Where did the aeronauts go? One of the villagers discovered footprints headed out of the hilly plains. Everyone knew that this flying ship, at least, was no longer a threat.
But there were probably other flying ships. Stories told of many ships at one time.
Tenashar sat among the villagers to warm himself in front of the fire and said, “I know some of you are angry and want vengeance, but do any of you really know these aeronauts? I’ve seen them. They’re just here to study things.”
The villagers continued to warm themselves and said nothing to Tenashar.
The next day, a search party found bits of equipment, such as navigation tools and other things Tenashar had seen on the ship even discarded pieces of clothing.
One of the villagers picked up an empty bottle, took a sniff, and handed it to Tenashar. He tasted the liquid residue and found it to be water. As they went further, they found more bottles, papers, and equipment parts.
Finally, something came up that Tenashar was hoping they would not encounter—bodies that had been hurriedly half buried. Some of the villagers made prayers for the dead, and others finished covering up the bodies.
An old villager said, “So far from home—to die here.”
The rest remained silent.
Finally, they arrived at a large village called Veazith, which Tenashar had seen from the mountaintop. The village head, Athtap, told the search party that his people had seen no strangers. Some of the villagers who had come with Tenashar quit the search and returned to their homes. People from the new village joined them, including the headman.
Most of the party decided to split up into groups. Some followed Tenashar. He talked about the Homvia and what he saw in that village and of his old friend in the mountains, Naiena-sa the merchant. He continued to talk with Athtap as they walked along together, becoming fast friends.
Athtap enjoyed a chance to reminisce about Naiena-sa. “As a younger man, he traveled to lot of places to sell the tribe’s ceramics. On one occasion, Naiena-sa came across a tribe of people who were so strange! They hid themselves in the ground! When he sold anything to these people, they only showed their hands—he never once saw their faces or bodies. When these interesting people walked about above the ground, they covered themselves from head to toe in straw. They whistled as their language, and few outsiders ever learned to understand them. Naiena-sa was a master of languages, so he traded and could understand what they were saying.”
Tenashar expressed the desire to see these people, but Athtap said they lived far to the north.
Athtap chuckled.
“Why are you laughing?” said Tenashar.
Athtap replied, “My boy, you should become a merchant—then you’ll go everywhere. Have Naiena-sa teach you how to travel. He knows his way all around the continent.”
Tenashar smiled and nodded. He liked that idea.
Athtap told Tenashar that the Veazith also knew of Nainashari. “When he was younger, he visited the village. That was many years ago, when my great-grandfather was a child.” He gave Tenashar a sly smile.
Tenashar looked back with shock and surprise. “Many times, Etutsha and I had suspected that he had attained a great age. We weren’t sure. Now you are saying that I was right all along.”
Athtap told Tenashar that Naiena-sa had regularly visited a people called the Senetha. While there, he always asked the advice of a most wise Aura-Laei-i.
Tenashar asked the name of this wise person.
“His name was, and probably is, Sanashei. He is considered a great Aura-Laei-i by Naiena-sa—as well as by his brother, Nainashari,” replied Athtap.
Tenashar stared at Athtap for a long moment before he found his voice. “Sanashei is my father! I never knew he was a true Aura-lei-i.”
“He’s your father? This is a great thing that has happened to us. You were meant to come to our village. We welcome you with great respect.” Athtap bowed his head in humility.
“Athtap, in this short time with you, I have learned so much. And I don’t know what to say. Naiena-sa knows more about my father than me! Now I have also found that Nainashari is a brother to Naiena-sa. They must be of a similar age. That means he must also be very old.” Tenashar began to understand why he was meeting all these people on his journey. It seemed to have been arranged by his father.
As Tenashar walked along with Athtap, he spotted what looked like another body. It turned out be blankets wrapped over more machine parts. There were even books scattered in all directions. It was as if they tried to save certain things from the ship, and slowly, piece by piece, abandoned them to the elements—and animals, for some of the books and machines were torn apart. Perhaps they were finding the things too heavy to carry so far.
The items were of no use to Tenashar and the villagers. To find out what happened to the aeronauts, they had to examine the clues scattered all over the place. Someone suggested they should read the books and notes left behind, but they simply couldn’t read the language that it was written in.
More and more items turned up. Yet there was no sign of Knode. Tenashar hoped that nothing happened to Naydiacar, for he had taken a liking to her. No matter how angry the villagers may have been with the aeronauts, he hoped they weren’t hurt. He didn’t want to believe these aeronauts were bad.
For a while, nothing new turned up, and then they came across bags, maps, and clothing. It was plain that after the crash they took a lot of things with them to survive and gradually discarded what they didn’t need.
In a puddle of water, Tenashar found a pair of goggles. He looked at them very closely but wasn’t sure if they belonged to Knode. As he walked on, Tenashar seemed to sense they did belong to the captain of the flying ship, and he hoped their presence didn’t mean he was dead.
The villagers and Tenashar had already covered a vast distance and had reached some small settlements in and about the ruins. Could the survivors be hiding among the ruins? Most of the people of these villages hadn’t seen anything unusual.
One said he had glimpsed a strange figure in the moonlight but knew nothing more. Some of these folk also joined Tenashar’s group. This made their numbers swell to a hundred individuals.
Sometime later, they spotted a figure and starting running after it. There was a scream when they grabbed the fugitive, and Tenashar knew they had succeeded. He ran up to see who it was. He hoped it would be Knode, but the screams were definitely female.
Caught in a man’s strong hold, she jerked away from him and hid her eyes. Immediately Tenashar sensed that she was afraid that savages had captured her and that they would kill her. Tenashar sensed the reason for her fear.
Tenashar came up close to her and tried to sooth her face with tenderness, “Hey! Naydiacar, don’t fear anything or anyone here; you are among friends. You know who I am?”
Tenashar continued to stay near the girl as she sobbed with fear, not recognizing him.
Without thinking first, and not knowing why he did it, Tenashar took her face in both hands and stared into her eyes for what seemed like eternity. Gradually she became calm, and her eyes cleared of their terror, showing Tenashar that she had finally recognized him. Immediately she clung to Tenashar in relief. Then she looked around and saw all the other villagers—some smiling, but others looking very serious. Tenashar could feel the tension in her body as her fear returned.
“Have no fear, Naydiacar. They will not harm you. A-amar and Una-sei are here with me. We will not permit anything to happen to you,” said Tenashar.
Athtap stepped forward and said, “Tenashar, she is a child. She will have nothing to fear from us. I promise you this.”
Tenashar together with Athtap smiled at her, calming her fears. Finally feeling safe, she let her exhaustion overcome her, and she passed into unconsciousness.
Tenashar gave the other villagers descriptions of her companions. But none were to be found. With Tenashar’s help, A-amar tenderly carried Naydiacar to the dwelling of a farmer, who offered th
em food and warmth. The farmer’s home was secluded in a small grove with tall cliffs on both sides, covered by heavy foliage of trees and ferns. A stream flowed nearby.
As Tenashar continued to care for Naydiacar, the people crowded close to see her, for they were curious about the flying people called aeronauts. They hadn’t seen such unusual people up close.
Tenashar was the first person Naydiacar saw when she opened her eyes. Athtap, the farmer, A-amar, and Una-sei were also at her side. She was warmed by their presence.
The toll of her ordeal was too great though, and she fell asleep again.
Tenashar had somehow sensed something, and it brought uncontrollable sadness into his heart as Naydiacar rested, perhaps waiting for her companions to be near her again.
The search party went out again, seeking Knode and the rest of his crew—but they found nothing. They covered so much ground that they finally reached the ocean.
Its magnificence was beyond Tenashar’s imagination—he simply couldn’t fathom its vastness. The sheer beauty of the ocean seemed to paralyze his whole body. The sound of the waves rolling onto the shore sounded like the music of the gods.
He forgot everything but his amazement. Even the pain he felt for Naydiacar was submerged in the memory that she was a girl who always smiled at the heavens.
As Tenashar walked along the beach with Athtap, they spotted something that looked like a man in red sitting farther down the beach. Tenashar ran up to him, followed by the other villagers. He watched them approach but didn’t try to move away.
Tenashar saw it was Knode, disheveled from days of hardship and suffering. His pitiful smile told Tenashar that he was glad to see him.
Tenashar looked Knode up and down. “What happened to you? I was looking all over for you.”
Knode didn’t reply. He merely stared at Tenashar and the villagers. Tenashar watched him gazing around with disillusionment and shock. Finally, he started shaking his head and tried to get some words out, but his mouth just hung open.
Tenashar gently held him. “What happened, Knode? Tell me.” Tenashar shook Knode very hard to get him out of the trance. “Do you understand what I am saying?”
Tenashar’s interaction made the villagers and Athtap realize that the exhausted man was the leader of the flying ship. Some pushed closer, seemingly wanting to do harm to him, but Tenashar halted them.
Athtap also commanded the men not to come closer. If Athtap had any animosity toward Knode and his crew, it didn’t show in his eyes.
chapter 6
Commanding the Wind and Survival
Everyone looked up as a voice called out. “I will tell all of you what happened!” It was Siytai. Marhidium was at his side. Both were just as haggard as Knode.
Siytai walked toward the villagers with defiance, making them even more hostile.
Again, Athtap’s hand held them back.
Siytai peered into Knode’s eyes until Knode looked away, and then he turned his eyes to Tenashar. “Our ship was caught in a storm in the high mountains. We were looking for you, at the command of Knode, but were caught in a vortex that pulled us down. The ship slammed into the ground. Many of the crewmembers didn’t survive. I tried to steer us to safety, but Knode commanded that we should fight the winds. He even grabbed the controls from me.
“I tried to fight him off, and before we knew what happened, the crash threw us all over the ship. Luckily some of us weren’t killed immediately. But Naydiacar sustained injuries that became serious. We helped one another get out of the crashed ship, but there was so much wreckage that it took a long time to get everyone clear.
“We tried to get away to safety. Going for help was not an option, scared as we were of the villagers. The food that we could salvage and brought along was too heavy. So we had to discard precious necessities as we walked to safety, getting away from the crash. Gradually many of us died off. Naydiacar grew sick. Her delirium made her run off. We didn’t know she ran off until Marhidium ran after her, but she was exhausted and fell inside a shallow ditch. When she got out, Naydiacar was gone. By the time we responded and also ran after Naydiacar, she had run off into the growth of trees and the dark. We searched and called out. We walked as far as we could. We didn’t know what to do. We kept on searching.
“We scouted around for a suitable place to settle down, away from the villagers, since they would probably be quite hostile. We grew bold and stole food from some the villages along the way, hoping to return for Naydiacar and the others. But we lost our way.
“Marhidium and I were separated from the others. Knode was also. The food and water almost ran out while we searched. We gave up on Knode, believing he was either lost or dead. We decided to try to find a way out of the hills. Now that we have found you, we wish to go no further and surrender our fate to you.”
Tenashar hung his head, considering, and then turned to Siytai. “We found Naydiacar. She was weak from hunger and injuries. We didn’t see any other crewmembers with her, but I think we saw their remains strewn along the path as we searched for you. We buried them with honor. The villagers for their part have largely quelled their anger. It was Naydiacar that turned their ire to compassion. To them, she was a scared and hungry little girl. We brought her to a nearby village, and a farmer and his wife gave her their hospitality.”
Knode bowed his head, in tears. Even the seemingly tough Siytai sobbed Marhidium hung her head. She held Naydiacar’s little hand. Her eyes were vacant as she realized she was losing a friend. They all realized that if they had only asked for help, Naydiacar have might survived.
“Come with us, and we will help all of you regain your well-being. Naydiacar will be cared for. You know she is going.” Athtap spoke gently but firmly. “Give us your trust. You know that we won’t harm you. Tenashar is with us, and you have befriended him. Come. Don’t be afraid.”
Naydiacar slowly fell into a sleep that was permanent. Marhidium still held her hand, Siytai soothed her head, and Knode whispered to her. The farmer and his wife buried her as part of their family. The farmer and his wife dug a small plot for her near the stream, saying she would be happy there. They had never had any children of their own, so they thought of Naydiacar as their own, even if they had never known her.
At twilight, the beach was bathed with beautiful colors of orange from the fading sunlight combined with green, blue, and yellow light that draped a transparent veil against a backdrop of incoming stars. This beautiful scene refreshed everyone’s spirit. For a while, they remained to admire the fading daylight.
As the aeronauts were escorted to their dwelling, some of the villagers asked questions. “Why did you take our children?”
“We are here to look over the land, find minerals, engage in mapping, and take readings of the weather,” replied Knode.
“Abducting children is not what we were doing, I believe such a thing was done some years ago,” said Marhidium.
“Remember these people are tired and have been through an ordeal. They didn’t do these things. I’ve been in their ship. They are here for study,” said Tenashar.
Tenashar’s sincerity began to convince the villagers Athtap also nodded his head in agreement.
Tenashar heard one of the village woman say, “Let’s stop this vengeance thing. You know what happened to these aeronauts.”
It wasn’t far to some of the dwellings where there was food and water. The three surviving aeronauts slept in the comfort of ferns and soft bedding. While they slept, the villagers debated what to do next. They reached no conclusions. Even Athtap had no firm suggestions.
Tenashar explained to them what Knode had said concerning the origins of the aeronauts and suggested that they should help them get back to their island home.
“These aeronauts are not the ones who took away the children. Remember, there are other ships. Knode and his crew were exploring and mapping the land. They saw what the Orbs had done, and this made them more curious. What’s important is to send them back across t
he sea,” said Tenashar.
Athtap believed that sending them back home was not possible. They had no boats large enough for an extended sea voyage. On the other hand, they could leave men at the shore to watch for any flying craft that might be looking for the stranded aeronauts.
“Without help, they can’t build another flying ship and journey back to their islands,” said Tenashar.
“They have powers and skills we can’t match. It’s not possible for us to build a ship such as theirs.” Athtap spoke with conviction and respect to Tenashar. “Even if they teach us, we won’t understand enough. I think the best chance is a sailing craft. There are some tribes to the south who have very good ship and boat-building skills. Many of their sailing craft are very large; they can accommodate hundreds of people if needed. But they do not fly.”
“It’s too far south, and such a boat will take too long to build. Our best way is to find another flying ship. You have seen them before, so let’s find a way. I am aware what they have done to your children, but it was not this ship,” Tenashar insisted.
Knode was standing in the open air, separated from the others. He just stood there with his head bent, in the same position he had held since the crash.
Tenashar came up to Knode, but the aeronaut said only, “I should have kept away from the mountains.” He repeated this phrase many times.
All Tenashar could do was watch and listen. Siytai came out to see Knode. Some tension was mounting. Before the situation got worse, Siytai walked away, back to the dwelling where Marhidium was.
Tenashar spoke in a quiet and sympathetic voice. “Knode, are you thinking of going back to the islands? I have an interest in visiting your home. Please speak with me.”
Slowly, Knode came out of it. “How would that be accomplished? Our ship is gone. It can’t be repaired. I know what you’re thinking. I’ve heard you speaking to your people. But it won’t happen. Yes, the villagers are very skilled in all types of things, including metal. I was surprised at their achievements. We judged your people incorrectly. But it will not help. And a boat would be difficult to get to those islands. Remember I told you about the rocks and rough waters? Don’t bother being concerned, Tenashar.”
Journey to the Grassland and Sea Page 4
