by Khalid Uddin
Back to being on my own. “Oh.” He paused for a moment, “I understand, Marika. Then when we reach the Tower, we shall part ways there.” Garrison let out a deep breath.
“You misunderstand. The three of us will see that you reach the House. But that is where our ties will break.”
“Why go through all that trouble. Once we reach land again, you can go off and find new lives for yourselves. Rebuild the Taurani somewhere else.”
Tears streamed from the corners of her eyes now. “If your father is hunting you down, you will need our help to make it all the way to the House. You will not survive on your own. I cannot bear the burden of more innocents dying, Garrison. Especially children.”
Begrudgingly, he replied through gritted teeth, “I am no child.”
“You are of an age with my eldest child, Garrison. I had three. And now all are dead at the hands of savages. Esha and Gia were just girls. Innocent girls. And Marshall. My son Marshall had the potential to be one of the greatest Taurani warriors in the history of our people. All of it was wasted.” Marika’s face was slick with tears. “You have many years, many possibilities ahead of you, boy. I cannot let it go to waste.”
Garrison saw the futility in arguing further. “Very well. Then it is settled.
Chapter 6
Revelations
From The Book of Orijin, Verse Sixty-One
Righteousness lives in your hearts, as does wickedness, for We have placed them there. We have not created but one of you with absolute righteousness or wickedness.
Bo’az’s eyes adjusted to the blinding afternoon sunlight as he led Iridian out from the seemingly endless forest. Perhaps another reason for calling it ‘The Never’ was that nobody had ever gotten out of it. They had trekked through it for three days and, finally on the fourth morning, the forest gave way to new landscape. However, once his eyes accustomed themselves to sunlight they hadn’t seen clearly in almost a week, Bo’az realized he wasn’t really better off. Craggy mountains towered across the horizon, no end to them in sight. The sharp rocks stretched out at every peak, like rows and rows of swords and daggers. Their grey and white complexion offered him no solace, as he realized instantly that climbing through snow and rock would not be an enjoyable experience, especially with the injuries he’d been nursing. His three new “friends” had been kind enough to tend to his broken arm and create a sling from a piece of his cloak, and his nose and head had been stitched up, quite painfully at that. They had no knowledge of medicine, so aside from sharing some of Linas’ rum here and there, Bo’az had had to become accustomed to the pain in his arm over the past few days. Bo’az had headaches, but they were dwindling.
“Rhadames says they’re known as ‘The Endless Mountains’, I’m sure you can see why,” Linas grumbled as he reached Bo’az’s side. His long nappy beard stunk of old rum. “As I warned, the path ahead offers no comforts. We’ve no choice but to go directly through the mountains.”
First the Never, now the Endless Mountains. Maybe these places wouldn’t seem so bad if people gave them more bearable names. “I suppose that telling you that I hate the snow won’t change your mind about the mountains?”
“It has nothing to do with changing my mind or any preference of mine, for that matter. The truth of it is that we have no other way around the mountains. It would take us at least thrice as many days to walk the base of this range, and even then it would only lead to water. Our ship, if it’s still there, sits at the other side of this range, and the fastest route is simply to go straight.” He dismounted from his steed, took a few steps forward, and scanned the view ahead.
“Ship?”
Linas’ frustration grew tangible through his narrowing eyes and downturned mouth. “Yes, ship. Will that also be a problem for you, Baltaszar?”
Bo’az still hadn’t gotten used to being called that, even after a few days of being called his brother’s name. “No problem, it just seems that this journey of ours is excessively difficult. Is that why Darian didn’t himself come? Is he too old or sick to be able to travel like this?”
“Our master has his reasons for not coming, but you are correct about the journey itself. It is and will continue to be extremely taxing and unrelenting. The forest was the easy part. I will not make any attempts to describe it more pleasantly than it is. The mountains you see ahead are treacherous and indifferent to travelers, especially when we have to lead our horses through them. It is quite likely that any of us could be seriously injured or killed along the way. And even after all that, we face a very rough sea, followed by the desolation of the desert. Don’t even get me started on the beasts.”
“And all this is necessary? You still haven’t even told me why Darian needs to see me so badly.”
“Honestly, for as much as you whine and complain, boy, I can’t imagine how he won’t be disappointed when he meets you. He sent us to collect you and deliver you to him; that is our job. He will gladly explain everything when we get there. All I can really inform you about is that your father was a liar and you were never meant to be hidden away in the forest. You’ve grown too sheltered and naïve, perhaps that is why you carry on like a woman so often.”
“My father was no liar; he was a good man who did everything he could, after my mother died.” Bo’az grew tired of hiding his annoyance. His conversations with Linas got him nowhere and left him just as confused as when they first met, and Linas seemed less than fond of his father. At least Linas actually spoke to him, though. Gibreel made no secret his disdain for Bo’az. Rhadames never really spoke to anyone; he seemed to always be thinking, calculating, staring off into the distance and stroking his thick brown beard.
Yasaman, on the other hand, he knew why she hadn’t spoken at all since leaving Haedon. She’d watched Gibreel slice her father’s head off in order to save Bo’az’s life. Bo’az knew Yasaman didn’t get along with her father, but that didn’t make it any less painful to see him die so brutally right in front of her. In her attempt to run to her father’s lifeless body, Gibreel caught her and threw her to the ground, her screams echoing through the forest. During her fall, she’d hit her head against the ground and lost consciousness, but she awoke with a startling jump a few hours later, with no seemingly serious injuries. At least that was what Linas had told Bo’az. Bo’az himself hadn’t awoken for a day after he’d blacked out.
Yasaman hadn’t spoken a word since waking, and barely acknowledged that she was in the company of others. While they trod through the forest, Yasaman would normally stay at the rear, just within sight, and always with a look of aloofness, unaware of her surroundings. Yasaman’s and Bo’az’s three companions had no apparent worries of her falling behind or getting lost. In fact, they had originally expressed their distaste at her accompanying them, so they were only proving that point.
“Your father told you that the mark on your face was a burn for God’s sake. I can understand that you’d believe that as a child, but you’re a grown man and you still swear by his word. That makes you a fool along with your father. Especially considering it’s gone now…do you really believe a burn as big as the mark on your face would magically disappear and leave you without a scar?”
“I don’t know what I believe, but regardless, it is gone now, so it’s of no consequence.”
“It is of more consequence than you could ever dream. For your sake, Baltaszar, you’d better hope it reappears before we reach our destination. Our master will not be pleased if you do not bear the Mark.”
“Why? What’s so special about a line on my face?”
“Again, that is something my master will explain to you in due time. For now, let us continue on. If I tell you, for all I know you’ll either use it against us or try to run off. Which would lead to us having to kill you. And while I might tolerate you, I do not trust you, Baltaszar.”
“No. We’ll take a break here. Yasaman looks tired and I need to catch my breath before we venture up any mountains, especially if we’ll have to walk t
he whole way.” Bo’az realized he could get away with some assertiveness, since there was always the threat of him turning around and abandoning the whole endeavor. Gibreel cursed a few paces behind him.
Linas stared at him flatly. “You’re trying to take advantage of us now. I am not stupid. You’ve realized that our journey must include you, and now you plan to leverage us if we do not humor your silly demands. Very well, we shall concede to your request, but only a short break. We must find a safe location somewhere on the mountain directly ahead of us before dusk. We know of caves not far up. We found shelter in them on our way to finding you. Our survival through the mountains depends on our ability to get to shelter before nightfall. If we stay here, the predators will find us. It’s already past midday, so we’ve only a few hours to cover the base of the mountain and reach the caves, which could be a lengthy process.”
Bo’az hadn’t expected Linas to acquiesce so easily, but he was beginning to suspect that Linas Nasreddine was not necessarily a completely bad person. Linas had been the one, along with some help from Rhadames, who had stitched him and secured his broken arm, and Linas had taken Yasaman on his horse and led hers until she’d awoken after her fall. “Why is it that you are the only one who is willing to talk to me? I thought you were all sent to find me and bring me back safely.”
Linas slowly sat down next to a tree and dug a flask from his pack. “Trust me, if we don’t get you back, the three of us shall suffer so much that we’ll wish we were dead. I speak to you because you deserve no less. We arrived at your house unannounced and unfamiliar, asking for your trust. You have many questions and I can only answer some of them, but regardless, I understand that you are in a difficult situation. Your townspeople no longer accept you, you’ve no family, and you barely know me or my companions. Regardless of what I think of you, I realize your dilemma and your curiosities.”
“And what exactly do you think of me?”
“Honestly, I think you are too naïve for what my master has planned for you. You’ve been protected and misguided your whole life and have no idea what the world beyond your village is really like. Tell me, have you ever even left? Even once?”
“No. This is actually the farthest I’ve been from home.” Bo’az’s cheeks reddened at the admission.
“That is what I mean, boy. All you’ve known your whole life is a farm. You’ve never experienced anything real or even used a weapon, for that matter.” As Linas uncorked his flask and gulped a mouthful of rum, he could see the downtrodden expression on Bo’az’s face. “Listen, Baltaszar, my opinion of you means nothing. I am not here to be your friend. Once I deliver you to my master, our business with one another is done. You will have much bigger responsibilities than to worry about what I thought of you.”
Bo’az realized that Linas was right. There was no sense in caring what Linas or the other two thought, but for some reason, he sought their approval. He needed to be accepted and respected by them. Linas was correct about his other point as well. Bo’az had been sheltered his whole life. Only now did he realize how silly it was that he’d never been anywhere outside of Haedon. At almost eighteen years of age, this was the first time he’d actually been so far away from home. Baltaszar had tried to make him see that, but he’d been too stubborn to understand. He also realized that for as long as he could remember, he’d told himself that he was better off never leaving home or wondering about the rest of the world, if there had even been a bigger world beyond The Never.
When this adventure began, he’d had the thought that this would be an opportunity to begin anew and reinvent himself. At the time, they were words to be excited about, but now he believed them. His twin brother was off in another direction of the world, getting on with his life, and Bo’az now realized that when he saw Baltaszar again, he wanted to be able to say he’d done the same thing. “What about Gibreel and Rhadames? Have they not spoken to me because they think the same thing?”
“Gibreel…his impression is rather harsh. Gibreel began this mission in higher spirits. However, he currently believes that our mission is a waste of time, and not worth the difficulty. He doubts you and your potential. In general, Gibreel has never been known to think positively, if that is any consolation. Rhadames, on the other hand, barely ever speaks to anyone, except when necessary. I’ve only known him less than a year, but he is on this journey more because of his knowledge of the terrain and experience with animals.”
“Animals?” Bo’az sat on the ground near Linas and noticed Yasaman had dismounted and was feeding her horse, stroking its mane. He then curiously scanned the area for Gibreel and Rhadames. He found them on his left, just entering the field of tall grass. The highest green blades reached their black-cloaked shoulders.
“The beasts in this part of the world are particularly dangerous, especially those in the mountains. We encountered a few on our journey coming here. Ultimately, Rhadames was the one who was able to kill them, after many futile attempts from myself and Gibreel. We were actually told that the forest housed extremely dangerous creatures, but apparently those were mere rumors. We spent days riding through the forest, and barely encountered any life.”
“Strange.” Bo’az, barely listening to Linas anymore, saw Yasaman sitting at a tree about thirty paces to his right. She had her knees bent with her arms around them, and her head buried. He’d tried numerous times to talk to her in the past few days, but she’d never reciprocated. A few times, he’d rode his horse even with hers, hoping for some type of acknowledgement, but she’d always stared ahead or kept her head down. He understood that, as she’d believed him to be Baltaszar, he had a responsibility to make her feel better, but he also felt strange attempting any type of physical affection. He dared not hug her, but even putting a hand on her shoulder was beyond his capacity. Yet, he knew, regardless of who he was or was not, it was wrong to let the girl feel alone in her circumstances. Suddenly emboldened, he shot up from the ground and walked toward her. If Bo’az was going to change himself, he needed to start now and stop being afraid to act.
Bo’az walked confidently toward Yasaman and crouched in front of her, gently touching the side of her head with his good hand. She did not respond, so he moved his hand to hers and gently pulled it, whispering. “Yasaman, it’s me. Please, you can’t ignore me forever.”
She finally lifted her head, her eyes raw and glossed over with tears, which ironically, caused her face to shine. Her cloak’s sleeves had already absorbed pools of tears, and were quickly becoming soaked. She looked him straight in the eyes, but the melancholy in her face remained. Although her crying had been nearly silent, it was still evident in her broken voice as she spoke. “I’m sorry. I know you’re trying to help, but there’s nothing you can do right now. There’s so much going on in my head. We’ll talk soon though, I promise.” Her voice held no hint of thanks or friendliness, merely matter of fact. Yasaman then removed her hand from Bo’az’s and got up to check on her horse.
Dejected, Bo’az turned and headed back to Linas. He had hoped to be able to do more for her, but she left him no room to argue the point. Gibreel and Rhadames had returned and were in the middle of planning the next step of the journey. “The high grassland between us and the mountain is rampant with traces of ranza cats.” Gibreel, despite his detestable personality, was quite an efficient tracker and land surveyor. “However, they usually sleep during the light hours and hunt at night. I don’t know how far they tend to stray from the grass; I’ve heard they hunt best in packs and prefer to stay hidden as much as possible. So, if we leave right now, we can be across the field and safely up the mountain with time to spare. Better to do it now while there is plenty of sunlight.”
“Baltaszar, you heard Gibreel, we must leave now. I suppose you should tell the girl it is time to go.” Linas still hadn’t really warmed up to Yasaman. At least he, unlike Gibreel, went through the motions of pretending to care. As Bo’az turned in her direction, he realized she had already mounted her horse and was rid
ing toward them, her face like stone.
“Ride as fast as you can and have your weapons drawn. If any of these beasts are nearby and catch our scent, they’ll attack. And if they reach us, our horses won’t survive,” Gibreel warned them.
Linas, still sitting at the tree, nodded to Rhadames, “You and Gibreel pack up our things. Baltaszar, come here. I need to speak to you. Privately.”
Gibreel and Rhadames wasted no time in gathering the food and supplies. Bo’az glanced at Yasaman sitting stoically on her horse; he then sat beside Linas once again.
With a tone barely over a whisper, Linas leaned toward Bo’az. “From here on, we do things my way. This whole journey revolves around your well-being. Do you understand?”
Bo’az stared at the ground for a moment, and then looked Linas in the eyes. He matched Linas’ tone, “I think so. You mean no messing around. Listen to your command.”
“That is only part of it. If anyone is hurt or killed, you follow my orders or theirs.” Linas nodded toward his two companions. “Things will get dangerous now and you are the highest priority. Not the girl. I’ve adhered to your requests thus far. But from now on, if she slows us down, we leave her behind.”
Bo’az’s eyes widened. “Listen...”
“No. You listen.” Linas continued whispering, “I am responsible for you. Not her. If you die, my fate will be worse than death. If she dies, it only makes our journey easier. Protest if you like, but if we must bind your limbs and tie you to a horse, we will.”
Bo’az shook his head in disapproval. “There has to be another way.”
“I warned you of this when we first met. The girl is a liability. She has impeded us enough already. It cannot happen again. You deny that you are a fool, but look at reason, Baltaszar. Our journey has been easy thus far. Now we face difficult terrain and the threat of being hunted day and night. Chances are she will fare just fine. But if things get complicated, certain decisions will be necessary.”
