
Rhia nodded her head and led Mike and Marianna to the back to the wagon while Borrombo walked through and met them. He put down a block obviously used to help people climb in the wagon and smiled in the darkening light of the day at Rhia. “Go get those buckets and I’ll help them aboard. We want to be off before it gets dark.”
Rhia went back to the stables and found a pair of small buckets easily enough. She dug in her pockets and found a couple of small silver coins and called over a stable-boy. “Here, we have need of the buckets, is this enough?”
The boy nodded his head and smiled.
“Good,” said Rhia, walked back to the wagon, and climbed up the front to sit by Borrombo who had returned to his position at the reins.
“Hiya,” he shouted and the two big horses began to plod forward. “Take those back to the girls,” he said pointing to the buckets. “And make sure they know about them. I don’t want to have to clean out the wagon.”
Rhia nodded her head and climbed to the back of the wagon. There were several large crates which she assumed contained iron ore and a number of swords and plate armor pieces hanging from hooks along the side of the wagon. She found Mike and Marianna sitting in the back on a large bed that clearly served as Borrombo’s when he was traveling. “Here,” she said handing a bucket to each girl. “It would be best if you did it out the back if you can but I don’t want you falling off the wagon either. Use the bucket if you have to.”
“I’m feeling better,” said Marianna, her face rather green and not looking better in the slightest.
“I’m sure you are,” said Rhia patting the girl’s shoulder. “Just keep that bucket handy in case. These wagons can get to rolling a bit when the road isn’t good and I’m not sure there’s even a road where we’re going.”
Marianna nodded her head and gave off a little burp, “I drank too much.”
“It’s all right, you’re entitled to have a little fun,” said Rhia and patted her on the back again. “Don’t worry about anything. Mike, you know what to do if you feel sick?”
Mike nodded her head and looked dizzily around, “Where are we?”
“We’re in Borrombo’s wagon,” she said. “He’s taking us somewhere.”
“Okay,” said Mike without further question although Rhia stopped and thought about the events of the last hour.
They were alone in the wagon of a dwarf merchant they hardly knew. It’s was true the man had enough money to pay for their lives many times over and theft could not be his motive, but it was strange nevertheless. She vowed to not fall asleep. Then she maneuvered slowly back to the front of the wagon where Borrombo sat heavily while holding the reins and the horses trod forward with the setting sun to their left.
“Borrombo,” said Rhia looking ahead toward the trail. “You’re not telling me everything, are you?”
Borrombo laughed that infectious laugh and shook his head, “Of course not, my new friend. There is much going on in this world and we all have our secrets. I imagine there is more to your mission than you’ve told me. It’s best not to trust anyone completely but you have to trust a little bit to get anywhere in life.”
Rhia kept her eyes looking forward and said nothing.
“There’s nothing wrong with thinking about things for a bit,” said Borrombo, his voice booming as was apparently always the case. “I’m a bit of a talker but that’s what you have to expect from a man who sells merchandise for a living,” he continued with a laugh. “We’ve got a few hours of travel to go until we get there.”
“You won’t give me a hint as to the purpose of the ceremony?” said Rhia after a while.
Borrombo shook his head, “Not yet at least.”
“Fair enough,” said Rhia and decided she too would keep silent.
The wagon trundled on as the slowly setting sun made their shadows to their right grow longer and longer until finally the orange sky gave way to darkness, Borrombo prodded the horses forward at the same slow pace. The full moon made traveling somewhat easier and the fat dwarf seemed to somehow know exactly where to go.
They traveled for another few hours in the darkness and Rhia slipped into the back of the wagon and found both of the other girls fast asleep on the large bed. Neither of them looked too poorly and she washed their foreheads with a wet rag before returning to the front of the wagon where Borrombo tirelessly guided the horses.
“We’ll have to stop soon,” said the dwarf with a nod to Rhia. “Wake the other two and be quiet about it. I’m not sure exactly how far we are from where we need to go but it’s not too distant. The ceremony should take place at midnight, when the hour turns and the new day begins.”
Rhia nodded her head and went back into the wagon where she shook Mike and Marianna awake with first gentle and then less than gentle shoves. “Wake up, we’re here. Be quiet about it.”
The two girls were slow to wake but after Rhia made them drink some water and poured a little more over their heads they seemed alert enough. By then Borrombo had pulled the wagon to a halt and waited for them outside. The three clamored out the back with Rhia admonishing the others to be quiet.
“All right, girls,” said Borrombo. “The High Chieftain tournament is something for all to see and the gnolls don’t mind visitors, but this is not for outsiders. This is, from what I’ve been told, a sacred ceremony and if we’re caught spying they’ll kill us most certainly. We need be quiet and no lights. We’ll use the moon and the moon only. If anyone is spotted there’s no sense running back to the wagon. My cart horses can’t outrun a gnoll. They’re fast when they go to all fours, faster than any man. Just scatter as best you can and head south to Tanelorn. If you’re lucky you’ll make it alive. The best thing is to stay quiet and not get noticed. Am I clear?”
The girls nodded although Mike couldn’t stop from asking a question, “What is this ceremony all about?”
“I only know what I’ve been told but I’m not sure about that and I don’t want to give you incorrect expectations. We’ll all find out together.”
Mike shrugged, her face looked a little wan even in the moonlight, and she didn’t put up much of a fight.
“Come along now,” said Borrombo. He pulled a little crystal out of his pocket and held it up to the moon for a moment and then turned and started walking. “This way.”
“Magic,” whispered Marianna.
Rhia nodded, “He can probably afford it.” She whispered back.
Borrombo led them over the grassy ground for what seemed like a long time and there was the sound of crickets, the hooting of a large owl, and their gentle footsteps but otherwise the night was silent.
“There,” said Mike in a low tone pointing ahead. There was a steep hill in front of them but a glowing light shone above it and a tall pyre of smoke was visible against the moonlit sky. “That’s a big fire.”
“Bonfire I’d guess,” whispered Rhia.
“No more talking,” said Borrombo, turning to the girls and holding his finger to his lips. “Our lives depend upon it.”
They all nodded and then continued forward into the night. A minute later they neared the top of the hill and Borrombo stopped, pointed to Mike and motioned his head indicating she should go forward. He somehow seemed to understand she was the stealthy one of the group. He was clearly an excellent judge of character.
Mike dropped to all fours and began to crawl to the top of the hill. When she got there she watched for a moment and then turned around and waved the others forward. Her movements weren’t easy to see even with the full moon but Marianna and Rhia both had the sharp eyes of young women.
Borrombo dropped to his stomach along with the girls and inched his considerable bulk slowly up the hill and he was the last of the three to arrive next to Mike.
Below them in a large clearing a massive bonfire was burning, its flames licking high into the night and showers of sparks coming off as thick logs shifted. It took Rhia a moment to adjust her eyes to the brightness of the light after staring int
o the darkness for so long but she quickly made out dozens of figures, gnolls. Lots of them.
As they approached the fire it became clear that the vast majority of them were completely naked and in advanced stages of pregnancy, their bellies full and sticking well out from their furry bodies. Those that weren’t wore elaborate costumes with headdresses with many feathers and had their fur painted strange colors.
As they watched a couple of these oddly dressed gnolls began singing a strange song and the pregnant women stood and began to sway to the rhythmic beat while adding their own voices to it. More and more of the pregnant gnolls joined the circle around the fire and began chanting until hundreds of them moved and swayed in strange patterns around the fire. It was almost hypnotic and the four on the hill watched with wide eyes not saying or doing anything.
Then some of the women with the ceremonial dresses and headgear began to splash something on the pregnant gnolls, splattering their stomachs. The ceremony grew even wilder as the chanting became ragged and several of the pregnant women collapsed to the ground and began writhing around; others dropped to their knees and began to wail.
Rhia suddenly felt extremely uncomfortable and closed her eyes. She knew she was watching something that made no sense, a primal religious ceremony of fertility that had no reason to exist but to which these women were absolutely committed to performing. Nothing they were doing would change the outcome of their births. Some babies would be born healthy while others would not. This madness would not change anything and yet she knew that she was intruding on something private and personal to these women.
Rhia slowly began to crawl backward and down the hill until she was sitting alone, although the chanting of the gnolls, ever more wild, continued to alert her that the ceremony continued. An occasional scream punctuated the night and Rhia covered her ears with her hands and this helped somewhat but not completely.
This was insanity she thought to herself. Religious induced insanity. She remembered poor Ada. She had heard about ceremonies like this before, beliefs like this. She knew the people of the world largely believed in strange and powerful Gods that shaped their lives, although her own nation of Elekargul did not worship such. In her years of travel from the south to Tanelorn she met many people of this nature but this, this was raw, pure, unadulterated religious fervor and made her afraid, and it made her tremble.
She put her head down between her knees and tried to block it all out as the chanting went on and on into the night. Eventually she felt a form next to her and it was Mike. The girl leaned up against Rhia who put her arm around her.
“I want to stay a boy,” she whispered her body trembling. “I don’t care how dangerous it is.”
“I know what you mean,” whispered Rhia in her ear. “You can stay dressed as a boy but remember that you’re really a girl underneath.”
Mike trembled and they sat under the stars listening to the wild chanting for hour after hour.
Eventually Borrombo and Marianna returned as the moon went down and the night enveloped them completely. “We need to leave,” he said quietly and none of the three girls answered except to get up and start walking back to the wagon.
The journey went in silence and soon they were at the wagon. Borrombo and Rhia climbed automatically into the front seats while Marianna and Mike went to the back. The dwarf gave a flick with his wrist and the wagon began to trundle forward. They moved on, still in silence, until the sun began to slowly rise in the east. Borrombo gave off a loud sigh and then burped prodigiously.
Rhia laughed and heard the same from the girls in back.
“Well,” said Borrombo.
“Well,” replied Rhia and they looked at each other. “Was that what you were expecting?”
Borrombo shook his head and frowned, “Not exactly. I was told it was a fertility ceremony but I’ve never seen anything like that. Normally gnoll women are fully covered so that males are not tempted by their forms. Seeing them like that was … unexpected.”
“Are they always that … fervent?”
Borrombo shook his head again and shrugged his shoulders. “I’m not certain. There are no large gnoll tribes near my home in the mountains. They are a plains creature. I’ve only become familiar with them in the last few months in my journeys here to these regions.”
“Iron trading,” said Rhia with a wry smile and it was not a question.
“What did you think of all that?” said Borrombo and gave off a long sigh.
Rhia sat in silence as the wagon moved on and thought about what she had seen just a few hours before, “I’m tired now, I’m not sure that my thoughts are clear.”
“Sometimes it is the unguarded thought that is the most honest,” said Borrombo.
“I … I feel sorry that they are trapped in such a belief system that forces them to be pregnant all the time but I envy their … their ….”
“Certitude of fate?”
“Yes,” said Rhia looking up at Borrombo and his many chins. “They are so certain in their belief. They do not have to worry. Their religion comforts them. They do not have sleepless nights worrying about the things that concern me. They are certain. That ceremony will ensure they birth a fine child and their place in the family is assured. I have no such certitude as you say. Such led me to leave my people and make my own way in this world. A gnoll woman would never do as much without being forced away.”
Borrombo nodded his head, “And who is better off? The one who worries about their fate and takes destiny into their own hands, although this often results in ill? Or the women who accept their lives as they are written and simply lead them without concern?”
Rhia looked down at the horses slowly moving forward at the control of Borrombo’s hands and nodded her head, “They are no more than animals simply following the guidance of your will,” she said with a nod to the horses. “If you lead them to their deaths they die the same as if they had chosen to walk to their deaths without the worry. They know not of worry or concern but they do not make their own choices or fulfill their own destiny.”
“So you are better off then?” said Borrombo pulling a pipe from a jacket in his coat and a pouch of tobacco from the same pocket. He squeezed a pinch between his forefinger and thumb and began to pack it into the receptacle. “It is often good to smoke when pondering the mysteries of life. Do you?”
Rhia shook her head, “In my lands some chew a noxious weed, but few smoke it. It stains the teeth and I never liked the taste.”
Borrombo nodded his head, “Perhaps it is a bad habit, but I enjoy it immensely. Not as much as fine dining, a beautiful woman, or a profitable trading agreement, but I do tend to indulge myself.”
“Are your people overly religious?” asked Rhia thinking back to Elekargul where the priests worshiped the Black Horse although not so much as a god but as an ideal.
Borrombo shook his head, “No, we are not at all. Long ago my people served the Emperor, or so the legends go. I suppose there is no one in the world whose ancestors did not serve the Emperor but my people hold those ancient times dear to their hearts. We do not worship the Gods as much as acknowledge their existence and power. We make no sacrifices although many offer prayers to them in the hopes their desires will be fulfilled. It is comforting, I suppose, to think that some powerful being will take care of your problems but the reality is that we are left to deal with our lives by ourselves.”
“It is that way in Elekargul as well,” said Rhia with a nod of her head. “You are an interesting man, Borrombo.”
“That I am,” said the fat dwarf with a smile. “Perhaps you’d like to get in the back and sleep for a while. It’s been a long day and night and I’m sure you’re tired.”
Rhia nodded her head and then looked at the dwarf with clear black eyes, “I am tired, but I do not yet trust you, Borrombo. You picked us out for a reason and that reason you have not yet revealed to me. I will wait until Mike and Marianna awake so that they can keep their eye on you while I sleep.”
Borrombo nodded his head and smiled, “It is wise to be cautious, and you should never trust anyone completely,” he said. “The world is far too dangerous in normal times and we are not in such a world. Things are changing quickly and the unwary will not survive.”
“Did someone say my name?” said a rather disheveled Mike emerging from the back of the wagon.
“Awake at last?” asked Rhia as she swiveled in her seat to look at the girl.
Mike nodded her head and frowned, “I had strange dreams last night and I’m not sure how much was real and how much just my imagination. That ceremony was like a dream. Those pregnant gnoll women dancing and chanting. The madness.”
Rhia nodded her head, “You climb up here and keep Borrombo company. I’m going to bed.”
Chapter 9
As they traveled over the countryside many others hoping to watch the spectacle quickly joined them. Borrombo was apparently well acquainted with the rules of the event and explained it to them during the long and boring hours of travel on the wagon.
Each of the major tribes of gnolls nominated a champion and then a drawing determined which would do battle with one another. The eventual champion became the new High Chieftain of all the gnolls.
“It’s my understanding that the battles are not necessarily to the death,” said Borrombo during lunch while they sat in a field of yellow flowers that seemed to turn their heads as the sun crossed the sky. “A champion can yield to a superior opponent. It is also my understanding that many of the fights have a prearranged winner. The families with the most political power use that to bribe their foes into a default. The champion himself is often completely predetermined.”
“Hardly a fair challenge then,” said Mike shaking her head. She had returned to her boys clothes and with Marianna’s help her hair once again barely edged away from her scalp. The concerns expressed by Greta did not manifest themselves, most likely because there were so many non-gnolls heading into the region.
