They readied for departure early the following morning. Mommu prepared the carriers' equipment and gave them a thorough grooming. He hummed to himself, lost in his own world as his brush went through the long, silky grey hairs of Kuri, the carrier. It nuzzled the boy with its soft nose, pert ears twitching nonstop. Mommu patted its neck and moved onto the flank hair, brushing rhythmically with expertise.
Ridding a carrier of any shed, dead hairs meant they were cleaner, had better circulation to prepare them for the long journey and were more relaxed and at ease. He gently untangled Kuri's curly, stubby tail hairs and brushed segmentally from the end to remove the knots. It was one of the few tasks Mommu was good at, through years of training and doing extra work when Tia had decided to skive off to play with the Wind: a frequent occurrence in which Mommu had no say; Tia could be very persuasive when she had had her mind set on something.
He moved onto Enusat, Tia's carrier. Tia's short attention-span and lack of patience meant that the Master had purposefully given her a carrier with short, tight hair that required almost no grooming. Even so, Mommu had a feeling her other reason for not wanting to groom her carrier was she did not want to repeatedly be reminded of the possibility that one day she might travel away from Mooncliffe, when it was so clear that the Master did not deign her ready.
Whilst Kuri was gentle and soft, Enusat had a temperament that was difficult to read. Many things could disagree with the four-legged creature and Mommu was surprised that Enlil had not been one of those stimulants. He expertly brushed the hairs, which were white with patches of light brown, and the carrier swished its tail in contentment, its large dark eyes locked on him the whole time. With people he was familiar with, Enusat was friendly enough; with strangers it was unpredictable and might be violently hostile. Not unlike its owner, thought Mommu with a small sigh, closing his grey eyes briefly.
The boy went on to prepare Nutesh, the spare carrier. Aplaa, Master Anu's carrier, had been groomed first thing that morning. When they were all saddled and their travel bags hitched onto their flanks, he led the four of them out of the stables into the small front yard. The Master was singing to the Wind again, his pale blue cape flapping in the gentle breeze.
The words danced in the air. Mommu saw Tia shiver with delight as she hurried out, her own darker cape around her neck, two Caster staffs tucked beneath one arm and Mommu's travel cloak in her other hand. Enlil, wearing a villager's standard cloak, watched the carriers in anticipation as Mommu dressed in haste and grabbed his and Tia's staffs. The girl vaulted easily onto Enusat, patting the animal on the side of his neck. She adjusted her hood and before accepting her staff from Mommu, holding it across her chest in front of her proudly.
The sun had barely risen; birds had begun to chirp and the sky was stained a liquid gold. Mommu helped Enlil onto Nutesh, the black carrier, adjust the straps, and get the feeling of the saddle and reins. The new boy's legs were quaking slightly, whether in excitement or nerves, Mommu couldn't tell, but he knew Enlil had looked forward to riding Nutesh out of the neighbouring fields. He also knew Tia would have teased him if her focus hadn't been fully occupied by the Master's singing. Her face was filled with the same bliss every time she saw or heard Wind magic being used.
"You are telling another Master of our departure, are you not, Master?" she enquired, her eyelids fluttering open as the music ceased. Mommu led Aplaa to Master Anu, who gathered his cloak and staff and eased himself onto the carrier. He gave the young girl a small smile.
"You are improving in your Hearing, my dear."
"I've Heard even more, Master," she said eagerly, her eyes bright as she shifted her seat on Enusat. "It is the Master of Westersands. You are informing him of our route to Capital, via Kiramone and..." she frowned, trying to recall the sounds in her mind again, "...Londis?"
"Hume," he corrected, but his eyes held a pleased twinkle. "Very good, Tiamat. If you progress at this rate, you may be able to pass your Level four this year."
Tia flushed with pride. She urged Enusat forward as Master set off, Aplaa's stubby tail wagging as he trotted. Enlil on Nutesh moved forward hesitantly. He slowly set into the rhythmic trotting of the animal, gaining steadiness and confidence with each step. Mommu brought up the rear. Tia hummed, swaying.
They descended the hill in the opposite direction to the city. The pebble path, overridden by grass and other plants, ran straight along the fence, behind which crops grew. Long grass rustled in the wind. The path led down the hill before disappearing into the shadows of some woods that grew in the valley and nothing could be seen beyond the dense, dark-leaved trees. The sun was beginning to peep over the mountaintops in the distance, staining the sky a beautiful bright orange and yellow. Not a cloud in the sky, it was promising a warm, clear day.
"Are you content the way you are now?"
Mommu jerked back to reality with a start. He hadn't realised Enlil had slowed Nutesh until the two carriers trotted side by side. Gentle Kuri nuzzled Nutesh once before facing ahead again.
"I... why would I not be?" Mommu stuttered, his round face flushing. The slave boy tilted his head at him; his pale eyes seemed to challenge him with more questions. Enlil had had his hair trimmed and, clad in villagers' clothing, looked nothing more than a typical stable boy, with callused hands, a weathered face and thick, dark brown hair that stuck up in the wind.
"You are always second best to Tiamat." Mommu flinched. "The Master is always praising her good work despite his best attempts to not show favouritism, but it is very obvious she has more talent than you."
"So what?" Mommu retorted. He stared ahead, trying not to let it show how Enlil's perceptive words had cut his ego. He disliked how the new boy had questioned his role as a Caster apprentice. Staring pointedly straight ahead at Tia's brown ponytail that was swishing with motion, Mommu forced himself not to rise to the bait.
"Have you never thought that you could be more than second best?" Enlil pressed.
"It is not your concern."
"Forever living in the shadow of someone whose status ought to be the same as yours? Doing all her chores simply because she asks – or even when she does not? You are being manipulated and subdued and yet you are happily ignorant of all the great things you could achieve–"
"That's enough!" Mommu burst out, his fists white as they clenched Kuri's reins tightly. The carrier squeaked in fright and its even trotting was disrupted. Mommu, affronted, glared at the other boy who had happily accepted their hospitality. Enlil's gaze was unwavering.
Tia had always been the talented one out of the pair of apprentices. She had a natural affinity for the Wind and for magic and she was always the one who worked little but achieved a lot. Plump, nervous Mommu on the other hand managed to keep up with his buzzing, energetic counterpart only by hard work and perseverance.
But in all of the five years he had been studying with her, she had never rubbed it in his face: in fact, she hardly seemed aware of his efforts whilst she played with the Wind. Deep down, Mommu knew this was partly because she was never one to kick the weak or fallen. She did it for him, so that he never felt left behind. She was always so far ahead. Even Master Anu had never set them against each other.
Mommu's fists curled.
"You should be ashamed to speak badly of someone who'd welcomed you into their home!"
"I have nothing against anybody here," was the irritatingly calm reply, "and I am forever grateful to all of you for being so kind to me. I am merely questioning your contentment to remain in the shadows–"
"Isn't this wonderful?" came a joyful voice. Enlil closed his mouth with a snap and, to Mommu's surprise, smiled at the other apprentice, who had slowed her carrier to match the pace of her companions. She stretched, breathing in the country wind, her dark cloak billowing in the breeze. Her eyes were closed in bliss as she breathed out slowly, smile lighting up her freckled face. She grinned widely at the boys, oblivious to the heated exchange that had taken place literally seconds before she had jumped in. Unfortunately, Tia was as dumb and insensitive to other people's emotions as she was talented at Casting. "This is amazing."
"It is beautiful," agreed Enlil. Mommu said nothing, his indignity burning in his stomach. He looked away pointedly.
"I cannot believe we are finally travelling," Tia sighed, swaying with the motion of Enusat, her carrier. "Is the sky not gorgeous? Do you not just feel so – so – free?"
Tia's green eyes were shining like stars as they took in the animals grazing, the clouds drifting across the sky, and the flora along the way. She couldn't take her eyes off anything and was easily distracted. A rabbit darted across the path and she squealed, making Kuri jump.
"All these years and I just see Master's back, sitting on Aplaa, just watching him go. And now I am on a journey too!" She stared longingly at the spot where the rabbit disappeared into the tall grass.
"How long have you been with Master Anu, Tiamat?" She wrinkled her nose a little at his address.
"Ten years – eleven years come this winter," she replied, her eyes closed again as she took in big breaths. Mommu pretended not to hear the chirpy conversation taking place, staring ahead with conviction. "He adopted me when he found me – like he found Mommu – and when he realised I have the gift, he offered to train me. I did not realise until at least five years later that he was the esteemed Windcaster of Mooncliffe – one of the king's Keep Censors! Can you imagine?" She giggled, showing pearly white teeth. "I was crying at him, begging for extra lessons and playing silly pranks by blowing his scrolls everywhere and dust into the gruel, and he would reprimand me – him! The oldest and wisest Caster in Dernexes!"
Enlil chuckled.
"Mommu came about five years after me. Master brought him back after a journey through Ratho."
Mommu thought he saw a flicker of something in Enlil's pale eyes. Recognition? But before he could confirm, Enlil had turned back to Tia again.
"I wish everything would stay like this forever," she said, her eyes glossing over. She didn't notice Enlil's jaw muscles tightening. She urged Enusat forward. "Master! Master" she implored as she caught up with the old man ahead.
"So naive," commented the slave boy, his face now impassive.
Mommu's eyes flicked over at the boy, whose body had begun to fill out from repeated manual labour, good sleep, and nutritious food over the past few weeks.
"Why do people find the truth so difficult to accept, Mommu?" murmured Enlil, staring ahead. The cheerful air Tia had brought appeared to have drained away as quickly as rain in the desert and the two rode in heavy silence. "Everything will change. Look at her: she is so ignorant of the slaves' hard lives, living in that little bubble she calls home. She has no idea." His voice held a trace of bitterness. "The Master is so skilled and experienced in one of the strongest magics of this land and yet he does nothing for the rights of people that serve the likes of him. It is like he does not care." He made no attempt to hide the disgust in his voice.
Uncomfortable in confrontations, Mommu wanted to disagree, but was wary of Enlil's cutting words. He made a point of not returning any of the pessimistic and dismissive comments. The ill-concealed resentment of slavery wasn't something he had ever come across before.
"Why are you telling me this?" he couldn't help but ask. There was a pregnant pause as Enlil surveyed him. Mommu felt like he was being scrutinised.
"Tiamat would not understand." The reply was matter-of-fact. "She has been so sheltered and is so naive; she will likely just think everyone can be saved if she invites them all to her home."
"And I do not?"
"You've been orphaned. You remember the hopelessness and destitute conditions of Ratho. You know the pain."
Mommu bit his lip. He did know. But all of that was left behind when Master Anu took him in. The situation of the poor wouldn't have changed, if the wealth of the rich was anything to go by.
"And there are people right now – families, children – who are still living like that. They will spend the rest of their lives there. As will their children. And their children's children. And nobody bats an eye – 'that's the way of life,' they say," Enlil mocked. They rode on in silence.
Mommu supposed he was the same as Enlil in a way: the fact that the slave boy was no longer bound in chains was a pure stroke of luck – of deception even, and if he had not escaped at that sliver of a chance, he would be rotting on the streets just like all the other destitute poor. Mommu was one of hundreds of starving abandoned children on the streets of Ratho, ignored by passers-by who could not care less about their lives as long as they stayed out of the way obediently. He had been close to dying. The world had looked dark and he had had no energy left. He had readied himself to pass on.
An old man had stopped in front of him back then, and gave him bread and water. Mommu had been too weak to even contemplate eating, so the old man carried him back to the inn where he had been staying and had fed and bathed him, allowing him the luxury of a bed and clean clothes: luxury he had only dreamed of. On the Caster's last day in Ratho, he had offered his home to the malnourished, almost feral boy. Had Master Anu not plucked him from the world of death, Mommu would have become just another speck of dust, forgotten on the streets of Ratho.
He began to understand Enlil and his brooding anger.