Saif & Kilig
by Barbara G. Tarn
***
Barbara G.Tarn copyright © 2014
cover art by Marurenai
electronic edition by Unicorn Productions
November 2014
***
Table of Contents
Copyright Page
Saif and Kilig | 1. Mirabella
2. Karuna the Sorrowful
3. Kilig the Sword
4. Saif's choice
5. Guisarme
6. Abhaya the Fearless
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Further Reading: Saif's Story
Also By Barbara G.Tarn
Saif and Kilig
1. Mirabella
"Somebody help, he was bitten by a poisonous snake!"
The inn's main room fell silent as everybody turned to the door where a scrawny young man with unusual ice-blue eyes held under the arm a bearded fellow who was sweating profusely and looked about to pass out. Mirabella glanced around the room, looking at the slack faces of those around her. Surely someone would step up – it wasn't in her place to do it. She was a foreigner after all.
"Please!" The young man insisted, leaning his companion against the inn wall and trying to catch his breath. Both didn't wear the usual southern turban and wore clothes that didn't identify them. That was probably why the villagers looked wary – the two men were strangers, maybe from further south.
Mirabella snapped back into action. There were vipers and other poisonous animals in her home village, so she felt confident she could save the man. If the locals didn't have a wisewoman at hand, she must step in and do her duty.
"Take him to the warmest room," she ordered, rising. "I'll need to transform it into a sweat room. I'll get my herbs."
The innkeeper helped the young man to drag the bearded fellow up the stairs. There was a small room right under the roof where the sun shone all day, and the sick man was laid down on a blanket.
Mirabella shooed out the two men and closed the door to keep the warmth in. She knelt by the sweating man and undressed him, looking for the snake bite. She couldn't see it and she was about to call the young man to ask him about it when she saw a wound on the man's torso.
A poisoned dart! Startled, she started ministering to the wound, wondering why the young man had lied. The bearded fellow was indeed poisoned, but not from a snake bite. His chest heaved, but his eyes remained closed.
Reaching out, she touched the man's burning, sweaty forehead.
"Hello? What's your name?" She repeated the question in her native tongue, just in case. Being bilingual came in handy on the border where she'd grown up, but proved useless with the man lost in fever before her.
At twenty-five, Mirabella had left the Blackmore Kingdom to study with the southern shamans. The wisewoman who had instructed her had died of old age, suggesting she learned other healing techniques.
Mirabella was headed for Godwalkar, hoping to learn from local healers – although the lands she traveled through were "infested" by the Magical Races. Her king thought they were all evil and should be destroyed, but she had decided to see for herself. She hadn't met any yet, but then she was still in the countryside with only small villages to sleep in. Things would probably change in the former capital, a few more days of travel to the south.
As full-fledged shaman for her people, albeit a young one, the emergency forced her to use her knowledge on a sick man. She drank a potion and gave some to the sick man as well, while the heat rose in the little room. The sun went down, but the improvised sweat room remained hot as she threw more herbs on the coals, filling the room with a bittersweet smell. She took off her clothes as she closed her eyes and explored his body with her hands, chanting and praying to Mother Earth.
She fell into a trance and saw him open emerald-green eyes, which contrasted with his dark beard and shoulder-length hair. She kissed him and lost herself in him, gathering her healing power to expel the poison from his body.
At dawn she collapsed against him, exhausted, but knowing that she had succeeded. His fever was gone and he now slept peacefully.
She dozed off for a couple of hours, and then woke up shivering. The heat was gone and she gathered her clothes, observing her patient, thoughtful.
He was handsome, but she couldn't figure out who he might be. He had the clothes of a commoner, but no mark of his trade. His hands didn't look like those of a peasant or any other artisan, and he wore neither jewels nor amulets, only a bracelet done with a silken thread wrapped around his wrist and closed with two round pearls knotted together.
His green eyes fluttered open. "Water," he whispered.
She helped him to drink and he sat up, clearing his throat.
"Thank you," he said. "Who are you?"
"My name is Mirabella. I'm a wisewoman – or a witch, according to some." She shrugged.
"I have never met such a young wisewoman," he replied, joining his hands in the southern thank you gesture. He smiled, white teeth flashing through his dark beard. "I admit I don't remember much of what happened."
"Last night a young man brought you to this inn saying you'd been bitten by a snake," she explained.
"Ah." He frowned. "Abhaya," he muttered. "Where is he?"
"I assume he's still out there, waiting for you. It took me all night to rid you of the poison." She blushed at the memory. Trance or not, she was aware she'd had sex with him. She'd have to purify herself and take some herbs to avoid pregnancy. But since he'd been feverish and unaware, she wouldn't tell him her healing method.
"Thank you," he repeated with a nod, staring at her with his emerald eyes.
"I have a question, though," she continued, determined. "I didn't find any snake bites on you, but you have that." She pointed at the small wound. "Looks like a blowgun dart wound."
He sighed and averted his eyes. "It is. My apprentice toyed with things he should have left alone."
"So he's your apprentice? What are you teaching him?"
"Uh... weapons." He wouldn't look her in the eyes, though, so either he was lying or not telling the whole truth. "I am... a mercenary and... I'm training him, but... he's proving difficult. He is the son of the Head of the Guild and feels entitled... to things he's not ready for."
"What guild?" she insisted, more and more curious. The mercenaries didn't have a guild – not in the Blackmore Kingdom. Maybe the man was a blacksmith, or a sword-master. Or maybe things were different in this country with no king, and the guilds ran everything.
He looked at her. "Mirabella, you're not from this country, are you?" he asked.
"No, why?" she answered, puzzled. Her blond mane must have given her away. His hair and beard were raven black like most southerners.
"Some things are better left unsaid." He sighed and averted his eyes. "Where are you headed?"
"Godwalkar, to complete my studies."
"And you travel all alone?" His brow etched into deep groves.
She scoffed. "You're the one who was poisoned by his apprentice. I'm quite safe, thank you."
He nodded gravely. "But this is the south," he said. "Women don't travel unattended. Allow me to escort you there. I need to go back anyway. I'd be honored to take you to town."
She hesitated, then nodded. Her stomach rumbled and he smiled.
"Did we interrupt your evening meal?" he asked.
"Yes, and the healing took a lot of energy as well," she admitted, putting a hand on her abdomen.
"Allow me to fill your belly, and then we can be on our way."
He rose and put his tunic back on while she gathered her things. They both went back downstairs to the main room, where the young man sat, biting his nails.
"Saif!" he excl
aimed upon seeing them, jumping to his feet.
"I'm fine," the bearded man snapped.
"I'm sorry, Saif..."
"Acharya Saif, Abhaya. You're an apprentice, show some respect! Being Talwar's son doesn't exempt you from the rules."
"Acharya Saif, I didn't mean to hurt you..."
"There are rules to this profession, and you're breaking them. Your father will decide if I should finish your training or not."
"But Acharya Saif..."
"Enough, Abhaya! We're going back to Godwalkar now!"
They sat all together and the innkeeper came to take their order. Mirabella was starving, but curiously glanced at the two men bickering in low voices.
Then the food came and they ate in silence. Mirabella had never heard the word acharya and had no idea of what it meant. Maybe it was a local title, or the equivalent of "master", since Abhaya was Saif's apprentice.
Once they finished eating, Saif paid the innkeeper for all three of them, and then they left. They traveled on foot on an unpaved road that was wider than Mirabella was used to, allowing carts and wagons to go both ways, and Abhaya was brooding. Saif asked a few more questions, but seemed reluctant to talk about himself, so they soon felt silent.
"How far is Godwalkar?" she asked as they stopped in another small village for lunch.
Mirabella was getting used to the sight of turbaned men and women displaying their belly buttons. She knew she looked conspicuous with her gown that covered her from neck to ankles.
"We should reach it tomorrow," Saif answered. "Unless we find a passage on a wagon, we'll have to spend a night under the stars."
"It's all right, I'm used to sleeping outdoors, especially in the summer," she said with a shrug. "And here it's much warmer than back home."
Saif grinned. She thought he must be a nobleman incognito or a scholar since he had an air of nobility. Or he might be a priest of some southern religion, since he was so respectful of life. She must admit she didn't know much about the south – except for the language. But the way he carried himself, his soft voice and good manners showed he wasn't a peasant.
The last king of Gajendra had died heirless some twenty years earlier, and the Genn had taken the reins of the former capital, Godwalkar. Unlike Humans, the Magical Races didn't have castes, so the Genn government was a council of elders, and the local population thrived under the new rule. Mirabella was curious to meet the Genn and interact more with southerners. She'd never dealt with the Magical Races before and she knew the southern cultures were much different from hers.
They camped at the top of a hill that night, since the traffic of wagons and carts towards the town was very low at that time of the year. After a quick cold dinner, she stared at the stars in wonder. The night sky looked the same. And then she saw a shooting star and gasped.
She closed her eyes and made a wish. I want to be the best Human healer that ever lived.
"Are you all right?" Saif asked, worried.
"Yes. I saw a shooting star, so I made a wish."
Both men stared at her, puzzled.
"You don't think shooting stars can make your dreams come true?" she asked, amused.
Saif shrugged. "If you say so..."
Abhaya snorted in derision and lay down to sleep. She stared at Saif who was now looking at the stars himself.
"Do you have wishes, Saif?" she asked in a low voice.
"Who doesn't?" he replied, looking her in the eyes. "Get some sleep, Mirabella, tomorrow we'll reach Godwalkar and you can complete your education – not that you need it." His white teeth flashed through his beard.
She smiled and wrapped herself in her travel cloak. "Sweet dreams, Saif."
***
Godwalkar was impressively big in Mirabella's eyes. And it didn't have walls, nor a keep like most towns she'd seen back home. The former Gajendran capital had obviously been at peace for centuries and the southern architecture graced it, interspersed with a few different buildings with turrets and marble lace that looked more recent.
"The Genn built those," Saif explained. "Since they came out of their underground cities, they used their rock-shaping ability to mold those fabulous palaces. And, by the way, they're public buildings, not noblemen's mansions."
"Really?" Mirabella stared wide-eyed at the town spreading on the hills and along the two rivers that met at its center. "So the university is in one of those newer buildings?"
"Yes." Saif nodded. "The former royal palace is the seat of the Genn council, but also a hospital and a school. The library is in the university compound, though. Will you be staying at their campus?"
"Probably," Mirabella said. "Unless I get apprenticed to a local wisewoman. I'm sure they have plenty of courses for healers at the university."
They reached one of the main squares, bustling with the life of a colorful bazaar, and Saif pointed her in the direction of the university – a safer suburb compared to where he was headed.
"It was an honor meeting you, Mirabella," he said.
"Thank you for escorting me here safe and sound," she replied. "You are very pleasant company."
She ignored Abhaya as she offered her hand in the northern good-bye gesture. Saif hesitated only slightly before grabbing her hand and shaking it with a grin.
"I wish you all the best," he said with a half-bow. And then they parted.
***
Karuna finished his flat loaf filled with figs and relaxed on the low wall in front of the Assassins' Guild door. The sturdy building faced a cemetery and a small temple – hence the low wall enclosing the burial place. Karuna didn't mind the company of the dead – they were often less bothersome than the living.
It had taken him some time to work up the courage to walk to that door, and by then his savior was gone. But Karuna hoped he'd be back, eventually, although his mission seemed to be lasting for ages. It had been only two years since his savior had freed him, but his youth made him impatient. He wanted to see his savior and thank him and talk him into taking him on as apprentice. And this time he wouldn't take no for an answer.
The main door opened and three people came out: a man and two women, one of whom was younger, with pointed ears that showed off her mixed blood.
The man waved good-bye to the women and crossed the cobbled street to reach him. Karuna straightened in his seated position, surprised to have captured an assassin's attention. He was just a street boy, surely the Guild wouldn't feel threatened by someone like him?
"Good day, boy." The man grinned through his black beard. He looked a lot like Karuna's savior, except he kept his raven hair short and lacked the Genn-green eyes. "I've seen you eating on this wall for months, now. Would you like to join the guild?"
"Yes, but I'm waiting for a specific teacher," he answered, determined. "I know I shouldn't dare saying so, but I have my preferences in the matter. And I'm not a boy anymore, I'm fifteen."
"I see." The man's black eyes gleamed with amusement. "My apologies, young man. Do you know the name of your prospective teacher?"
"Saif," he answered promptly. "Do you know when he will be back?"
The man pondered, probably counting in his mind. "I believe he'll need another six months until Abhaya's final test. Can you wait that long?"
Karuna shrugged. "I've been waiting for two years... what's a few more months?"
The man chuckled. "And what do you know of what awaits you?"
"Not much," Karuna admitted. "But I want to be able to defend myself and loved ones from bullies."
"And kill in cold blood for a living."
"Why not. I'll gladly get rid of the undeserving."
"Whoever is undeserving for you might be someone else's world."
Karuna scoffed. "I've seen foolish things happen for that reason." Like his mother's undying love for his father in spite of everything he'd done to them. She would have mourned the bastard if she were still alive when Saif had delivered Karuna from his father's slavery.
"When did you meet Saif?" th
e man asked.
"Two years ago my father beat my little brother to death. I tried to protect him, so he turned on me. Saif stopped him, or I'd probably be dead too."
"I see." The man nodded gravely.
Karuna focused on two men who had just turned into the street and walked towards them.
"Isn't that him?" he asked, hopeful.
Startled, the man turned to look.
"Saif!" he exclaimed, stepping away from Karuna to meet the two men. "Abhaya, what happened?"
"I can't continue the training," Saif grumbled. "Is Talwar in?"
"Of course..."
Karuna watched the three men enter the building. Saif was back earlier than expected. And from the brooding expression of his apprentice, he wasn't going to make an assassin out of him. So he could take on a new apprentice.
Karuna grinned. Tomorrow he'd knock on the guild's door.
***
"He did what?" Talwar stared aghast at his son, who stood still with his head hung. "Abhaya, how could you toy with a blowgun? That was not part of the training any more so than the fling you were so fond of!"
"Sorry, Father," Abhaya muttered.
"Why did you do it?" The Head of the Guild insisted, furious.
Saif raised his hands to calm his superior.
"Abhaya is impatient, Talwar. He couldn't learn to use the noose, so he chose another path. We have misjudged him. We thought we could teach him to control himself. I failed, Talwar, and for this I beg your forgiveness." He bowed his head in submission.
"I have nothing to forgive you for, Saif," Talwar snapped, glaring at his son. "You shame me, Abhaya. You obviously aren't made for this guild."
"Who cares what means I use to finish the job?" Abhaya protested, his ice-blue eyes glaring back at his father. "Who made these damn rules anyway?"
"I did!" Talwar slammed his hand on the desk, startling Abhaya, but also Nimdja and Saif who stood on the side. "Your mother did! This is not Agharek, Abhaya! There are Genn healers all over the city and your stupid poisons are useless! If you can't learn to be a noose-operator, you'll never be a proper assassin!"
Abhaya clenched his teeth and stared at his feet.
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